Fort Al-Uqab is one of the forts built by the Umayyads in Andalusia (Flickr)
A decisive battle in Islamic history, which took place in July 1212 AD near the “Tolosa” Valley and “Fortress of the Oqab” in southern Spain, between the Muslim army consisting of the Almohads and the Muslim masses led by the Almohad Caliph Muhammad al-Nasir, and the Spanish army consisting of the Crusaders’ masses led by the King of Castile. Alfonso VIII.
The Muslims were defeated there and suffered heavy losses in lives and money, and the balance of power shifted in favor of the Spaniards. It was the beginning of the realization of the Spanish reconquest project, and the retreat of the Islamic state in Andalusia. It also represented the first nail hammered into the throne of the Almohad state, which later led to its collapse.
Causes of the battle
The Almohad Caliph Abu Yaqub Al-Mansur achieved a major victory over the Spaniards at the Battle of Al-Ark in 1195 AD. He seized Rabah Castle, descended on the city of Toledo, and penetrated into the Iberian Peninsula (the Spanish Peninsula). Harmony was not prevalent between the Christian Spanish kingdoms, so Castile fought the battle alone with the Almohads. After this crushing defeat, it found no guarantee for its safety other than concluding a truce with them.
The ruler of Castile sent a request for a truce, and Al-Mansur trused him for 10 years, then returned to Marrakesh. The Castilians settled for a period of calm and peace, waiting for the opportunity to strike again. Alfonso VIII, King of Castile, had been yearning for revenge for his defeat since the defeat of the Arc.
When Al-Mansur died, his son, Muhammad Al-Nasir Lidin Allah, ascended the throne in 1198 AD, and was preoccupied with internal strife and revolutions, and the Banu Ghaniya’s seizure of bases and borders in Africa, which he liberated and restored Almohad sovereignty over. During this period, which lasted for approximately 12 years, he was unable to pay attention to the current events. In Andalusia.
Urban Bridge Arches in Cordoba, Spain (Getty)
Meanwhile, the Spanish kingdoms, with the exception of the Kingdom of Leon, attempted to establish peace between them. A truce was concluded between Navarra and Castile in the year 1207 AD for a period of 5 years. Then the King of Castile intervened between the King of Navarra and the King of Aragon, and a truce was concluded between them in the year 1209 AD.
The deadline for the truce concluded between Alfonso VIII and the Almohads was the year 1215 AD, but the King of Castile, who felt a kind of reassurance and hope for the help of the Spanish kingdoms, wanted to resume the war with the Almohads, so he fortified the “Moura” castle, located on the Muslim borders, in 1209 AD with a strong fortification.
During that year and the one that followed, the Castilians violated the truce, raided the region of Jaén, Piasa, and Anduger, and returned to Toledo laden with spoils, after killing, captivating, destroying, and burning crops and fields. Pedro II, King of Aragon, followed the example of the King of Castile, so he invaded the Valencian region in retaliation for the invasion of his shores by Almohad ships. He captured a number of forts in the region.
The small Almohad garrisons were not able to repel the invading armies, so they sought help from Al-Nasir, who mobilized and headed to the Iberian Peninsula to put an end to the Spanish raids. He began preparing for battle, and sent his books to all parts of Morocco, Africa, and the people of the qibla to call people to jihad.
Rally armies and prepare for battle
The Muslim crowds came from all over the world, and were prepared with the necessary equipment, weapons, clothing, and supplies, and the ships were assembled. Then Al-Nasir crossed with his powerful armies to the peninsula, and when he settled in Seville in late May 1211 AD, he ordered the mobilization of the Andalusian crowds, the manufacture of war machines, and the summoning of workers. And the governors and completing the supply from all sides.
The Almohad armies became fully mobilized from the Almohads, the Arabs, the people of Andalusia, the Mutawa’a, the Aghzaz, and other sects of soldiers, and Al-Nasir marched with them towards Cordoba in late July 1211 AD, then he marched from there to Jaén and Bayasa, then north towards the fortress of Shalabtra, which was located on a high hill on the Close to Mount Sharat.
A drawing simulating the scene of one of the Crusader armies (Shutterstock)
The Almohads surrounded Shalabtra Castle, which was the largest and most fortified castle in that region. The Castilians had taken it as a base to launch their raids on the Muslims. After the Muslims took control of its lands, they set up 40 massive catapults around it, hit it with huge stones, showered it with arrows and arrows, and kept it under a long siege until The garrison was forced to surrender the castle and leave.
The danger to Spain worsened after that incident.
