The southern part of the Iberian peninsula was under Islamic rule for seven hundred years. In

medieval history In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

, "

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, ...

" ( ar, الأندلس) was the name given to the parts of the

Iberian Peninsula 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 ...

and

Septimania Septimania (french: Septimanie ; oc, Septimània ) is a historical region in modern-day Southern France. It referred to the western part of the Roman province of Gallia Narbonensis that passed to the control of the Visigoths in 462, when Septima ...

governed by

Arab The Arabs (singular: Arab; singular ar, عَرَبِيٌّ, DIN 31635: , , plural ar, عَرَب, DIN 31635: , Arabic pronunciation: ), also known as the Arab people, are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in Western Asia, ...

and

North Africa North Africa, or Northern Africa is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region, and it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of Mauritania in ...

Muslims 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 Abraha ...

(given the generic name of

Moors The term Moor, derived from the ancient Mauri, is an exonym first used by Christian Europeans to designate the Muslim inhabitants of the Maghreb, the Iberian Peninsula, Sicily and Malta during the Middle Ages. Moors are not a distinct or ...

), at various times in the period between 711 and 1492.

Dependent rulers of al-Andalus

Most of the

Visigothic Kingdom The Visigothic Kingdom, officially the Kingdom of the Goths ( la, Regnum Gothorum), was a kingdom that occupied what is now southwestern France and the Iberian Peninsula from the 5th to the 8th centuries. One of the Germanic peoples, Germanic su ...

of Hispania was conquered by the Umayyads in 711-18. Hispania (or

) was organized as a single province (''

wilayah A wilayah ( ar, وَلاية, wālāya or ''wilāya'', plural ; Urdu and fa, ولایت, ''velâyat''; tr, vilayet) is an administrative division, usually translated as "state", "province" or occasionally as " governorate". The word comes f ...

''), with local provincial capital at Córdoba, and integrated into their empire. In the administrative structure of the

Umayyad Caliphate 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 th ...

, al-Andalus was formally a province subordinate to the Umayyad governor of

Kairouan Kairouan (, ), also spelled El Qayrawān or Kairwan ( ar, ٱلْقَيْرَوَان, al-Qayrawān , aeb, script=Latn, Qeirwān ), is the capital of the Kairouan Governorate in Tunisia and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city was founded by th ...

Ifriqiya Ifriqiya ( '), also known as al-Maghrib al-Adna ( ar, المغرب الأدنى), was a medieval historical region comprising today's Tunisia and eastern Algeria, and Tripolitania (today's western Libya). It included all of what had previously ...

, rather than directly dependent on the Umayyad Caliph in

Damascus )), is an adjective which means "spacious". , motto = , image_flag = Flag of Damascus.svg , image_seal = Emblem of Damascus.svg , seal_type = Seal , map_caption = , ...

. Most of the governors (''

wali A wali (''wali'' ar, وَلِيّ, '; plural , '), the Arabic word which has been variously translated "master", "authority", "custodian", "protector", is most commonly used by Muslims to indicate an Islamic saint, otherwise referred to by the ...

'') of al-Andalus from 711 to 756 were provincial deputies appointed by the governor in

, although a significant number of Andalusian governors during this period were chosen locally, with or without Kairouan's consent. Only one governor was a direct Caliphal appointee for Spain. Although often characterized as "Umayyad governors", none of these dependent governors were actually members of the Umayyad family. They should not be confused with the later independent Umayyad emirs and caliphs of al-Andalus after 756 (who were indeed Umayyad family members). Key: All appointed by governor of

except (*) elected internally by Andalusians; (**) appointed directly by Caliph; (***) forcibly imposed by Syrian regiments Compiled from Gonzalo Martínez Díez, ''El condado de Castilla, 711-1038'', p. 743; Abd al-Wahid Dhannun Taha (1989) ''Muslim Conquest and Settlement of North Africa and Spain'', p. 183. * Musa ibn Nusair al-Lakhmi, 712 – September 714 (also governor of

) *

Abd al-Aziz ibn Musa Abd al-Aziz ibn Musa ibn Nusayr ( ar, عبد العزيز بن موسى) was the first governor of Al-Andalus, in modern-day Spain and Portugal. He was the son of Musa ibn Nusayr, the governor of Ifriqiya. ‘Abd al-Aziz had a long history of polit ...

