Battle of Aqbat al-Bakr

Battle of Aqbat al-Bakr
Part of the Fitna of al-Andalus
The Iberian Peninsula in 1000 AD
Date 22 May 1010 Location Espiel, Caliphate of Córdoba Result Rebel-Catalan victory
Belligerents
Andalusian Rebels Saqaliba (supporting Muhammad ibn Hisham) Catalan counties County of Barcelona County of Empúries County of Urgell	Caliphate of Córdoba Berbers (supporting Sulayman ibn al-Hakam)
Commanders and leaders
Muhammad ibn Hisham Wadih al-Siqlabi Ramon Borrell Hugh I Ermengol I   †	Sulayman ibn al-Hakam
Strength
30,000 Saqaliba Rebels 9,000 Catalans	Unknown

The Battle of Aqbat al-Bakr (22 May 1010) was a battle of the Fitna of al-Andalus that took place in the area in and around Espiel, Spain. The battle took place between the Berber forces of the Caliphate of Cordoba, commanded by Sulayman ibn al-Hakam, against a Catalan-Andalusian alliance of 30,000 Andalusian Saqaliba rebels with 9,000 Catalan, ^{[1] [2] [3] [4]} trying to overthrow their Caliph overlords under the command of Muhammad ibn Hisham; Wadih al-Siqlabi, governor of al-Tagr al-Awsat; and several West Frankish counts and bishops, including Ermengol I of Urgell who was killed during the fight, ^[5] Hugh I of Empúries, and Ramon Borrell of Barcelona. ^{[6] [7]}

The two armies met at Espiel on 22 May 1010 and the forces of the Caliphate of Cordoba were decisively routed, marking one of the first battles of the war and a significant gain for the rebel Catalan-Andalusian alliance. Although this battle took place in the general time frame of the Spanish Reconquista, it was not unusual for Christian and Muslim forces to join together to achieve common goals. ^{[8] [9]}

References

1. Ygua, Ruben (10 April 2025). THE CHURCH IN CHECK. Ruben Ygua.
2. hispano - arabic poetry. Slatkine. 1970. p. 12.
3. Kennedy, Hugh (11 June 2014). Muslim Spain and Portugal: A Political History of al-Andalus. Routledge. p. 127. ISBN   978-1-317-87041-8.
4. Ygua, Ruben (10 April 2025). THE CHURCH IN CHECK. Ruben Ygua.
5. Scales (8 April 2024). The Fall of the Caliphate of Córdoba: Berbers and Andalusis in Conflict. BRILL. ISBN   978-90-04-61082-8.
6. "Biografía de Wadih" (in Spanish).
7. Suárez Fernández, Luis (1976). Historia de España Antigua y Media. Volume 23 of Manuales Universitarios Rialp. Ediciones Rialp. p. 667. ISBN   8432118826.
8. hispano - arabic poetry. Slatkine. 1970. p. 12.
9. Kennedy, Hugh (11 June 2014). Muslim Spain and Portugal: A Political History of al-Andalus. Routledge. p. 127. ISBN   978-1-317-87041-8.

• The information in this article is translated from its Spanish equivalent.

38°11′00″N5°01′00″W / 38.1833°N 5.0167°W / 38.1833; -5.0167