Which made the King of Castile exert his utmost efforts to fight the Almohads, and he sought from the Pope to give the war a Crusader character. The Pope responded to his desire, and the monks and priests moved to arouse the enthusiasm of the Christian peoples. This was not limited to Spain, but rather extended to Europe, and the Crusader forces soon descended on Spain from Italy. France and the rest of Europe.
The incoming armies of Crusader warriors gathered in Castile until their number reached more than 10,000 knights and 100,000 infantrymen in June 1212 AD.
The bishops headed the ranks of the warriors from various cities, and were in charge of spending on their crowds. The King of Castile also received sums of money, weapons, and supplies, sent to him from France and Italy. Pope Innocent III warned the kings of Spain of imposing the penalty of excommunication on every prince who was late in providing assistance.
The Pope also called for a 3-day fast, public prayers were held, the clergy began to wear black and walk barefoot, and religious processions walked in the streets. The Pope himself delivered a sermon in which he asked the Christians to supplicate and pray for the victory of the Spanish, and he announced that he would grant indulgences to those who would go with them to war.
The Almohads, for their part, made similar preparations. After his return to Seville from the Shalabtra raid, Al-Nasir mobilized people from all sides to double his crowds and support his armies, and many new forces gathered for him.
Cordoba Cathedral in Spain (Shutterstock)
Marching into battle
On June 20, 1212 AD, the Crusader armies left Toledo towards the south, and were divided into 3 main armies:
The First Army: It is the vanguard army led by the Castilian commander Diego Lopez de Haro, and consists of expatriate forces estimated at between 60,000 and 100,000 fighters.
The Second Army: Led by Pedor II, King of Aragon, and consists of Aragonese, Catalan, and Daoist knights.
The Third Army: It is the rear army and is led by Alfonso VIII. It consists of the forces of Castile, Leon and Portugal, the knights of Rabah Castle, Shant Yaqib and the Hospitallers.
The Crusader armies continued their march, seizing Fort Maljoun on June 24, which was one of the Islamic border forts, then marching towards Rabah Castle, which Caliph Al-Mansur had seized after the Battle of Al-Ark and appointed Abu Al-Hajjaj Yusuf bin Qadis to lead it.
In addition to its natural immunity, as it was located south of the Wadi Yanah River, the castle had extremely strong walls and towers, so the Crusader armies surrounded it, then attacked it on June 30 and occupied its outer section, which borders the river, which is the weakest section.
The Islamic garrison defended valiantly, and Ibn Qadis began asking for help from Al-Nasir and sending him letters. The vizier, Abu Sa`id ibn Jami’, hid the letters and did not inform the caliph of them. The duration of the siege was prolonged, and supplies and weapons ran out. Ibn Qadis was forced to surrender the fort, and made peace with Alfonso VIII, who was in favor of the solution. Al-Salami - provided that he and the Muslims with him leave safely.
On the contrary, the Crusaders arriving from Europe wanted to slaughter the Islamic garrison and reject any peace settlement, and this coincided with the rising temperature in Spain, in addition to what was rumored that the King of Castile had appropriated for himself the antiques and ammunition that were in the castle, so anger grew among the ranks of the arriving soldiers. Until many of them defected, their number was estimated at about 50 thousand fighters, who left Alfonso VIII and returned to their country.
At that time, Al-Nasir had arrived with his strong armies at Jiyan, and there he settled there for days, waiting to cross the river, and he observed the events that occurred on the border, including the fall of Rabah Castle into the hands of the enemy, and the discord that occurred as a result in the Christian camp.
Ibn Qadis came with his son-in-law and a group of his companions to the Caliph, but the vizier Ibn Jami’ prevented him from meeting him, and portrayed his position to the Caliph in the worst way and accused him of treason, so Al-Nasir ordered the execution of him and his son-in-law without listening to him.
The death of the Andalusian commander in this way had a profound impact among his fellow Andalusian soldiers, and when Minister Ibn Jami’ felt the change in the souls of the Andalusians that had occurred, he summoned their commanders and warned them to leave the army. This incident had the worst impact on the morale of the Islamic army.
On the other hand, after his seizure of the castle, Alfonso VIII was able to quickly overcome what happened in his camp due to the departure of some groups of arriving warriors, organize what remained of his forces, and resume his march to the south.
On July 13, 1212 AD, Alfonso's forces crossed the heights of Mount El Charat (Sierra Morena) and occupied the desolate upper plain called the "Morra d'Pass", and occupied the "Ferral" fortress, also called the "Punishment" fortress, at the top of the mountain, then marched until they reached To the plain of Abda, it stopped in the plain of “the King’s Table” and fortified its surroundings, while the rest of the army remained stationed behind it.
