Zayyan ibn Mardanish or Zayán Ibn Mardanix (b. ?, Onda – d. 1270,

Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = , capital = Tunis , largest_city = capital , ...

) also known as ''Zahén'' or ''Çaèn'', was the last king of the

Taifa of Valencia The Taifa of Valencia () was a medieval Moorish taifa kingdom which existed, in and around Valencia, Spain during four distinct periods: from 1010 to 1065, from 1075 to 1099, from 1145 to 1147 and last from 1229 to 1238 when it was finally co ...

before it fell to the

Kingdom of Aragon The Kingdom of Aragon ( an, Reino d'Aragón, ca, Regne d'Aragó, la, Regnum Aragoniae, es, Reino de Aragón) was a medieval and early modern kingdom on the Iberian Peninsula, corresponding to the modern-day autonomous community of Aragon, ...

in the

Reconquista The ' (Spanish, Portuguese and Galician for "reconquest") is a historiographical construction describing the 781-year period in the history of the Iberian Peninsula between the Umayyad conquest of Hispania in 711 and the fall of the Nasrid ...

campaign led by

James I of Aragon James I the Conqueror ( es, Jaime el Conquistador, ca, Jaume el Conqueridor; 2 February 1208 – 27 July 1276) was King of Aragon and Lord of Montpellier from 1213 to 1276; King of Majorca from 1231 to 1276; and Valencia from 1238 to 1276 ...

Biography

In 1229, Zayyan became King of Valencia or ''Balensiya'' after dethroning

Zayd Abu Zayd Zayd Abu Zayd (ابو زيد, 1195 – 1265/1270) was the last Almohad governor of Valencia. He succeeded as governor of Valencia to his uncle Abū `Abd Allāh Muhammad. At the death of the Almohad caliph Yaqub al-Mansur, he gained complete auto ...

, the last

Almohad The Almohad Caliphate (; ar, خِلَافَةُ ٱلْمُوَحِّدِينَ or or from ar, ٱلْمُوَحِّدُونَ, translit=al-Muwaḥḥidūn, lit=those who profess the Tawhid, unity of God) was a North African Berbers, Berber M ...

governor of the province. Abu Zayd, who had converted to

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...

, fled the city and became a vassal of the Aragonese king, James I. The dethroned monarch provided James I with the perfect '' casus belli'' to invade and conquer Valencia, a process that was completed in the year 1238. Zayyan personally commanded troops various battles throughout the campaign, including the Siege of Burriana and the

Battle of the Puig The Battle of the Puig of 1237, also known as the Battle of the Puig de Santa Maria, the Battle of the Puig de Enesa, or the Battle of the Puig de Cepolla was a battle of the Iberian Reconquista and of the Aragonese Conquest of Valencia. The b ...

, where the

Muslim Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...

troops were decisively defeated, marking the inevitability of the Aragonese take over. After the Battle of the Puig, Zayyan defended the city of

Valencia Valencia ( va, València) is the capital of the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Valencian Community, Valencia and the Municipalities of Spain, third-most populated municipality in Spain, with 791,413 inhabitants. It is ...

until it fell in 1238. The Muslim hand was forced into surrender due to a lack of aid that was expected from the Sultan of Tunisia. In the accords of the capitulation, Zayyan promised James I that he and his entourage would go into exile from Valencian land via the port at

Cullera Cullera () is a city and municipality of Spain located in the Valencian Community. It is part of the province of Valencia and the Ribera Baixa ''comarca''. The city is situated near the discharge of the river Júcar in the Mediterranean Sea. Ge ...

Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = , capital = Tunis , largest_city = capital , ...

where he would eventually die.

References

* The information on this page was translated from its Spanish equivalent. People of the Reconquista 1270 deaths Year of birth unknown 13th-century Al-Andalus people 13th-century monarchs in Europe People from Onda {{Al-Andalus-royal-stub

Biography

See also

References