Everything about Al-mansur Abi Amir totally explained
» This article is about the Andalusian Muslim general and statesman Al-Mansur (938 - 1002). There is also an article on the Abbasid Caliph Al Mansur of Baghdad (Al Mansur) (712 - 775). They were both known as Almanzor in the West.
One of the Aftasid rulers of the Taifa of Badajoz was also known as Al Mansur, Abdallah ibn Muhammad ibn Maslamah ibn al-Aftas (1004 - 1060).
Abu Aamir Muhammad Ibn Abdullah Ibn Abi Aamir, Al-Hajib Al-Mansur أبو عامر محمد بن عبد الله بن أبي عامر الحاجب المنصور (c.
938 -
August 8,
1002) was the
de facto ruler of
Muslim Al-Andalus in the late
10th to early
11th centuries. His rule marked the peak of power for
Moorish Iberia.
Origins
He was born Muhammad Ibn Abi Aamir, into a noble
Arab family from the area of
Algeciras. He arrived at the Court of
Cordoba as a student studying law and literature. He became manager of the estates of Prince
Hisham.
In a few years he schemed his way from this humble position to considerable heights of influence, eliminating his political rivals in the process. Caliph
Al-Hakam died in 976 and Ibn Abi Amir was instrumental in securing the succession of the young
Hisham II, aged twelve, to the throne. Two years later he became
Hajib (a title similar to that of
Grand Vizier in the Muslim East), or Chancellor. During the following three years he consolidated his power with the building of his new palace on the outskirts of
Córdoba, al-Madina az-Zahira, while at the same time completely isolating the young Caliph, who became a virtual prisoner in
Medina Azahara.
Effective ruler
In 981, upon his return to Cordoba from the battle in which he crushed his last remaining rival (and father-in-law,
Ghalib Al-Nasiri), he assumed the title of
Al-Mansur bi-llah,
Victorious by Grace of God. In Christian Europe he was referred to as
Almanzor.
His grip to power within Al-Andalus was now absolute. He dedicated himself to military campaigns against the Christian states of the peninsula. He organized and took part in 57 campaigns, and was victorious in all of them. To wage these campaigns against the Christian states, he brought in many
Berber mercenaries, which upset the political order over time.
Although he mainly fought against
León and the
Castile, in 985 he sacked
Barcelona and in 997
Santiago de Compostela in
Galicia. Although he spared the tomb of
St. James the
Apostle, he destroyed the city and stole the bells from the shrine to humiliate the Christians. He also waged several campaigns against the Kingdom of
Navarra.
He married Abda, daughter of
Sancho Garcés king of
Navarra, who bore him a son by the name of Abd al-Rahman. He was commonly known as
Sanchuelo (
Little Sancho, in Arabic:
Shanjoul).
Consequences
The consequence of his victories in the north was to prompt the Christian rulers of the Peninsula into an alliance against him (c. 1000).
He was succeeded by his son Abd al-Malik, who continued to rule Al-Andalus as
Hajib until his death in 1008.
After Abd al-Malik, his ambitious half brother
Sanchuelo took over. He however tried to take the Caliphate for himself from Hisham as al-Mansur had effectively made the caliph a figurehead ruler. This plunged the country into a civil war. The Caliphate disintegrated it into rival
Taifa kingdoms. This proved disastrous for Muslim Iberia as, being divided, the Christian Kingdoms were able to conquer the Taifas one by one.
Almanzor peak in central Spain is named after him.
In fiction
'Almanzor' is a major character in the thoroughly researched, but extremely anachronistic, historical novel
The Long Ships (Red Orm) by the Swedish author
Frans Gunnar Bengtsson. Large parts of the book take place in Muslim Iberia under Almanzor's rule, depicted from the point of view of
Scanian
Vikings who are captured by
Moors while on a raid into Spain, serving as
galley slaves. Later they become
mercenaries in Almanzor's bodyguard and finally manage to escape back to
Denmark after participating in the conquest and sacking of
Santiago de Compostella.
See also
Further Information
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