Umar ibn Hafsun
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Umar ibn Hafsun ibn Ja'far ibn Salim ( ar, عمر بن حَفْصُون بن جَعْفَ بن سالم) (c. 850 – 917), known in Spanish history as Omar ben Hafsun, was a 9th-century political and military leader who contested
Umayyad The Umayyad Caliphate (661–750 CE; , ; ar, ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة, al-Khilāfah al-ʾUmawīyah) was the second of the four major caliphates established after the death of Muhammad. The caliphate was ruled by the ...
power in
Iberia The Iberian Peninsula (), ** * Aragonese and Occitan: ''Peninsula Iberica'' ** ** * french: Péninsule Ibérique * mwl, Península Eibérica * eu, Iberiar penintsula also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in southwestern Europe, defi ...
.


Ancestry

The background of Ibn Hafsun has been the subject of conflicting claims. A contemporary poet,
Ibn Abd Rabbih Ibn ʿAbd Rabbih () or Ibn ʿAbd Rabbihi (Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn `Abd Rabbih) (860–940) was an arab writer and poet widely known as the author of '' Al-ʿIqd al-Farīd'' (''The Unique Necklace''). Biography He was born in Cordova, now in Spain ...
(860-940), referred to him as a ''Sawada'', a descendant of black Africans. Writing a century later,
Ibn Hayyan Abū Marwān Ḥayyān ibn Khalaf ibn Ḥusayn ibn Ḥayyān al-Qurṭubī () (987–1075), usually known as Ibn Hayyan, was a Muslim historian from Al-Andalus. Born at Córdoba, his father was an important official at the court of the Andalusi ...
recorded a pedigree for Ibn Hafsun by tracing his descent to a great-grandfather, Ja'far ibn Salim, who had converted to
Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...
and settled in the
Ronda Ronda () is a town in the Spanish province of Málaga. It is located about west of the city of Málaga, within the autonomous community of Andalusia. Its population is about 35,000. Ronda is known for its cliff-side location and a deep chasm ...
area of the Province of Málaga in southern Spain. The pedigree then traces back several additional generations to one Count Marcellus (or perhaps Frugelo), son of Alfonso, apparently a Christian
Visigoth The Visigoths (; la, Visigothi, Wisigothi, Vesi, Visi, Wesi, Wisi) were an early Germanic people who, along with the Ostrogoths, constituted the two major political entities of the Goths within the Roman Empire in late antiquity, or what is kno ...
. This pedigree was copied by later historians, including
Ibn Idhari Abū al-ʽAbbās Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad ibn ʽIḏārī al-Marrākushī ( ar, أبو العباس أحمد ابن عذاري المراكشي) was a Moroccan historian of the late-13th/early-14th century, and author of the famous ''Al-Bayan al-M ...
, Ibn Khatib, and
Ibn Khaldun Ibn Khaldun (; ar, أبو زيد عبد الرحمن بن محمد بن خلدون الحضرمي, ; 27 May 1332 – 17 March 1406, 732-808 AH) was an Arab The Historical Muhammad', Irving M. Zeitlin, (Polity Press, 2007), p. 21; "It is, of ...
, as well as the ''A'lam Malaga'' (''History of Malaga'') begun by Ibn 'Askar and completed by Ibn Khamis, and more recent authors such as
Reinhart Dozy Reinhart Pieter Anne Dozy (Leiden, Netherlands, 21 February 1820 – Leiden, 29 April 1883) was a Dutch scholar of French (Huguenot) origin, who was born in Leiden. He was an Orientalist scholar of Arabic language, history and literature. Biogra ...
, in his ''Histoire des Mussulmans d'Espagne'' (''History of the Muslims of Spain''). However, Chronicler David J. Wasserstein recently concluded that the pre-conversion portion of this pedigree was probably invented by Umar himself. Conde ho?/sup> in 1820 indicated that Ibn Hafsun was "a man of pagan origin, of obscure and unknown ancestry." Regardless, there is evidence his family owned lands in
Iznate Iznate is a town and municipality in the province of Málaga, part of the autonomous community of Andalusia in southern Spain. It is located in the comarca of La Axarquía. The municipality is situated approximately 12 kilometers from Vélez-Málag ...
, Málaga, where he grew up.Houtsma, M. Th. ''et al.'' (eds.) (1913-1936) ''Encyclopaedia of Islam'', pp. 981-982