, September 714 – March 716 *

Ayyub ibn Habib al-Lakhmi Ayyub ibn Habib al-Lakhmi (''fl.'' AD 716) was the second Umayyad Governor of Al-Andalus who succeeded his cousin Abd al-Aziz ibn Musa Abd al-Aziz ibn Musa ibn Nusayr ( ar, عبد العزيز بن موسى) was the first governor of Al-Andalus, in ...

, March 716 – August 716 (*) *

al-Hurr ibn Abd al-Rahman al-Thaqafi Al-Ḥurr ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Thaqafi ( ar, الحر بن عبد الرحمن الثقفي) was an early Umayyad governor who ruled the Islam, Muslim province of Al-Andalus from between 716 and 718. He was the third successor to Musa bin Nusa ...

, August 716 – March 719 *

al-Samh ibn Malik al-Khawlani Al-Samh ibn Malik al-Khawlani ( ar, السمح بن مالك الخولاني) was the Arab governor general of Al-Andalus from between 719 and 721. In 720, under his governorate he minted the first purely Arab coins in Al-Andalus as part of hi ...

, March 719 – June 721 (**) *

Abd al-Rahman ibn Abd Allah al-Ghafiqi Abd al-Rahman ibn Abd Allah Al-Ghafiqi ( ar, عبدالرحمن بن عبداللّه الغافقي, ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn ʿAbd Allāh al-Ghāfiqī; died 732), was an Arab Umayyad commander of Andalusian Muslims. He unsuccessfully led into ...

, July 721 (*) * Anbasa ibn Suhaym al-Kalbi, August 721 – January 726 *

Udhra ibn Abd Allah al-Fihri Udhra ibn Abd Allah al-Fihrí ( ar, عذرة بن عبد الله الفهري) was a fleeting Umayyad The Umayyad Caliphate (661–750 CE; , ; ar, ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة, al-Khilāfah al-ʾUmawīyah) was the seco ...

, January 726 – March 726 (*) *

Yahya ibn Salama al-Kalbi Yahya ibn Salama al-Kalbi () was sent as governor of al-Andalus by the Caliph of Damascus Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik and his tenure in office lasted three years. Yahya denounced the injustices of the policies of Anbasa, especially with respect to ...

, March 726 – June 728 *

Hudhaifa ibn al-Ahwas al-Ashja'i Hudhayfa ibn al-Ahwas al-Qaysi ( ar, حذيفة بن الأحوص القيسي, Ḥudhayfa ibn al-Aḥwaṣ al-Ḳaysī) was the eighth governor of al-Andalus under the Umayyad caliphate of Damascus. He served for six months in the year AD 728 ( ...

, June 728 – December 728 *

Uthman ibn Abi Nis'a al-Khath'ami Uthman ibn Abi Nis'a al-Khath'ami ( ar, عثمان بن أبي نسعة الخثعمي, ʿUthmān ibn Abī Nisʿa al-Khathʿamī) was the ninth governor of al-Andalus for the Umayyad Caliphate. He governed for four months from late AD 728 ( AH 110 ...

, December 728 – April 729 *

al-Haytham ibn Ubayd al-Kilabi Al-Haytham ibn Ubayd al-Kilabi, also called al-KinaniIn . ( ar, الهيثم بن عبيد الكناني, al-Haytham ibn ʿUbayd al-Kilābī), was the tenth governor of al-Andalus under the Umayyad Caliphate in AD 729–730 ( AH 111). He was one ...

, April 729 – February 730 *

Muhammad ibn Abd Allah al-Ashja'i Muhammad ibn Abd Allah al-Ashja'i ( ar, محمد بن عبد الله الأشجعي, Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd Allāh al-Ashdjaʿī) was the eleventh governor of al-Andalus under the Umayyad Caliphate in AD 730 ( AH 111–112). He was one of a series ...

, February 730 – March 730 *

, March 730 – October 732 (2nd time, by appointment) *

Abd al-Malik ibn Katan al-Fihri Abd al-Malik ibn Qatan al-Fihri () was an Umayyad Arab governor of Al-Andalus during two periods from 732 to 734 and from 740 to 742. Abd al-Malik was a very wealthy member of a noble Arab family from the Hejaz. Spurred by critics who decried his ...

, December 732 – November 734 * Uqba ibn al-Hajjaj al-Saluli, November 734 – December 740 *

, December 740 – March 742 (*) *

Balj ibn Bishr al-Qushayri Balj ibn Bishr al-Qushayri () was an Umayyad military commander in the Maghreb (North Africa) and al-Andalus (Iberia), and briefly became the ruler of al-Andalus in 742 until his death in August of the same year. Balj was a member of the Banu Qu ...

