KINGDOM OF TOLEDO
Kingdom of Toledo
The extension of the kingdom of Toledo (always centered around the actual region of
"Castilla-la Mancha" varied during its history. This land, only partially Islamized, was theater
of frequent rebellions against the Moslem Caliphat of Cordoba. There was a first ruler, called
Ya'is, who governed until 1036, but the independent kingdom was created after this year, when
Ismail Dahfir, of the berber clan of Beni Dilnun, declared the independence. This kingdom was
ruled by three moslem kings:
-
Ismail Dahfir (1036-1038), who fought against the Cordobese
to keep the independence.
- Abul asan Yaya ben Ismail ben Dylinun al-Mamun (1038-1075), known in the christian
chronicles as "Almamun" o "Alimenon". The most powerful of the Moslem kings of his time. He was
help to reach the throne by Fernando I of Castile, but afterwards, he fought against him, being
defeated and compeled to pay him a tribute. He conquered the cities of Córdoba and Valencia.
Known because of his friendship with Alfonso VI, who exiled in Toledo when he lost his kingdom.
Poisoned in Córdoba, in 1075, after his conquest of the city.
-
- Yahya ben Ismail ben Yahya Al-Kadir (1075-1081). Grandson of Al-Mamun. Bad governor,
he lost the lands conquered by his grandfather, and the southern provinces. He had to front the
rebellion of his subjects, who were divided in two sides: the moslems, who supported an
approximation towards the Moslem kingdoms, and were supported by the king Al-Mutawakkil of Badajoz,
and the Christians and Jews, who supported an alliance, and
even the union, with Castile. In 1080 the troops of Al-Mutawakkil took the city of Toledo, while
Al-Kadir refugeed in Cuenca.
In 1081, Al-Kadir ceeded his rights over Toledo to Alfonso VI of Castile and
Leon, who promised to help him to reconquer the throne of Valencia. After the cesion, Alfonso VI took 4 years to really conquest the city: to keep their honour, the population
of Toledo secretly agreed to resist the "attacks" of castilian king during those 4 years, and surrender
afterwards. So Alfonso took the city of Toledo on May 6th, 1085, entering there on May 25th. The
took of Toledo is a crucial step in the "Reconquista":
-
- First, it's a change in the Power relationship between christian and Moslems: previously,
Moslems were more powerful, and only their frequent periods of division and civil war (known as
the "fitna") allowed the surviving and even expansion of the christian kingdoms. Afterwards, the
christian are more powerful, and only the NorthAfrican invasions (Almoravids, Almohads and
Merinids) avoided their complet conquest of Spain during other four centuries.
-
- Second, it is also a change in the relationship among the christian kingdoms: previously,
it was the kingdom of Leon the most powerful, at the same time, as heir of the ancient Gothic
kingdom, it could claim its supremacy over the other Iberian states. After the conquest of
Toledo, it is Castile the most powerful kingdom and, at the same time, being Toledo the ancient
capital of Spain, and being there the most important catholic Authority of Spain, Castile also
had a basis to claim its supremacy.
After this moment the History of Toledo is the history of Castile. At the beggining, the
frontier between the proper Castile and Toledo was the frontier of la Mancha, more or less
(as we can see in the map of the inheritance of Fernando III). Nevertheless,
that frontier changed: after the Catholic Kings, the official frontier will be the frontier
between Old-Castile and New-Castile.
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