Life

Ibn Hafsun was born around 850 in the mountains near
Parauta Parauta is a town and municipality in the province of Málaga, part of the autonomous community of Andalusia in southern Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , nati ...
in what is now Málaga. In his wild youth, he had a very violent temper and was involved in a number of disputes, including a homicide around the year 879. He joined a group of brigands and was captured by the Vali of Málaga, who merely imposed a fine since he had not been informed of the homicide. The governor subsequently lost his post. Ibn Hafsun fled the jurisdiction to Morocco where he worked briefly as an apprentice tailor or stonemason. He soon returned to
al-Andalus Al-Andalus DIN 31635, translit. ; an, al-Andalus; ast, al-Ándalus; eu, al-Andalus; ber, ⴰⵏⴷⴰⵍⵓⵙ, label=Berber languages, Berber, translit=Andalus; ca, al-Àndalus; gl, al-Andalus; oc, Al Andalús; pt, al-Ândalus; es, ...
as an outlaw and joined bandits who were in rebellion against Andalusian rule and soon rose to a leadership position. Originally he settled in the ruins of the old castle of Bobastro ( ar, بُبَشْتَر ''bubastar''). He rebuilt the castle, and fortified the nearby town of
Ardales Ardales is a town and municipality in the Province of Málaga, part of the autonomous community of Andalusia in southern Spain. The municipality is approximately 62.5 kilometres from Málaga. On the hill above the town is the historic church and ...
. He rallied disaffected Muwallads and
Mozarabs The Mozarabs ( es, mozárabes ; pt, moçárabes ; ca, mossàrabs ; from ar, مستعرب, musta‘rab, lit=Arabized) is a modern historical term for the Iberian Christians, including Christianized Iberian Jews, who lived under Muslim rule in A ...
to the cause by playing off resentment towards the unfair heavy taxation and the humiliating treatment they were receiving at the hands of Abd ar-Rahman and his successors. He acquired castles and lands in a wide area not only in Malaga but also in portions of the Provinces of
Cádiz Cádiz (, , ) is a city and port in southwestern Spain. It is the capital of the Province of Cádiz, one of eight that make up the autonomous community of Andalusia. Cádiz, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in Western Europe, ...
,
Granada Granada (,, DIN 31635, DIN: ; grc, Ἐλιβύργη, Elibýrgē; la, Illiberis or . ) is the capital city of the province of Granada, in the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the fo ...
(known then as "Elvira"), Jaén, and
Seville Seville (; es, Sevilla, ) is the capital and largest city of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the River Guadalquivir, in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula ...
. By 883, he had become the leader of the rebels in the provinces to the south and the west of the
Emirate of Córdoba The Emirate of Córdoba ( ar, إمارة قرطبة, ) was a medieval Islamic kingdom in the Iberian Peninsula. Its founding in the mid-eighth century would mark the beginning of seven hundred years of Muslim rule in what is now Spain and Port ...
. The year before, in 882, he is said to have fought the Emir in a battle in which his ally,
García Íñiguez of Pamplona García Íñiguez I (Latin: ''Garsea Enneconis'', Basque: ''Gartzea Eneko''; c. 810 – 882), also known as García I was the second king of Pamplona from 851–2 until his death. He was the son of Íñigo Arista, the first king of Pamplona. Edu ...
, was killed. Around 885, to be more centrally located so that he could more quickly respond to external threats, Ibn Hafsun moved his headquarters to the town of Poley, which is now Aguilar de la Frontera. After Ibn Hafsun’s defeat by the forces of
Abdullah ibn Muhammad al-Umawi Abdullah may refer to: * Abdullah (name), a list of people with the given name or surname * Abdullah, Kargı, Turkey, a village * ''Abdullah'' (film), a 1980 Bollywood film directed by Sanjay Khan * '' Abdullah: The Final Witness'', a 2015 Pakis ...
at the Battle of Poley in 891, he moved his headquarters back to Bobastro. In 898, Lubb ibn Muhammad, of the Banu Qasi, was marching an army to support Umar when the death of his father at
Zaragoza Zaragoza, also known in English as Saragossa,''Encyclopædia Britannica'"Zaragoza (conventional Saragossa)" is the capital city of the Zaragoza Province and of the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain. It lies by the Ebro river and its tributari ...
, which forced Lubb to abandon the campaign. In 899, Ibn Hafsun renounced Islam and converted to Christianity. He was baptised as Samuel. His motivations seems to have been opportunistic in the hope of obtaining military support from Alfonso III of Asturias, who had met with indifference overtures by Ibn Hafsun on behalf of Ibn Marwan. The conversion attracted him significant Mozarab support but cost him the support of most of his Mullawad followers. He also built the ''Iglesia Mozárabe'' ("Mozarab Church") at the Bobastro. Ibn Hafsun continued to be a serious threat to Córdoba. In 910, he offered allegiance to the Fatimid rulers of North Africa,Wasserstein, p. 293 and when Abd-ar-Rahman III became Emir of Cordoba in 912, he instigated a policy of annual spring offensives against Ibn Hafsun by using mercenary troops. In 913 Rahman captured the city of
Seville Seville (; es, Sevilla, ) is the capital and largest city of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the River Guadalquivir, in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula ...
, and by the end of 914, had captured 70 of Ibn Hafsun’s castles. In 916, he joined forces with the Umayyads in a campaign against northern Christian kingdoms for an as of yet unknown reason, whether in contrition or merely as an expedient compromise. For a while, even taxes were paid to the Umayyads. Ibn Hafsun died in 917 and was buried in the ''Iglesia Mozarabe''. His coalition then crumbled; while his sons Ja'far, 'Abd-ar-Rahman and Hafs tried to continue the resistance, they eventually fell to 'Abd-ar-Rahman III. Hafs surrendered Bobastro in 928 and fought with the Umayyad army in Galicia. With Bobastro's fall, the mortal remains of Ibn Hafsun and his slain sons were exhumed by the emir and posthumously crucified outside the
Mosque–Cathedral of Córdoba The Mosque–Cathedral of Córdoba ( es, Mezquita-Catedral de Córdoba), officially known by its ecclesiastical name, the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption ( es, Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción), is the cathedral of the Roman C ...
.


