Almanzor
Abu Amir Muhammad ibn Abdallah ibn Abi Amir (Arabic: أبو عامر محمد بن عبد الله بن أبي عامر, Abū ʿ Aamir DMG Muḥammad b. ʿ Abd Allāh b. Abī ʿ Aamir ), called al - Mansur bi- llah / المنصور بالله / al - Mansur bi- llāh / which as Almansor (* about 938 probably at Algeciras; † August 10, 1002 in Medinaceli ) known to God Victorious ', the German was de facto sole ruler 978-1002 for the Umayyad caliph in the Caliphate of Córdoba.
Life and work
Muhammad ibn Abi Amir came from a family that had immigrated with Tariq ibn 711 Ziyad from Yemen to al -Andalus and invested with lands in Algeciras. He studied law, grammar and literature in Córdoba and began his activities as secretary of the chancellery in administration.
After the death of Caliph al - Hakam II ( 976 ) whose underage son Hisham II came to the throne of Caliph. With the support of Subh, the mother and regent of Hisham II, the vizier al - Mushafi and General Ghalib initially a conspiracy of the eunuchs was suppressed, who wanted to raise another Umayyad to the throne in Córdoba. After Abi Amir al - Mansur had married the daughter of General Ghalib al - Asma, he succeeded in the elimination of the vizier al - Mushafi. Later he continued his power as chamberlain against Ghalib and thus controlled by the power of the caliphate. After Abi Amir had 978 foiled a new conspiracy of the eunuchs, he dominated virtually the Caliphate of Córdoba, where Hisham II was excluded from the exercise of power, but as a reclusive scholar remained the Caliph.
To secure its position, Almansor abolished the slave Guard the Umayyad and built a new army of Moroccan mercenaries. The conventional division of the troops was abandoned after tribes. Through this military reform took place after the 8th century to a renewed wave of immigration from Berbers to Andalusia, the opposition should contribute to the Arabs later to the downfall of the Caliphate.
With the new army Abi Amir took 52 campaigns against the Christian kingdoms in northern Spain. So 981 Zamora was conquered and plundered 985 Barcelona. 987 he ravaged Coimbra, which for 7 years then remained uninhabited. 988 León was conquered and destroyed the heavily fortified Christian pilgrimage center of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia on 10 August 997, but out of respect for the Apostles grave remained untouched. A few thousand Christian survivors as slaves had to carry the bells of Compostela to Cordoba, where they were melted down to lamps for the Mosque.
Abi Amir renewed the rule in northern Morocco, where he employed his son ` Abd al -Malik in 998 Fes as governor. Due to these successes, Abi Amir gained the nickname al - Mansur bi- llāh, hence the European name derives Almansor. This step represented a monstrous presumption, because the title alone was reserved caliph. 996 he even took the title of king. He founded for the new palace city of al - Madina al- Zahira ( " the shining city " ), in which the management of the Umayyad Medina Azahara residence was outsourced. In addition, he began with his own coinage and its own seal used. Abi Amir al - Mansur also promoted art and culture, he gives the library of his devoted Caliph Al- Hakam II had clean of philosophical writings, in order to secure the goodwill of the Islamic jurists. On the other hand, he expanded the last time the Great Mosque ( 987-988 ) of Córdoba and expanded the city itself
In August 1002 Abi Amir al - Mansur died in Medinaceli on returning from a campaign. Christian chroniclers posthumously compacted him a defeat in the Battle of alleged Calatañazor who had never taken place. Successor as treasurer and regent was his eldest son, ` Abd al -Malik ( 1002-1008 ). ( See also: Amiriden )