, March 742 – August 742 (**/***, technically also governor of

) *

Thalaba ibn Salama al-Amili Tha'laba ibn Salama al-Amili () was an Arab military commander in Jordan, North Africa and the Iberian Peninsula, and briefly ruler of al-Andalus from August 742 to May 743. He died in 750. Thalaba ibn Salama went to North Africa with the 'Syrian ...

, August 742 – May 743 (***) *

Abu'l-Khattar al-Husam ibn Darar al-Kalbi Abu'l-Khattar al-Husam ibn Darar al-Kalbi ( ar, أبو الخطار الحسام بن ضرار الكلبي) was Umayyad governor of Al-Andalus from May 743 until August 745. He was succeeded by Tuwaba ibn Salama al-Gudami. Whilst governor he was ...

, May 743 – August 745 * Thuwaba ibn Salama al-Judhami, August 745 – October 746 (***) * Abd al-Rahman ibn Qatir al-Lakhmi, October 746 – January 747 (''qadi'', temporary) *

Yusuf ibn Abd al-Rahman al-Fihri Yusuf ibn Abd al-Rahman al-Fihri ( ar, يوسف بن عبد الرحمن الفهري) was an Umayyad governor of Narbonne in Septimania and the governor of al-Andalus from 747 to 756, ruling independently following the collapse of the Umayyad C ...

, January 747 – May 756 (*)

Independent rulers of al-Andalus

Umayyad emirs of Córdoba

In 750, the

Abbasid Revolution The Abbasid Revolution, also called the Movement of the Men of the Black Raiment, was the overthrow of the Umayyad Caliphate (661–750 CE), the second of the four major Caliphates in early History of Islam, Islamic history, by the third, the A ...

overthrew the Umayyad caliphate in Damascus. An Umayyad prince, Abd ar-Rahman I, escaped to al-Andalus and set up the independent

Emirate of Cordoba An emirate is a territory ruled by an emir, a title used by monarchs or high officeholders in the Muslim world. From a historical point of view, an emirate is a political-religious unit smaller than a caliphate. It can be considered equivalen ...

. * Abd ar-Rahman I, 756–788 :* Al-Ala ibn Mughith al-Judhami (763), Abbasid counter-claimant :* Abd al-Rahman ibn Habib al-Fihri al-Siqlabi (777), Abbasid counter-claimant *

Hisham I Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik ( ar, هشام بن عبد الملك, Hishām ibn ʿAbd al-Malik; 691 – 6 February 743) was the tenth Umayyad caliph, ruling from 724 until his death in 743. Early life Hisham was born in Damascus, the administrat ...

, 788–796 *

al-Hakam I Abu al-As al-Hakam ibn Hisham ibn Abd al-Rahman () was Umayyad Emir of Cordoba from 796 until 822 in Al-Andalus ( Moorish Iberia). Biography Al-Hakam was the second son of his father, his older brother having died at an early age. When he came ...

, 796–822 *

Abd ar-Rahman II Abd ar-Rahman II () (792–852) was the fourth ''Umayyad'' Emir of Córdoba in al-Andalus from 822 until his death. A vigorous and effective frontier warrior, he was also well known as a patron of the arts. Abd ar-Rahman was born in Toledo, Spai ...

, 822–852 * Muhammad I, 852–886 * al-Mundhir, 886–888 *

Abdallah ibn Muhammad Abd Allah ( ar, عبدالله, translit=ʻAbd Allāh), also spelled Abdallah, Abdellah, Abdollah, Abdullah and many others, is an Arabic name meaning "Servant of God". It is built from the Arabic words '' abd'' () and '' Allāh'' (). Although the ...

, 888–912 *

Abd ar-Rahman III ʿAbd al-Rahmān ibn Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn al-Ḥakam al-Rabdī ibn Hishām ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Dākhil () or ʿAbd al-Rahmān III (890 - 961), was the Umayyad Emir of Córdoba from 912 to 92 ...

, 912–929

Umayyad caliphs of Córdoba

In 929, the Emir

, proclaimed himself the

Caliph A caliphate or khilāfah ( ar, خِلَافَة, ) is an institution or public office under the leadership of an Islamic steward with the title of caliph (; ar, خَلِيفَة , ), a person considered a political-religious successor to th ...

