The Taifa of Córdoba () was an

Arab Arabs (, , ; , , ) are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in West Asia and North Africa. A significant Arab diaspora is present in various parts of the world. Arabs have been in the Fertile Crescent for thousands of years ...

The Caliphate of Córdoba ''would continue to exist de jure until the year 1031, when the Cordoban "republic" was proclaimed by the "senate" of that Andalusian city''
The Formation of Al-Andalus: History and Society
. See also Mahmoud Makki, i
The Legacy of Muslim Spain
p. 52. ''

taifa The taifas (from ''ṭā'ifa'', plural ''ṭawā'if'', meaning "party, band, faction") were the independent Muslim principalities and kingdoms of the Iberian Peninsula (modern Portugal and Spain), referred to by Muslims as al-Andalus, that em ...

'' which was ruled by the Banu Jawhar that replaced the

Umayyad The Umayyad Caliphate or Umayyad Empire (, ; ) was the second caliphate established after the death of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and was ruled by the Umayyad dynasty. Uthman ibn Affan, the third of the Rashidun caliphs, was also a membe ...

Caliph A caliphate ( ) is an institution or public office under the leadership of an Islamic steward with Khalifa, the title of caliph (; , ), a person considered a political–religious successor to the Islamic prophet Muhammad and a leader of ...

as the government of Córdoba and its vicinity in 1031.

History

After the fall of the

Caliphate of Córdoba A caliphate ( ) is an institution or public office under the leadership of an Islamic steward with Khalifa, the title of caliph (; , ), a person considered a political–religious successor to the Islamic prophet Muhammad and a leader of ...

in 1031,

Al-Andalus Al-Andalus () was the Muslim-ruled area of the Iberian Peninsula. The name refers to the different Muslim states that controlled these territories at various times between 711 and 1492. At its greatest geographical extent, it occupied most o ...

fragmented into a collection of small, independent Taifa emirates. Following the abdication and flight of the last caliph from Córdoba, the city was left without a leader. In response, the prominent citizens appointed Abū 'l Ḥazm Jahwar bin Muḥammad, a notable sheikh from the Banu Jwahar, as their leader. Abū 'l Ḥazm soon established a republican system of government in Córdoba, creating a council of ministers and judicial authorities that he consulted before making political decisions. Unlike the single-emir leadership typical of other taifas, Córdoba under Abū 'l Ḥazm was governed by a "collective leadership." He perceived himself not as an overlord, but as the "Custodian" of Córdoba, dedicated to the city's welfare and its people. Abū 'l Ḥazm led Córdoba from 1031 until his death in 1043, at which point his son, Abū 'l Walīd Muḥammad, succeeded him. Abū 'l Walīd continued his father's benevolent governance for twenty-one years. As he grew older, he delegated the management of the Taifa to his two sons, 'Abd al-Rāhman and 'Abd al-Malik. The brothers soon began to vie for dominance, undermining the power of the nobles and concentrating authority in their own hands. Eventually, 'Abd al-Malik emerged as the more powerful brother, stripping 'Abd al-Rāhman of his authority. This internal conflict weakened Córdoba, prompting 'Abd al-Malik to seek an alliance with the Emir of Seville,

Abbad II al-Mu'tadid Abu ʿAmr ʿAbbad II al-Muʿtadid (; died 28 February 1069), a member of the Abbadid dynasty, was the second independent emir of Seville (reigned 1042–1069) in Al-Andalus. His father, Abu al-Qasim Muhammad ibn Abbad, had established the Taifa of ...

. The alliance between Córdoba and Seville incited the envy of the Emir of Toledo, Yaḥyā bin Dhī 'l-Nūn, who responded by besieging Córdoba and attempting to capture 'Abd al-Malik. Following Abbad II al-Mu'tadid's death in 1069, his successor, Muhammad Ibn Abbad Al Mutamid, seized the opportunity to relieve the siege and subsequently turned his forces against Córdoba. In 1070, after defeating the Toledan army, Al Mutamid captured Córdoba and deposed 'Abd al-Malik, who was first imprisoned and then exiled to the island of Saltés. Seville lost control of Córdoba from 1075 to 1078 but managed to regain and maintain control until the end of their own independence in 1091, marking the end of the taifa.

Notes

References

* Jayyusi, Salma Khadra and Marín, Manuela. ''The Legacy of Muslim Spain''; published by BRILL 1994. (Online Copy
The Legacy of Muslim Spain; by Salma Khadra Jayyusi and Manuela Marín; BRILL 1994
{{DEFAULTSORT:Taifa Of Cordoba Arab dynasties 1091 disestablishments States and territories established in 1031 11th century in al-Andalus Cordoba History of Córdoba, Spain 1031 establishments in Europe 1091 disestablishments in Europe ca:Regne de Còrdova