Abd ar-Rahman II
 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification.(October 2014) |
| Abd ar-Rahman al-Awsat عبد الرحمن الأوسط | |
|---|---|
 Silverdirhamcoined during the reign of Abd ar-Rahman II. | |
| 4thEmir of Córdoba | |
| Reign | 21 May 822–852 |
| Predecessor | al-Hakam I |
| Successor | Muhammad I |
| Born | 792 Toledo,Emirate of Córdoba |
| Died | 852 (aged 59–60) Córdoba,Emirate of Córdoba |
| Issue | Muhammad I of Córdoba |
| Dynasty | Umayyad dynasty |
| Father | al-Hakam I |
| Mother | Halawah |
Abd ar-Rahman II(Arabic:عبد الرحمن الأوسط) (792–852) was the fourthUmayyadEmir of Córdobainal-Andalusfrom 822 until his death.[1]A vigorous and effective frontier warrior, he was also well known as a patron of the arts.
Abd ar-Rahman was born inToledo,the son of Emiral-Hakam I.In his youth he took part in the so-called "massacre of the ditch", when 72 nobles and hundreds of their attendants were massacred at a banquet by order of al-Hakam.
He succeeded his father as Emir ofCórdobain 822 and for 20 years engaged in nearly continuous warfare againstAlfonso II of Asturias,whose southward advance he halted. In 825, he had a new city,Murcia,built, and proceeded to settle it with Arab loyalists to ensure stability. In 835, he confronted rebellious citizens ofMéridaby having a large internal fortress built. In 837, he suppressed a revolt ofChristiansandJewsinToledowith similar measures.[2]He issued a decree by which the Christians were forbidden to seek martyrdom, and he had a Christiansynodheld to forbid martyrdom.
In 839 or 840, he sent an embassy underal-GhazaltoConstantinopleto sign a pact with theByzantine Empireagainst theAbbasids.[3]Another embassy was sent which may have either gone to Ireland or Denmark, likely encouraging trade in fur and slaves.[4]
In 844, Abd ar-Rahman repulsedan assaultbyVikingswho had disembarked inCádiz,conqueredSeville(with the exception of its citadel) and attacked Córdoba itself. Thereafter he constructed a fleet and naval arsenal at Seville to repel future raids.
He responded toWilliam of Septimania's requests of assistance in his struggle againstCharles the Baldwho had claimed lands William considered to be his.[5]
Abd ar-Rahman was famous for his public building program in Córdoba. He made additions to theMosque–Cathedral of Córdoba.[1]A vigorous and effective frontier warrior, he was also well known as a patron of the arts.[6]He was also involved in the execution of the "Martyrs of Córdoba",[7]and was a patron of the great composerZiryab.He died in 852 in Córdoba.
References[edit]
- ^ab"'Abd ar-Rahman II ".Encyclopædia Britannica.Vol. I: A-Ak - Bayes (15th ed.). Chicago, IL: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. 2010. pp.17.ISBN978-1-59339-837-8.
- ^The Inheritance of Rome, Chris Wickham, Penguin Books Ltd. 2009,ISBN978-0-670-02098-0.p. 341.
- ^Huici Miranda, Ambrosio (1965)."al-Ghazāl".InLewis, B.;Pellat, Ch.&Schacht, J.(eds.).The Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition.Volume II: C–G.Leiden: E. J. Brill. p. 1038.doi:10.1163/1573-3912_islam_SIM_2484.OCLC495469475.
- ^Graham-Campbell, James (2013).The Viking World.Frances Lincoln Limited Publishers. p. 31.
- ^El-Hajji, Abderrahman. ""Andalusian Diplomatic Relations with the Franks during the Umayyad period"".Islamic Studies.6:27–28.
- ^Thorne, John (1984).Chambers biographical dictionary.Edinburgh: Chambers.ISBN0-550-18022-2.
- ^Chisholm, Hugh,ed. (1911)..Encyclopædia Britannica.Vol. 1 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 31.
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