Battle of Graus

Castile

Infant Sancho II

Covadonga - Valdejunquera - Simancas - Grey - Zallaqa - Ucles - Fraga - Ourique - Lisbon - Alarcos - Las Navas de Tolosa - Córdoba - Jerez - Teba - Salado - La Higueruela - Granada

The Battle of Graus (Spanish: Batalla de Graus ) was a battle of the early Spanish Reconquista.

It was triggered by the dispute between the kingdoms of Aragon and Castile to the dominance of the Taifakönigreiches Zaragoza, which was ruled at that time by the Hudiden. You may took place near Graus in the spring of 1063. The exact date is controversial - there are also the years 1069 or 1070 in question.

Prehistory

The intervention of the Infante Sancho of Castile on the part of Hudiden under Ahmad I. al Muqtadir can only be understood if one considers this complicated situation after the collapse of the Caliphate of Córdoba in 1031 and the disintegration of Islamic rule in countless taifas: Since the Christian kingdoms in northern Spain were not able, these Taifa, of which Zaragoza was one to conquer, and keep it limited to plunder and tribute agreements. So Zaragoza for example, was at the time of the Battle of Graus the Kingdom of Castile under Ferdinand tribute.

The Battle

The conquest of the city by Graus Ramiro I of Aragon was viewed by his brother Ferdinand as an attack on the Castilian sphere of influence secured by to pay tribute. In addition, Ferdinand understood as Emperor of León as overlord of all the kingdoms of the Iberian Peninsula. Although the gray place in the Pyrenees foothills had no meaning, but was on the way to the major city Barbastro, which was the real goal of Ramiro I. with certainty. Castile had very pretty with this apprehension, as the course of events, nor should show: Actually Barbastro was first conquered in 1064 of Aragon with the help of French and Burgundian knights and looted. Pope Alexander II gave the participants for their fight against the " infidel " subsequently a drain, which is why the campaign is considered a precursor of the Crusades.

To slow Aragon, Ferdinand sent his son Sancho II to support Emir Ahmad I. al Muqtadir of Saragossa in the reconquest of gray. It is well have been a small but powerful handful of professional warriors, knights, among whom was the young Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar was. This later known as El Cid known man had been educated at the court of Prince, received from him the accolade and was up to Sancho's death in 1072 outside the walls of Zamora in its immediate vicinity. Whether El Cid the Alférez Mayor Sancho was already, on the other hand is questionable. After all, however, he was a member of a select and very powerful force that commanded Sancho II.

So had the Aragonese under their king Ramiro I see at the gates of horror when she united the army of Emir Ahmad I. al Muqtadir and Infant Sancho II stood for battle. They were beaten, lost vacate their king and had gray. In addition to the participation of El Cid makes the death of King Ramiro I. the battle of Graus to a historical event. Sancho II was present at the death of his own uncle, although this had not been the aim of the war train.

We know nothing about the exact flow of battle. The death of the King of Aragon declared an Arab chronicler with a list, which applied an Arabian Knights by disguised mingled between the Aragonese troops and ( unprotected from Nasalhelm ) overthrew the king with a lance thrust in the eye. For death by troops of the Hudiden speaks, that the knights of Castile, as well as later El Cid captured in the course of his life, highly placed opponents in the rule, to thereby obtain a high ransom.

Result

The mountain kingdom of Aragon was initially using the dominant Castile denied access to the cities of the Vorpyrenäengebietes and hence the rise in the Ebro valley. Support from French knights led only to a further result as in gray: The 1064 conquered city Barbastro was 1065 again lost to the Hudiden. It was only the downfall of the Taifa of Castile and Aragon Almoravids should be put back in the position to continue the expansion.