As for Caliph Al-Nasir, he moved his armies towards the north, and the Almohad armies included Arab sects, Moroccan tribes such as Sanhaja, Zanata, Al-Musamada, Ghamara, and others, volunteer soldiers, regular Almohad soldiers, and Andalusian soldiers.
The Almohad armies penetrated the Guadalquivir River, crossed the Jabal al-Sharat passes leading to Biyassa and Abda, and from there to the rugged “Lusa” pass, then settled in the plain called “Al-Marsha” waiting to meet the enemy.
Illustration of fighters who were participating in the Crusades (Getty)
Battle facts
The Battle of the Vulture, known in Europe as the Battle of Navas de Tolosa, began in the early morning of Monday, July 16, 1212 AD, at the bottom of the hill called the King’s Table, near the Tolosa Valley or Tolosa Vulture in Southern Spain.
The Crusaders' army was divided into 3 main sections, each of which was led by one of the three kings:
The first section: consists of the core and is led by King Alfonso VIII of Castile, while retaining supreme leadership.
The second section: consists of the right wing, led by Sancho, King of Navarre, and includes the Navarrean forces, the soldiers of the company, Abla, Segovia, and the city of Salem, the knights of France, headed by the Archbishop of Arbonne, and the soldiers of Galicia and Portugal.
The third section: consists of the left wing, and is led by Pedro III, King of Aragon, and includes the vanguard forces and the forces led by the Aragonese nobles.
Each of these sections was divided into several units, with the Daoist and Hospitaller knights and the Knights of Rabah Castle at its core, each of them under the command of their own commander, as well as the ranks led by the Archbishop of Toledo and 5 Castilian bishops.
As for the Almohad army, which reached at least about 200,000 fighters, and some of them exaggeratedly estimated it to be 500,000 fighters, it was divided into five divisions:
Front Division: It consists of volunteer forces from various sects.
Forces of the Heart: consisting of the Almohad soldiers.
The Starboard Division: It consists of Andalusian forces
Al-Maysara Division: It consists of Berber forces from various tribes.
Reserve Forces Division: It was a unit of the Almohad soldiers, who were the majority of the regular soldiers.
Illustration of a fighter from the Muslim armies (Al Jazeera Documentary)
Both armies were on alert, and the Crusaders began the attack. Their vanguards quickly descended from the high ground in the plain of “the King’s Table” to the lower plain occupied by the Almohad army, and pounced on its front, and the volunteer ranks met them with strength and fortitude.
The two teams fought intensely until the Crusaders began to retreat, then they returned to steadfastness after being reinforced with cavalry squads, which were difficult for the Almohad volunteers to penetrate. Then they retreated under the enormous pressure of the Crusaders, and killing increased among them. It is reported that they continued fighting until the last of them were martyred.
Then, after overcoming the volunteer teams, the Crusaders advanced to the heart of the Almohad army, where they met with the strongest resistance and were turned back. The two wings of the Crusader army attacked the two wings of the Almohad army. The two armies raged in a heated battle, and the Almohad right and left forces were able, after fierce fighting, to repel the two wings of the army. Al-Sulaibi, who began to retreat and flee, indicated to both parties that the Victory Brigade would be held for the Almohads.
When Alfonso VIII saw from the height of the outcome of the battle, and what it heralded as a certain defeat, he took to the field with his chosen reserve forces, from the forces of Castile and Leon, and rushed them to the front row in a desperate fight.
At the same time, the kings of Aragon and Navarre, each with his own forces, followed him towards the wings of the Almohad army, and all the Crusader forces attacked simultaneously with the utmost violence and intensity, until the right and left of the Almohad army began to retreat, and the Andalusians and Arabs fled, and their escape caused turmoil in the ranks.
Here, the Crusaders' attack focused on the heart of the Almohad army, made up of regular and reserve soldiers, and they intensified the attack on the Almohads who stood firm and defended valiantly. Caliph Al-Nasir had realized the seriousness of the situation, so he rose from his council and began urging his soldiers to be brave.
A general view of the Alhambra Palace, the most important historical landmark of the city of Granada in Andalusia (Al Jazeera)
The Crusaders were able to penetrate the heart of the Almohad army, just as they penetrated the armored circle. The Almohad army was torn apart from all sides, and there was a lot of killing in it.
Al-Nasir remained in his place steadfast and did not budge, then at the last moment he was forced to mount a horse and flee with a group of his people south towards Bayyasa, and from there to Jién. The remnants of the Almohad army were then fleeing in every direction, and behind them the Crusader knights were killing it. This horrific chase continued until night fell.
Just before sunset, the kings, the bishops, the bishops, and a large part of the Crusader army had entered the Almohad army’s camp and settled there, and it became a monument after a sight.
