Taifa of Seville

Taifa Kingdom of Seville طائفة إشبيليّة Reino Taifa de Sevilla
1023–1091
The Kingdom of Seville at its greatest extent in green, c. 1080. (1078) year of annexation.
Capital	Seville
Common languages	Arabic, Berber, Mozarabic , Hebrew
Religion	Islam, Roman Catholicism, Judaism
Government	Monarchy
Historical era	Middle Ages
• Downfall of Caliphate of Córdoba	1023
• Death of last king Al-Mu'tamid and defeat after Almoravid troops	1091
Currency	Dirham and Dinar
Preceded by Succeeded by Caliphate of Cordoba Almoravid dynasty
Today part of	Spain  Portugal  Gibraltar

Historical Arab states and dynasties
Ancient Arab States Kingdom of Thamud 800 BC–200 BC Kingdom of Qedar 800 BC–300 BC Kingdom of Lihyan 600 BC–100 BC Nabataean Kingdom 400 BC–106 AD Kingdom of Kindah 200 BC–633 AD Kingdom of Osroene 132 BC–244 AD Kingdom of Characene 127 BC–221 AD Royal family of Emesa 64 BC–300s AD Kingdom of Araba 100s–241 AD Tanukhids 196–1100 AD Ghassanids 220–638 AD Lakhmids 300–602 AD
Arab Empires Rashidun 632–661 Umayyads 661–750 Abbasids 750–1258 Fatimids 909–1171
Eastern Dynasties Emirate of Armenia 654–884 Emirate of Tbilisi 736–1122 Emirate of Crete 824–961 Dulafids 840–897 Kaysites 860–964 Shirvanshah 861-1538 Alavids 864–928 Hamdanids 890–1004 Rawadids 955–1071 Jarrahids 970–1107 Uqaylids 990–1096 Numayrids 990–1081 Mirdasids 1024–1080 Muzaffarids 1314–1393 Ma'anids 1517–1697 Shihabid 1697–1842 Al-Azm family 1720–1807
Western Dynasties Emirate of Córdoba 756–929 Muhallabids 771–793 Idrisids 788–974 Aghlabids 800–909 Emirate of Sicily 831–1091 Caliphate of Córdoba 929–1031 Kanzids 1004–1412 Tujibids 1013–1039 Abbadids 1023–1091 Hammudids 1026–1057 Jawharids 1031–1091 Hudids 1039–1110 Sumadihids 1041–1091 Nasrids 1230–1492 Saadis 1554–1659 Senussids 1837–1969
Arabian Peninsula Imammate of Oman 751–1970 Ziyadids 819–1138 Yufirids 847–997 Ukhaidhirds 865–1066 Rassids 897–1962 Qarmatians 899–1077 Wajihids 926–965 Sharifate of Mecca 968–1925 Sulayhids 1047–1138 Sulaymanids 1063–1174 Uyunids 1076–1253 Zurayids 1083–1174 Nabhanids 1154–1624 Mahdids 1159–1174 Rasulids 1229–1454 Usfurids 1253–1320 Jarwanids 1305–1487 Kathirids 1395–1967 Tahirids 1454–1526 Jabrids 1463–1521 Qasimids 1597–1872 Ya'arubids 1624–1742 Upper Yafa 1800–1967 Muscat and Oman 1820–1970 Rashidids 1836–1921 Sultanate of Zanzibar 1856–1964 Qu'aitids 1858–1967 Emirate of Beihan 1903–1967 Idrisids 1906–1934 Mutawakkilite Kingdom 1926–1970
Current monarchies Alaouites (Morocco) 1631–present Al Qasimi (Ras al Khaymah) 1727–present Al Qasimi (Sharjah) 1727–present Al Saud (Saudi Arabia) 1744–present Al Said (Oman) 1749–present Al Sabah (Kuwait) 1752–present Al Nahyan (Abu Dhabi) 1761–present Al Nuaim (Ajman ) 1810–present Al Mu'alla (Umm al-Quwain) 1775–present Al Khalifa (Bahrain) 1783–present Al Maktoum (Dubai) 1833–present Al Thani (Qatar) 1868–present Al Sharqi (Fujairah) 1900–present Hashemites (Jordan) 1921–present

The Taifa of Seville (Arabic: طائفة إشبيليّة, Ta'ifat-u Ishbiliyyah) was an Arab^[1][2][3] kingdom which belonged to the Abbadid family. It originated in 1023 and lasted until 1091, in what is today southern Spain and Portugal.

