The People of Gibraltar

2020 - Once upon a time in Islamic Gibraltar - 3

Anonymous - Crónicas Mozárabe de 754 

Copy of the Crónicas in Visigothic script (8th century)

This manuscript written in poor Latin is supposed to have been the work of a Christian living in a Muslim held area of Murcia. The quotes below are from a translation by José Eduardo López Pereira of the University of La Coruña published in Anúbar in 1980. (A)

. . . Ulit, habiendo alcanzado el cetro sarraceno, según lo había dispuesto su padre, y empeñado en la labor de ensanchar su reino en lucha con otros pueblos durante cuatro años, vive colmado de honores nueve años de constantes triunfos. . . 

Notes: “Ulit” is Al-Walid ibn Abd al-Malik, the sixth Caliph of the Umayyad dynasty and who I will refer to as Al-Walid I. In Iberia Umayyad influence began in 711 as a result of Tariq ibn Ziyad’s successful invasion of Gibraltar. They were the second of the major caliphates established after the death of Muhammad in 632.

A fanciful modern portrait of the Umayyad Caliph of Damascus al-Walid I 
(Unknown - National Museum of South Korea)

También en Occidente sometió el reino godo asentado en España con una solidez ya tradicional - lograda en casi 350 años, desde su origen y principio en la era 400 - y que desde Leovigildo se había ido extendiendo pacíficamente por toda España durante 140 años hasta llegar a la era . . . 712 de la era cristiana en que fue destruido gracias a Muza, general del ejército enviado allí, y hecho tributario.

Notes:
“Leovigildo ” is Leovigild, a 6th century Arian Visigothic king.

“Muza” is Musa lbn Nusayr. He was an Umayyad general under the caliph Al-Walid I and was appointed overall governor of the Umayyad territories of Ifriqiya - also sometimes referred to as the Maghreb - which encompassed modern Tunisia, western Libya and eastern Algeria. More to the point Musa directed the conquest of the Visigoths in Iberia. 

En tiempos de esté (Al-Walid I) en  . . . 711 de la era cristiana . . . conservando Ulit el cetro real ya por su quinto año, a ruegos del Senado ocupa Rodrigo el trono en virtud de una revuelta. Reina un año, pues en . . . 712 de la era cristiana, tras reunir un gran ejército contra los árabes y los moros enviados por Musa esto es, Tariq, Abuzara (Tarif) y otros - que estaban ya realizando incursiones a la provincia que hacía tiempo le estaba encomendada y devastaban muchas ciudades, se fue (Rodrigo) a las montañas Transductinas para luchar contra ellos y cayó en esta batalla al fugarse todo el ejército godo que por rivalidad y dolosamente había ido con él sólo por la ambición del reino. Así, ignominiosamente, perdió su trono y su patria, muriendo también sus rivales . . . 

Notes: 
Rodrigo was the Visigothic king at the time of the invasion. He is often referred to as Roderick, Ruderic or Luderick in much of medieval Islamic literature – or at any rate in its English and Spanish translations. I will stick to Roderick or Rodrigo throughout these essays. 

“Tariq” is Tariq ibn Ziyad. He was a Berber general under Musa who made him governor of Tangier. His successful invasion of Iberia may have started in Gibraltar which most historians medieval and modern, claim is called after him – Yabal Tariq – the mountain of Tariq

Tariq ibn Ziyad.

“Abuzara” is Tarif ibn Malik, who was nicknamed Abu Zar and usually Tarif for short. He was also a Berber and was according to many other histories, the commander responsible for leading a successful attack on the island of Tarifa and its surrounding area just prior to Tariq’s exploits. The island of Tarifa is supposedly called after him – Yazirat Tarif – The island of Tarif.

Tarif is often given the short straw in subsequent Islamic account of the conquest, Tariq’s subsequent invasion via Gibraltar or thereabouts usually making the headlines as the man who so quickly and successfully conquered Iberia. The truth is that his Muslim boss, Musa ibn Nusayr, or indeed his Caliph Al-Walid I, might never have decided to send Tariq on his fateful trip if Tarif hadn’t shown the way. 

For a fuller discussion on this, please see  José Beneroso Santos’ article, La importancia de la participación de Tarif ibn Malik en la entrada de los arabo-bereberes en la Península Ibérica.

The Spanish historian Enrique Gozalbes Cravioto (see LINK) summarises his life after the Tarifa raid as follows

685c - Born
710 - Led the raid against Tarifa
711-716 - Participated in the conquest of al-Andalus 
720 - Received the governorship of marginally placed Zanata towns 
728 - His first son was born followed by another three
742 - Took part in the Berber revolt of Maisara against the Umayyads 
744 - Established himself in the Atlantic region of Tamesna where he maintained his faith in orthodox Islam and was recognised as an Emir by the Berbers of the area
760 - Died in Tamesna half a century after the conquest of Iberia and naming of Tarifa, without having renounced Islam.
 
Notes: Las montañas Transductinas could be a reference to the mountains behind Algeciras which was known as  Julia Traducta in pre-Islamic days. A footnote on an article by Wenceslao Segura González suggests they might refer to Gibraltar. 

Sin embargo, algún historiador identifica los montes transductinas con el peñón de Gibraltar.

Unfortunately, he does not tell who the historian might be. 

Maisara is the original rebel failed leader of Berber Rebellion of 739-743. 
Tamesna is an ancient town between the rivers Umm Rabia and Bu Regreb, on the Atlantic coast between modern Casablanca and Rabat, possibly somewhere close to the modern town of the same name near Rabat - Tamesna. The Crónica continues.

Así, ignominiosamente, perdió su trono y su patria, muriendo también sus rivales, al finalizar Ulit su sexto año . . . En este tiempo . . . 711 de la era cristiana . . . mientras devastaban España los ya mencionados expedicionarios y ésta se sentía duramente agredida no sólo por la ira del enemigo extranjero, sino también por sus luchas intestinas . . . Muza, admitiendo el consejo de Urbano, hombre de muy noble estirpe, de una región africana, educado en la doctrina católica, que había ido con él por todas las provincias españolas, acepta gustosamente pagar la multa impuesta, sin importarle nada, pues dada su gran riqueza, incluso le parece pequeña.

Notes:
Urbano is possibly Julian, identified by some as the Visigothic governor of Ceuta and one of Rodrigo’s favourite generals. For personal reasons covered elsewhere he decided to become an ally of Musa. He also appears under various different spellings such as Ulyan, Ilyan, Ilian, Yulyan, Olyan and so forth. I will stick to Julian. 

This passage has been used by some modern historians to claim that Urbano/Julian was not a Visigoth – as identified in many other later accounts - but that he was an African nobleman, perhaps of Berber origins. He also appears in several other guises – as will become apparent in subsequent essays.

The Straits of Gibraltar with Ceuta on the left and Gibraltar on the right (1500s – Piri Reis)


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