, the leader of the Islamic world, in competition with the

Abbasid The Abbasid Caliphate ( or ; ar, الْخِلَافَةُ الْعَبَّاسِيَّة, ') was the third caliphate to succeed the Islamic prophet Muhammad. It was founded by a dynasty descended from Muhammad's uncle, Abbas ibn Abdul-Muttalib ...

and the

Fatimid caliphate The Fatimid Caliphate was an Isma'ilism, Ismaili Shia Islam, Shi'a caliphate extant from the tenth to the twelfth centuries AD. Spanning a large area of North Africa, it ranged from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Red Sea in the ea ...

s which were also active at this time. *

, as caliph, 929–961 *

Al-Hakam II Al-Hakam II, also known as Abū al-ʿĀṣ al-Mustanṣir bi-Llāh al-Hakam b. ʿAbd al-Raḥmān (; January 13, 915 – October 16, 976), was the Caliph of Córdoba. He was the second ''Umayyad'' Caliph of Córdoba in Al-Andalus, and son of Ab ...

, 961–976 *

Hisham II Hisham II or Abu'l-Walid Hisham II al-Mu'ayyad bi-llah (, Abū'l-Walīd Hishām al-Muʾayyad bi-ʾllāh) (son of Al-Hakam II and Subh of Cordoba) was the third Umayyad Caliph of Spain, in Al-Andalus from 976 to 1009, and 1010–13. Reign In 9 ...

, 976–1008 * Muhammad II, 1008–1009 * Sulayman II, 1009–1010 *

, restored, 1010–1012 * Sulayman II, restored, 1012–1016 * Al-Mu'ayti, rival, 1014–1016 *

Abd ar-Rahman IV Abd ar-Rahman IV Mortada ( ar, عبد الرحمن المرتضى, ʿAbd ar-Raḥmān al-Murtaḍā) was the Caliph of Córdoba in the Umayyad dynasty in Al-Andalus Al-Andalus translit. ; an, al-Andalus; ast, al-Ándalus; eu, al-Andalu ...

, 1017

Hammudid The Hammudid dynasty () was a Berberized Arab Muslim family that briefly ruled the Caliphate of CórdobaLane-Poole (1894), p.21 and the taifas of Málaga and Algeciras and nominal control in Ceuta. The dynasty The dynasty is named after their ...
caliphs of Córdoba

Ali ibn Hammud al-Nasir Ali ibn Hammud al-Nasir ( ar, علي بن حمود الناصر, al-nāṣir ʿalī ben ḥammūd) (d. 22 March 1018) was the sixth Caliph of Córdoba from 1016 until his death. He was a member of the Hammudid dynasty of the Al-Andalus. He was ...

, 1016–1018 * Al-Qasim ibn Hammud al-Ma'mu, 1018–1021 *

Yahya ibn Ali ibn Hammud al-Mu'tali Yahya ibn Ali ibn Hammud al-Mu'tali ( ar, يحي بن علي ين حمّود المعتلي; died 1035) was Caliph of Cordoba in the Hammudid dynasty of the Al-Andalus ( Moorish medieval Iberia) during two periods, from 1021 to 1023 and from 102 ...

, 1021–1023 * Al-Qasim ibn Hammud al-Ma'mu, 1023 (restored)

Umayyad caliphs of Córdoba (restored)

* Abd-ar-Rahman V, 1023–1024 * Muhammad III, 1024–1025 *interreign of Yahya ibn Ali ibn Hammud al-Mu'tali, 1025–1026 *

Hisham III Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik ( ar, هشام بن عبد الملك, Hishām ibn ʿAbd al-Malik; 691 – 6 February 743) was the tenth Umayyad caliph, ruling from 724 until his death in 743. Early life Hisham was born in Damascus, the administrat ...

, 1026–1031 Collapse of the

Caliphate of Córdoba The Caliphate of Córdoba ( ar, خلافة قرطبة; transliterated ''Khilāfat Qurṭuba''), also known as the Cordoban Caliphate was an Islamic state ruled by the Umayyad dynasty from 929 to 1031. Its territory comprised Iberia and parts o ...

, end of the Umayyads, beginning of the first

Taifa The ''taifas'' (singular ''taifa'', from ar, طائفة ''ṭā'ifa'', plural طوائف ''ṭawā'if'', a party, band or faction) were the independent Muslim principalities and kingdoms of the Iberian Peninsula (modern Portugal and Spain), re ...

period.

References

;General * * ;Specific {{Reflist

Umayyad Governors of Al-Andalus 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 ...

Medieval Islamic world-related lists