History

The first king of Seville was Abu al-Qasim (1023–1042). He was qadi of Seville and declared independence of the province of Seville from Caliphate of Córdoba after its downfall in 1031, becoming king of Seville as Abbad I. The second king was his son Abbad II al-Mu'tadid (1042–1069), the last ruler being Muhammad al-Mu'tamid (1069–1091).

The kingdom started as a small, weakly defended territory comprising parts of current Spanish provinces of Seville, Huelva and Cadiz, but quickly emerged as the most powerful taifa kingdom of the time, after its rulers began pursuing a policy of expansion. After several military campaigns, the kingdom achieved dominance over all of Western Andalusia and Murcia, gradually absorbing the taifas of Badajoz, Algeciras, Granada and Málaga, Mértola (1044), Huelva (1051), Algarve (1051), Niebla (1053) Algeciras (1055), Silves (1063), Ronda (1065), Morón (1066), Carmona (1067), Arcos (1069) and even Córdoba itself (1070, lost in 1075 to Toledo but regained in 1077). The kingdom reached its largest territorial extent in 1078 with the capture of Murcia in 1078 by poet Abu Bakr ibn Ammar.

Nevertheless, the Abbad family was still subject to taxation by the King of Castile, to whom they were vassals. The drain of these taxes weakened the kingdom's power: al-Mu'tamid's decision to stop paying these taxes caused King Alfonso VI (who had already conquered Toledo in 1085) to besiege Seville. Al-Mu'tamid asked help from the Almoravids of Morocco against the Castilian king. The Moroccans established themselves at Algeciras, and after defeating the Christians occupied all the Islamic taifas, included, in 1091, Seville itself. After they ravaged the city, al-Mu'tamid ordered his sons to give up the royal fortress (early Alcazar of Seville) in order to save their lives. He was taken prisoner to Aghmat, Morocco, where he was assassinated in 1095.

Besides the intrigues and the eagerness for conquests of the kings, many artists of the time moved to the court of Seville, as the Almeria poet Ibn al-Abbâr, author of letters, and the poet Abû 'Âmir ibn Maslama and Abû'l-Walîd al-Himyarî, that made a compilation of the literary works of both ones.

Al-Mu'tadid also was a remarkable poet, having been taught by Ibn Ammar. On the other hand, he had a very cruel personality. His son al-Mu'tamid was even more dedicated to poetry than his father. He was friend of the poet Abu Bakr Muhammad Ibn al-`Ammâr, who was famous at that time after defeating the Castilian king Alfonso VI in a chess contest.

Al-Mu'tamid's sons, al-Rashid and al-Radi, were also very interested on arts, but had any interests on politics, and after the death of the king al-Mu'tamid, the Taifa of Seville was ruled by the Almoravids.

Al-Mu'tamid was lover of the future queen Itimad (Rumayqiyya). A brief tale on the queen Rumayqiyya appears on the book Libro de los ejemplos del Conde Lucanor y de Patronio (Book of the examples of Count Lucanor and Patronio), as the tale XXX, De lo que aconteció al rey Abenabed de Sevilla con su mujer, Ramaiquía (Tell of the story who happened to the king Abenabed of Seville with her wife, Ramaiquía).

Symbols

There are chronicles of that time that tells Almoravids fought under a white flag, while Andalusian soldiers as those of Sultan Al-Mu'tamid fought under different green flags with Islamic texts written on them. This is supposedly the origin of the current Andalusian flag, currently used as the autonomous region flag, called Arbonaida or Arbondaira.

See also

• Al-Andalus
• History of Islam
• History of Spain
• Taifa
• List of Sunni Muslim dynasties

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Taifa of Seville.

• Brief history of Seville
• War upon Iberia