Notes


References

* Acién Almansa, Manuel Pedro- (1994) ''Málaga Musulmana (siglos VIII-XIII). Historia de Málaga''. Ed. Diario Sur. Málaga. * Barthel, Günter and Kristina Stock (eds.) (1994) ''Lexikon Arabische Welt'', Dr. Ludwig Reichert Verlag, Wiesbaden. * * Christys, Ann (2002) ''Christians in Al-Andalus: Culture and civilization in the Middle East (711-1000)'', Routledge, 2002,
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* De la Cierva, Ricardo (1979) ''Historia de España'', Vol. III. Ed. Planeta. * Glick, Thomas F. (eds.) (2005) ''Islamic and Christian Spain in the Early Middle Ages'', Brill. * Hottinger, Arnold (1995) ''Die Mauren, Arabische Kultur in Spanien'', Wilhelm Fink Verlag. * Houtsma, M. Th. ''et al.'' (eds.) (1913–1936) ''Encyclopaedia of Islam: dictionary of the geography, ethnography and biography of the Muhammadan peoples'' (1st ed. in 4 vol.) E. J. Brill, London. "'OMAR b. ḤAFṢŪN", p. 981-2; reprinted in facsimile edition as ''E.J. Brill's first encyclopaedia of Islam, 1913-1936'' in 1987 * Marín-Guzmán, Roberto (1994) "Rebellions and Political Fragmentation of al-Andalus: A Study of the Revolt of 'Umar Ibn Hafsun in the Period of the Amir 'Abd Allah (888–912)" ''Islamic Studies'' 33(4): pp. 419–473 * Marín-Guzmán, Roberto (1995) "The Causes of the Revolt of Umar ibn Hafsun in Al- Andalus 880-928: A study in medieval Islamic social history" ''Arabica'' 17(2): pp. 180–221 * Marín-Guzmán, Roberto (2006) "Political Turmoil in al-Andalus in the Time of the Amir 'Abd Allah (888-912): Study of the revolt of Daysum Ibn Ishaq, lord of Murcia and Lorca and the role of 'Umar Ibn Hafsun" ''The Muslim world'' 96(1): pp. 145–174 * Menéndez Pidal, Ramón (1984) ''España Musulmana: 004 (711-1031 : La Conquista, El Emirato, El Califato)''. Lectorum Pubns Inc. * Regla, J. (1969) ''Historia de España Ilustrada''. Ed. Ramón Sopena. Barcelona. * Ronart, Stephan and Nandy Ronart (eds.) (1972) '' Lexikon der Arabischen Welt. Ein historisch-politisches Nachschlagewerk'', Artemis Verlag * Ryan-Ranson, Helen (1993) ''Imagination, Emblems and Expressions'', Popular Press,
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* Wasserstein, David J. "Inventing tradition and constructing identity: The genealogy of Umar ibn Hafsün between Christianity and Islam", ''Al Qantara'', vol. 23 (2002), pp. 269–297.


External links



in Spanish. {{DEFAULTSORT:Umar ibn Hafsun People of the Emirate of Córdoba 850 births 917 deaths Year of birth uncertain Converts to Christianity from Islam Christians of Al-Andalus People from the Province of Málaga Spanish former Muslims Al-Andalus military personnel Rebels of the medieval Islamic world Muwallads