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

Pamplona Pamplona (; ), historically also known as Pampeluna in English, is the capital city of the Navarre, Chartered Community of Navarre, in Spain. Lying at near above sea level, the city (and the wider Cuenca de Pamplona) is located on the flood pl ...

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, was a medieval ruling family which, beginning in the 9th century, eventually grew to control the royal houses of several kingdoms ...

that would later rule the

Kingdom of Navarre The Kingdom of Navarre ( ), originally the Kingdom of Pamplona, occupied lands on both sides of the western Pyrenees, with its northernmost areas originally reaching the Atlantic Ocean (Bay of Biscay), between present-day Spain and France. The me ...

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 The ''Códice de Roda'' or ''Códice de Meyá'' (Roda or Meyá codex) is a medieval manuscript that represents a unique primary source for details of the 9th- and early 10th-century Kingdom of Navarre and neighbouring principalities. It is current ...

'', 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 revolutionary breach of legal continuity, discontinuity or "gap" in a government, organization, or social order. Archetypally, it was the period of time between the reign of one m ...

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

regent In a monarchy, a regent () is a person appointed to govern a state because the actual monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge their powers and duties, or the throne is vacant and a new monarch has not yet been dete ...

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

Emir of Córdoba Emir (; ' (), also transliterated as amir, 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 ceremonial authority. The title has ...

. 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 Fortún Garcés (Basque: ''Orti Gartzez''; died 922) nicknamed the One-eyed (''el Tuerto''), and years later the Monk (''el Monje''), was king of Pamplona from 870/882 until 905. He appears in Arabic records as ''Fortoûn ibn Garsiya'' (''فرت� ...

, and subsequently remarried to Galindo Aznárez II, Count of Aragon. García Jiménez married secondly Dadildis of 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. {{s-end

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). 9th-century Navarrese monarchs House of Jiménez 9th-century people from the Kingdom of Pamplona Year of birth unknown Year of death unknown