2020 - Once upon a time in Islamic Gibraltar
He was born in Tunis and was also also known as Ibn Jaldun.
Regarded as the greatest of all historians but especially of the Muslim world. He developed a theory, method and philosophy of history he called . . . the social study of civilization. As a result, many credit Ibn Khaldun with the invention of sociology. . . In 1362 he went to Granada where he was well received by the Vizier Ibn al-Khatib. There he was enlisted to serve on a diplomatic mission to Seville and the court of Pedro I of Castile. Disillusioned. . .he returned to Tunis . . .
Dobla of 35 maravedís with the effigy of Peter of Castile
Notes: I can find no extensive quotes other than by other authors who quote him such as Al Makkarí in his History of the Mohammedan Empire, Volume 1
But let us hear the account of Abd Zeyd Ibn Khaldun.“Besides their kingdom of Andalus the Goths had settlements beyond the sea, so that when Musa arrived in Africa they were in possession of large tracts of land along its northern shore. These they were at first enabled to defend on account of their holding Tangiers, which was the key of the straits, and owing also to the narrowness of the sea which separates Andalus from Africa, and which enabled them to send reinforcements wherever they were required, so as to keep those countries in obedience and defend them against the Arabs. A great many of the tribes inhabiting the coast were therefore subject to them. " p254/255
“Now in that part of the country which is now called Jebal Ghomarah (the mountains of Gomera) there was a king of the Berbers named llyan, who acknowledged himself a subject of the Gothic monarchs, obeyed their sway, and followed their religion. Africa was governed at the time by Musa Ibn Nusayr, a lieutenant of the Caliph Al-Walid Ibn ’Abd-l-Malek (Al-Walid I), who resided at Cairwan, then the seat of the African governors. “
“Under that general the Moslem armies subdued the greatest part of Africa and carried the war to the extreme western frontiers, after which they penetrated into the mountain districts about Tangiers, and opened themselves a passage until they reached the mouth of the straits, when King Ilyan, unable to withstand their attacks, surrendered, and submitted himself to the sway of Islam.”
“Musa Ibn Nusayr then appointed his freedman Tariq ibn Ziyad Al-leythi to the government of his new conquests, as well as to the command of all the troops encamped in those districts.” . . . .
The Enmity between Julian and Roderic
The author before quoted (Ibn Khaldun) attributes it to a desire on the part of Ilyan of revenging certain injuries he had received in the person of his daughter, who was then staying in the royal palace; since, adds that historian, it was a custom among the Gothic nobles to send their daughters to be brought up and educated at the royal palace, along with the king’s daughters. They say that when Ilyan heard of the outrage committed on the person of his daughter he repaired immediately to court, took her away, and brought her back to Africa. . . p255
Notes: It is interesting that in this particular quote Ibn Khaldun does not actually specify that it was Roderick who was responsible for the outrage committed to Julian's daughter. However, Fernando González Muñoz in his Crónica gothorum pseudo-isidoriana offers a short quote from Khaldun which Al-Makkarí - or his translator Pascual de Gayangos appears to have ignored and which places the blame on King Witiza instead of Julian:
. . . vino a reinar Gaitixa (Witiza) catorce años, y le paso lo que le pasó con la hija de Yulian (Julian) gobernador de Tánger. Después reinó dos años Rodriq (Rodrigo), y entonces le acometieron los musulmanes. p80
Al-Makkarí continues quoting Ibn Khaldun as follows:
Narrative on Musa and Tariq“Having met his master, Musa Ibn Nusayr, Tariq resigned the command of his troops into his hands, and placed himself under his immediate orders. Musa then completed the conquest of Andalus, and, led by him, the Moslem armies reached as far as Barcelona in the east, Narbonne in the north, and the idol of Cadiz in the west, subduing all the intermediate provinces and gaining incredible spoil. “p287“It is confidently believed that, elated with success, Musa conceived the project of returning to the East by way of Constantinople; for which purpose he intended to march from Andalus at the head of his brave troops, until, by making his way through the countless Christian nations that inhabit the great continent, he should arrive at the court of the eastern Khalifs.”
“However, this design having reached the ears of Al-Walid, who well knew the state of Mohammedan affairs in Andalus, and feared that if Musa once communicated his intention to his army they would all follow him, he dispatched to him a messenger to signify his displeasure, and to order him to desist from his rash enterprise, and to appear alone, without his army, in the Khalif’s presence.”
Notes: In a footnote Gayangos quotes him as having said.
On the other side, Ibnu Khaldun reckons the army under the orders of Tarik at three hundred Arabs, and ten thousand Berbers. He says that before starting on his expedition Tariq divided his army into two corps, he himself taking the command of one, and placing the other under the immediate orders of Tarif landed at the foot of the rock now called Jebal-l-fatah (Yabal al-Fath) (the mountain of the entrance), and which then received his name, and was called Jebal-Tariq (Yabal-Tariq)(the mountain of Tariq); while his companion Tarif landed on the island afterwards called after him Jezirah-Tarif (the island of Tarif). In order to provide for the security of their respective armies, both generals selected, soon after their landing, a good encampment, which they surrounded with walls and trenches . . .p267/268
Notes: The narrative continues at great length. Musa and Tariq were now well on their way to completing the conquest of almost the entire peninsula of Iberia. Gibraltar was no longer the centre of attention. P287- if it ever was.
The Black death arrived in Tunis when Khaldun was 17 years old. Its victims included his parents and several of his teachers.
Notes: Finally, another quote from Pascual de Gayangos:
Ibnu Khaldun says that Morrekosh (Marrakesh) is a compound of two Berber words, meaning ‘ pass by quickly,’ owing to the spot being infested by robbers and wild beasts.
To return to the list of essays on the Introduction please click on the link below