Siege of Lleida (1122–1123)

Last updated
Siege of Lleida (1122–1123)
Part of Reconquista
Date 11221123
Location
Result Almoravid victory
Belligerents
Flag of Morocco 1073 1147.svg Almoravids
Blason d'Aragon.svg County of Barcelona
Blason de l'Aquitaine et de la Guyenne.svg Duke of Aquitaine
Flag of Catalonia.svg Kingdom of Aragon
Commanders and leaders
Flag of Morocco 1073 1147.svg Abu-Hilal
Blason d'Aragon.svg Ramon Berenguer III
Blason de l'Aquitaine et de la Guyenne.svg William IX of Poitiers
Flag of Catalonia.svg Alfonso the Battler
Strength
Unknown Unknown
Casualties and losses
Unknown Unknown

The Siege of Lleida took place between 1122 and 1123 in a Christian effort to recapture territories from Muslim control in the Iberian Peninsula. This siege was led by Alfonso the Battler, against the Almoravid controlled city of Lleida.

Contents

Background

By 1120, tensions between the Almoravids and Christian forces increased when the Count of Barcelona, Ramon Berenguer III, captured the nearby Castle of Corbins through an agreement with the Almoravid governor. This agreement was intended to prevent Lleida from falling into the hands of Alfonso the Battler, who had already conquered Zaragoza in 1118 and was seeking further expansion. [1]

The Siege

In May 1122, Alfonso the Battler commenced the siege of Lleida, with the objective of capturing the city as part of his broader campaign to gain control of the Ebro Valley. To support the siege operations, Alfonso's forces constructed the Castle of Gardeny in March 1123 [2] . Despite repeated assaults and attempts to breach the city's fortifications, the Almoravid garrison, led by Abu-Hilal, mounted a determined defense. The garrison was also supported by Christian allies, including Ramon Berenguer III and William IX of Poitiers, who were engaged in the siege against Alfonso. [3]

By June 1123, the siege was lifted due to logistical challenges and the strong defense by the Almoravid forces with their Christian allies. [3] [4] [5]

Aftermath

Although the siege was unsuccessful, Ramon Berenguer III revolted against the Almoravids in 1126, leading to the battle of Corbins. After the defeat of Ramon Berenguer III against the Almoravids at this battle, he made an alliance against them with Alfonso the battler and failed at the siege of Fraga in 1133. [6] [7]

references

  1. Soldevila i Zubiburu 1962, p. 141.
  2. Dalmau Rafael 1979, p. 843.
  3. 1 2 Soldevila i Zubiburu 1962, p. 142.
  4. Thomas W. Barton, p. 60–61
  5. José Luis Orella Unzué, Xosé Estévez, José María Lorenzo Espinosa 1995, p. 105.
  6. Soldevila i Zubiburu 1962, p. 143.
  7. Víctor Balaguer, p. 655

Bibliography

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