© Mark Wade
| Cid's Spain © Mark Wade |
Moorish kingdom, the richest, most populated, and last territory surrendered by the Muslims in Spain.
Andalucia is now autonomous community, with the capital at Sevilla. Area 87,268 square kilometers. Estimated population in AD 1100, 1.100 million and population density 12.6 per square km. Ruled from 1014 to 1090 by the Banu Ziri, Berbers of the Sanhaja tribal confederation. These rulers included: Zawi ibn Ziri (from 1014 until he returned to Africa in 1019); Habbus ibn Maksan ibn Ziri al-Muzaffar, nephew of Zawi (1019-1038); Badis ibn Habbus (1038-1077); Abd Allah ibn Buluggin ibn Badis (1077-1090); then conquered by the Almoravides, 1090.
And while the King was going through Andalusia, having the land at his mercy, a great power of the Moors assembled together on the other side, and entered the land, and besieged the castle of Gormaz, and did much evil.
At this time it came to pass that Almofalez, a Moor of Andalusia, rose up with the Castle of Rueda, which was held for King Don Alfonso.
Now at this time a Moor called Ali Abenaxa, the Adelantado of the Almoravides, that is to say, of the Moors from beyond sea, came with a great power of the Moors of Andalusia to besiege the Castle of Aledo.
They say that in former times it had belonged to Queen Seleyda, who was wife to Abanarrexit King of Belcab, which is beyond sea; and afterwards it had come to the Kings called Benivoyas, who were Lords of Andalusia; after that King Alimaymon of Toledo possessed it, and gave it to his wife, and she gave it to the wife of her son, who was the mother of this Yahia.
On the second day after this Guazil had arrived, the Cid attacked the suburb which is called Villa Nueva, and entered it by force, and slew many Moors, both men of Andalusia and Almoravides, and plundered all that they found, and pulled down the houses, and the wood and stone the Cid sent to Juballa, and he set a guard there that the Moors might not recover the place.