García Jiménez was (sub- or co-) king of a part of

Pamplona Pamplona (; eu, Iruña or ), historically also known as Pampeluna in English, is the capital city of the Chartered Community of Navarre, in Spain. It is also the third-largest city in the greater Basque cultural region. Lying at near above ...

in the late 9th century, son of a supposed

Jimeno Jimeno (also Gimeno, Ximeno, Chemene, Exemeno) is a given name derived from ''Ximen'',OMAECHEVARRIA, Ignacio, "Nombres propios y apellidos en el País Vasco y sus contornos". ''Homenaje a D. Julio de Urquijo'', volume II, pages 153-175. a variant of ...

. The

Jiménez dynasty The Jiménez dynasty, alternatively called the Jimena, the Sancha, the Banu Sancho, the Abarca or the Banu Abarca,Alberto Cañada Juste, "¿Quién fue Sancho Abarca?, ''Príncipe de Viana'', 73: 79-132. was a medieval ruling family from the 9th c ...

that would later rule the

Kingdom of Navarre The Kingdom of Navarre (; , , , ), originally the Kingdom of Pamplona (), was a Basque kingdom that occupied lands on both sides of the western Pyrenees, alongside the Atlantic Ocean between present-day Spain and France. The medieval state took ...

originally held the territory within that realm distinct from that held by the descendants of Iñigo Arista. García is presumed to have succeeded his father in this role, either during the lifetime of King García Íñiguez or of his son King Fortún Garcés, and is called "king" by the '' Códice de Roda'', being of "another part of the kingdom" of Pamplona. There is no documentary evidence of García Jiménez playing any role in the government of the greater kingdom. However, such a role has been assigned to him. In 860, Fortún Garcés son and heir of king García Íñiguez, was imprisoned in Córdoba, and was kept there for 20 years. The traditional death date of García Íñiguez in 870 would have meant there was a ''de facto'' 10-year

interregnum An interregnum (plural interregna or interregnums) is a period of discontinuity or "gap" in a government, organization, or social order. Archetypally, it was the period of time between the reign of one monarch and the next (coming from Latin '' ...

before the return of Fortún to the kingdom. It has been suggested that García Jiménez was called 'king' due to his service as

regent A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state '' pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy ...

during this period, lasting until he was killed at Aybar (882) in a battle against the

Emir of Córdoba Emir (; ar, أمير ' ), sometimes transliterated amir, amier, or ameer, is a word of Arabic origin that can refer to a male monarch, aristocrat, holder of high-ranking military or political office, or other person possessing actual or cerem ...

. On this basis, he is sometimes called García II. However, an alternative reconstruction would make the 882 casualties identical to García Íñiguez himself, thus allowing him to survive past his son's return, in which case no interregnum existed. There are likewise several references to a Sancho (presumably the son of García Íñiguez and younger brother of captive Fortún) being lord of Pamplona or 'king' in the 860s and 870s. The ''Códice de Roda'' shows García Jiménez to have married twice, firstly to Oneca, "Rebel of Sangüesa" with whom he had two children: *Íñigo, called 'king' in the ''Códice de Roda'' when reporting his marriage to a granddaughter of Fortún Garcés of Pamplona, but not in his own entry as son of García Jiménez. He perhaps succeeded to his father's sub-kingdom (else the term is being used as an honorific rather than a title). *Sancha, married as her first husband Íñigo Fortúnez, son of king Fortún Garcés of Pamplona, and subsequently remarried to Galindo Aznárez II, Count of Aragon. García Jiménez married secondly Dadildis de Pallars, sister of count Raymond I of Pallars and Ribagorza, having by her two sons: * Sancho I, later sole king of Pamplona. *

, tutor of his nephew García Sánchez and regent until his death on 29 May 931.

References

*Lacarra de Miguel, José María. "Textos navarros del Códice de Roda". ''Estudios de Edad Media de la Corona de Aragon''. 1:194-283 (1945). *Pérez de Urbel, Justo. "Lo viejo y lo nuevo sobre el origin del Reino de Pamplona". ''Al-Andalus''. 19:1-42 (1954). *Sánchez Albornoz, Claudio. "Problemas de la historia Navarra del siglo IX". ''Princípe de Viana'', 20:5-62 (1959). {{DEFAULTSORT:Garcia Jimenez of Pamplona 9th-century Navarrese monarchs House of Jiménez Navarrese monarchs 9th-century rulers in Europe 9th-century people from the Kingdom of Pamplona Year of birth unknown Year of death unknown