Tariq ibn-Ziyad

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Family life[edit]

He was the son of Zyad ben Muaviya from Medina who came to Andalusia during the Muslim conquest.^{[2]} His mother was an Andalusian, from one of the nobles in Cordoba,^{[3]} and they lived at Toledo before his birth.^{[1]} He married a daughter of Tariq bin Mena from Uyaina tribe, called 'Ain.^{[4]}^{[5]} The couple had three daughters named Fatima, Huda, and Jannah and one son who was named 'Abdullah, which later on he became a Caliph and an Emir.^{[1]}^{[6]} He also had two concubines, whom his brother gave him, named Nafiqa, whom he took for himself and Khayra bint Khalid bin Tariq.^{[7]}

Early years and career in Medina[edit]

As a boy Tariq served the Abbasiyah caliphs as an armorer at al-Sha’b (Madinat al-Salam).^{[1]} When Mu'awiyah I appointed him as a bodyguard and he later on was given other responsibilities such as command of some small garrisons, he soon earned a great reputation due to his skillful leadership.^{[2]}^{[8]} In Medina he also served in the office of the army commander with his brothers^{[1]}

Tariq joined Abd al-Aziz ibn Marwan in his march on Merv.^{[3]} After he died Tariq then accompanied al-Hajjaj bin Yusuf. Later, as part of his army Tariq fought in Syria and Mesopotamia against the rebellion of Ibn al-Ashath against the caliph. He also defeated Iyad bin Ghanam,^{[4]}^{[7]} a leader who claimed leadership of the Kharijites at Oman.^{[5]}^{[9]} Afterwards Tariq then marched into the region between Iraq and Khuzistan to fight against another Kharijite revolt that was led by al-Harith bin Surayj. During his battles against al-Harith bin Surayj in Syria Tariq made a remarkable achievement where he attacked al-Surayj’s stronghold, which was situated between al-Hirah and Basra and won it with a great slaughter of the enemy.^{[9]}^{[10]}

In charge of conquering Al-Andalus[edit]

Tariq left his children with their grandmother while he went to the city of Madina in 67^{[3]} AH, 7 July 716 CE (23 Jumad Al-awwal) and left there to Al-Jazirah.^{[6]} After his successes in Mesopotamia and Syria and his military service against Kharijites uprisings he became the general in charge of a large army that was sent by Abdul Malik bin Marwan to invade Iberian Peninsula in order to conquer the entirety of Al-Andalus.^{[3]}^{[4]}

Conquest of Hispania and Tariq's victory[edit]

When he arrived at Gibraltar in 711, Musa ibn Nusair gave him a thousand soldiers to serve as his own army, along with instructions for a small landing at Gibraltar (called "Tarik's Rock" after his name). Tariq left his men behind, then gathered his force and headed inland towards Tarifa where he faced Roderick (also spelled Rodridh or Rotrudis), who commanded an army of 40,000 Visigothic knights and a great host of soldiers, probably half a million people in total.^{[2]} He fought the battle of the Guadalete and won it. After that, the Iberian Peninsula became known as al-Andalus.^{[3]} The next day he occupied Cordoba, then Sevilla before he was called to go back to Algeria where the rebellions of Ibn al-Ashat in Mesopotamia and Khuzistan and Harith bin Surayj in Iraq were not yet controlled.^{[7]}

Caliphate[edit]

After Tariq left Iberian Peninsula for Africa, Musa ibn Nusair succeeded him as commander of Al-Andalus. Tariq continued to serve al-Waleed as he led the Muslim army in the East, where he won a victory at the battle of Kufah in 714.^{[4]} Tariq then headed an expeditionary force against Armenia in 716 CE. The mission ended with an invasion of Tabaristan (now Iran), where Tariq captured Damawand and Tabas. However, on his return to Algeria, Musa was forced into an internal power struggle by Yahya ibn Khalid al-Qasi in 714.^{[12]}

