Abd Al-Rahman III The First Cordoban Caliph

by Fierro, Maribel

• ISBN13: 9781851683840
• ISBN10: 1851683844
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2005-05-01
• Publisher: Oneworld Publications

Summary

Covers the 10th-century founder of the great Cordova Caliphate.

Author Biography

Maribel Fierro is Investigador Cientifico at the Departmento de Estudios Arabes, CSIC, Spain

Table of Contents

Foreword	vii
The Fourteen Days of Happiness of `Abd Al-Rahman III (r. 912-61)	1	(4)
Al-Andalus Before the Second Umayyad Caliphate	5	(24)
What was al-Andalus?	5	(3)
Arabs and Berbers, the Muslim tribesmen who conquered al-Andalus	8	(4)
The conquered population and the process of conversion	12	(6)
The Umayyad emirs: centralization, law, and clientage	18	(7)
External enemies	25	(4)
The Collapse of Umayyad Power and Its Recovery By `Abd Al-Rahman III (912-28)	29	(24)
Muslims against Muslims: the Umayyad confrontation with Arabs, Berbers, and Muwallads	30	(4)
Umayyads against Umayyads: the reign of emir `Abd Allah (r. 888-912)	34	(3)
A new beginning: `Abd al-Rahman III becomes emir (912)	37	(4)
Securing the central lands and the defeat of the Hafsunids (912-28)	41	(7)
The frontier regions	48	(5)
Caliphate and Consolidation (929-61)	53	(26)
The adoption of the caliphal title and the minting of gold	53	(7)
Extending Umayyad power in the frontier regions: the fall of Toledo and Zaragoza	60	(4)
Betrayal: the battle of Simancas-Alhandega (939)	64	(4)
Relationships with the Christian polities	68	(5)
Conflict with the Fatimids and North African policies	73	(6)
The Caliph's Family and His Men	79	(26)
The caliph's family	79	(5)
Men of the sword and men of the pen	84	(6)
Slaves and eunuchs	90	(3)
Hierarchies and egalitarianism among the Muslim population	93	(5)
Christians and Jews	98	(7)
Building the Caliphate: Stick, Stones, and Words	105	(28)
The carrot and the stick	105	(4)
Cordoba and Madinat al-Zahra'	109	(8)
The writing of history	117	(3)
Scholars and men of letters	120	(5)
Religious policies and the Maliki identity	125	(8)
`Abd Al-Rahman III's Legacy	133	(4)
Appendix: How do we know what we know about `Abd al-Rahman III?	137	(4)
Bibliography	141	(4)
Index	145