Abd al-Rahman ibn Abd Allah al-Ghafiqi
Umayyad commander who led the invasion of Gaul and died at the Battle of Tours.
Charles de Steuben · via Wikipedia: Abd al-Rahman ibn Abd Allah al-Ghafiqi · Public domain
Abd al-Rahman ibn Abd Allah al-Ghafiqi was appointed governor of al-Andalus around 730 by Caliph Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik.[1][2] He led military campaigns across the Pyrenees, sacking Bordeaux and defeating Duke Odo of Aquitaine.[1] After sacking Bordeaux and defeating Duke Odo twice, al-Ghafiqi's forces moved deep into Frankish territory until they encountered Charles Martel's army near Tours.[1]
Quick Facts
- Birthplace
- Tihamah, Arabia, Umayyad Caliphate
- Place of death
- Vouneuil-sur-Vienne, Poitiers, Francia
- Died
- 10 October 732
- Allegiance
- Umayyad Caliphate
- Service years
- 721–732
- Battles
- Battle of Toulouse (721)
- Battle of the River Garonne
- Battle of Tours
Facts from the source article.
Life and work
In 730, he was appointed wali of al-Andalus by the Caliph.[2] He hurried to quell a rebellion by Uthman ibn Naissa, who had allied with Duke Odo of Aquitaine.[2] His army sacked Bordeaux after defeating Duke Odo in battle outside the city.[1] He then defeated a second army of Duke Odo at the Battle of the River Garonne.[1]
Western chroniclers stated of that battle, "God alone knows the number of the slain"[1] Odo fled to Charles Martel for help after his defeat.[3] The wali gathered his forces at Pamplona and issued a summons for volunteers from Yemen and the Levant.[1] After many recruits arrived, he led a predominantly Arab army across the Pyrenees.[1]
Lewis reports that the Umayyad soldiers brought their families along, and wives and concubines were among those who died.[2] A substantial part of al-Ghafiqi's army abandoned the fight to go back and protect their looted camp.[2]
What the cited sources add
The Medieval Sourcebook account states that Musa spoke, "No, by Allah and the prophet!"[4] The same source reports that al-Ghafiqi gave battle to Duke Eudes beyond the Garonne and Dordogne and put him to flight.[4] That source adds that "God alone knew the number of the slain and wounded" in that battle.[4]
References
- Wikipedia, "Abd al-Rahman ibn Abd Allah al-Ghafiqi" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Internet History Sourcebooks: Medieval Sourcebook", sourcebooks.fordham.edu (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Abd al-Rahman ibn Abd Allah al-Ghafiqi" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Lewis, David Levering. God's Crucible: Islam and the Making of Europe, 570-1215, W. W. Norton & Company, 2009, . (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Abd al-Rahman ibn Abd Allah al-Ghafiqi" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Lewis, David Levering. God's Crucible: Islam and the Making of Europe, 570-1215, W. W. Norton & Company, 2009, .; Davis, Paul K. 100 Decisive Battles: From Ancient Times to the Present (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- "Internet History Sourcebooks: Medieval Sourcebook", sourcebooks.fordham.edu. facts only, no text reused. sourcebooks.fordham.edu
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Abd al-Rahman ibn Abd Allah al-Ghafiqi (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
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