Later life[edit]

Upon his arrival back from Iberian Peninsula to North Africa Tariq met with Yahya who refused to submit. Thus, a battle at the Al-Aqrab (The Scorpion) Valley followed and led by the famous Kharijites in 716.^{[7]} Tariq emerged victorious, killing many of his enemies in that war but was wounded in the process. He returned to Damascus, where he died from complications arising out of a wound received during the battle against Yahya al-Qasim at Al-Akhabah Valley in 721 CE.^{[5]}

Tariq bin Ziyad and his son's death[edit]

Tarik had one child with a Spanish noble woman from Sevilla, who died shortly after he conquered Spain. The father then raised his daughter with all the care and affection in order for her to have good memories of her mother when she died.^{[5]} Upon learning about what happened at the Battle of Kafar Tariq (named after him) where many Christians were killed and the survivors were captured as slaves, some people criticised Tarik ibn Ziyad.^{[12]}^{[7]}

References[edit]

↑ "Tariq Bin Zayad" (in Arabic).
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^ ^{a} ^{b} ^{c} ^{d} ^{e} Cordoba, Muhammad (2001). Islam: The Empire of Faith. Simon and Schuster. pp. 94–98. ISBN 0-684-84773-1.
^ ^{a} ^{b} ^{c} ^{d} Holtpeter, Karl E. (2015). Muslim Empires and European Aggression: From the Rise of the Ottomans to the Age of Discoveries. BRILL. pp. 1–69.
^ ^{a} ^{b} ^{c} ^{d} El-Leithy, Hany M (2004). Al-Andalus: The Origin and Evolution of Andalusian Civilisation in al-Maghrib. Edited by Mohammed Ennafati (1st ed.). London & Ipswich: Garnet Publishing. p. 358.
^*"Tariq Bin Zaid". Islamic Book Center, Inc. Retrieved 2007-07-19.*
^ ^{a} ^{b} ^{c} ^{d} ^{e} Hillenbrand, Carole (1999). Islam and the Crusades: The History of an Obsession. One World Publications Limited. pp. 47–49. ISBN 0-304-34867-2.
^*"Islam – History". The University of Texas at Austin. Archived from the original on January 2, 2009. Retrieved January 2, 2009.*
^ ^{a} ^{b} ^{c} "History of Spain - Conquest by Arab and Berber armies: 711–756". HistoryWorldNet. Retrieved 2011-12-19.
^*"Arab-Islamic History". Library of Congress. Archived from the original on 2015-08-16. Retrieved 2014-11-23.*
^Hart, Paget (1968). "The Reconquest and the Crusade in Spain". Spanish Historians from Enrique Florez to Marcelino Menéndez Pelayo: Studies and Documents. Oxford University Press. p. 243.
^ ^{a} ^{b} "Tariq Bin Zaid – Muslim Civilisations".
^*"The Muslims in Spain". History of Islamic Spain, an article written for the Library of Congress by Edward Dupin (2002). Retrieved July 28, 2007.*
^ "History of al Andalus: Tariq Bin Zaid, Emir and Founder".
^*"Umayyad Caliphate (661–750)". Retrieved September 7, 2009.*
^ ^{a} ^{b} Hillenbrand, Carole (1999). Islam and the Crusades: The History of an Obsession. One World Publications Limited. pp. 48–49. ISBN 0-304-34867-2.
^ "Spain in the Middle Ages". University of Michigan – Humanities.
^ Gómez Moreno, José María de (2000). Las Grandes Batallas de la Historia: De las Expediciones Americanas al Conde Orgaz y el Moro Riquelme. Madrid: Biblioteca Nueva. ISBN 978-84-352-6404-4.
^ Bradbury, Jim (2002). "Akbar the Great" . Islamic Civilization, An Encyclopedia [3 volumes]. New York: Facts On File Inc. pp. 43–44.
^ "Al-Andalus". Islamic Studies Online.