Battle results
The defeat of the Muslims was devastating, as they suffered heavy losses in life, although estimates vary greatly in the size of human losses. It is certain that the number of deaths was very large until it was said that most of the army had perished, and the Muslim and Almohad forces in Andalusia and Morocco were gone, and they also fell in the battle. As well as a number of great scholars, scholars and scholars.
This severe blow to the Almohad army and the Berber masses later prevented them from carrying out great military campaigns, and the Almohads were unable to launch except fleeting invasions in its wake, as they were unable to compensate for the soldiers they lost during the battle and flee from it.
The Battle of Al-Uqab also fell in which a number of great figures, scholars and scholars fell (Al-Jazeera)
It is certain that the Crusaders' loss of life was also great in this battle in which the two armies clashed as a whole, and the first Christian attacks suffered great losses, as they did not succeed in penetrating the heart of the Almohad army except after a great effort, and after they threw their reserve forces into the battle. These losses are less than many thousands.
However, the final result was in favor of the Crusaders, who seized abundant spoils of equipment, weapons, tents, gold, silver, gold coins, rugs, precious utensils, luxurious clothes and fabrics, as well as great quantities of supplies, and thousands of beasts of burden, which were among the greatest spoils they captured. .
They also seized Al-Nasir's silk tent embroidered with gold, and the King of Navarre seized the iron chains that surrounded the Caliph's dome. Among the most important spoils was also a huge Almohad flag that was hung in the Caliph's tent. It was a large carpet, filled with beautiful Arabic inscriptions, Quranic verses, and various supplications. It is still kept among the relics of Spain in the city of Burgos in the Royal Monastery.
The outcome of the battle was that it opened the door for Alfonso VIII to reap the fruits of his great victory in the Battle of Al-Uqab by seizing as much of the Islamic lands as he could. Within days, he seized most of the Islamic fortresses in that region, including Fort Feral (Fort Al-Uqab), and then he marched to my city. Biyasa and Abda, so he seized them after killing, captivating, destroying, and wreaking havoc.
Repercussions of the battle
The Battle of Al-Uqab is considered one of the decisive battles in all of Islamic history. It was a disaster for Muslims in general and the Almohads in Morocco and Andalusia in particular, as it represented the beginning of the decline of the Islamic state in Andalusia, marking its demise. It was also the first nail hammered into the coffin of the Almohad state, and constituted a major transformation in the history of the state. It led to its collapse.
Illustration of an ancient battle (Getty)
The defeat completely destroyed the military reputation of the Almohads in the Iberian Peninsula, and destroyed the shield that the Almohad armies coming from across the sea had given to Andalusia and the Islamic state there.
The defeat also shifted the balance of power in favor of the Spaniards, and was the beginning of the realization of the recovery project that had been desired by the Christians for decades. It became an appropriate opportunity to strike the Muslims in Andalusia and seize their lands, thus marking the beginning of the collapse of the Islamic state in Andalusia.
The reconquest movements led to the migration of large numbers of Muslims, as well as Jews, fleeing Christian persecution with their religion, souls, and money. They began heading towards Morocco, which was a safe haven for them.
Likewise, local Andalusian movements aspiring to independence, such as the Ibn Hud movement, the Ibn Mardanish movement, and the Ibn al-Ahmar movement, took advantage of the weakness of the Almohads. They launched revolutions aiming for independence, and the region descended into crushing chaos and spread into new parties and sects.
In the Maghreb, after that harsh defeat, signs of weakness began to gnaw at the foundations of the state, which was a great political power, especially after the death of Al-Nasser in 1213 AD, and weak rulers took over the caliphate after him, so rebellions and revolutions arose in the Maghreb countries aiming for independence.
One of the repercussions was the collapse of the Almohad state's economy, which was affected by defeat and the outbreak of chaos. Internal and external trade suffered a major setback, caravans stopped traveling due to lack of security, and agricultural activity was paralyzed due to the migration of farmers to their lands as a result of acts of sabotage and chaos caused by brutal wars.
The defeat was also accompanied by a decline in intellectual life, and this was clearly evident in the weakness of the writing sense, which was limited to abbreviations, footnotes, and explanations. One of the cultural tragedies at that time was the mass migration of scholars from Andalusia and Morocco to safer regions.
Reasons for defeat
One of the most important reasons that led to this terrible defeat was the personality of Caliph Muhammad al-Nasser, who did not have sufficient leadership competence, and this was evident through the actions he took from the beginning of the Almohad army’s operation until its defeat.
He did not develop a solid plan for fighting, and put the volunteers at the front of the army, and placed the regular army behind them. Although the volunteers were very enthusiastic about fighting, they did not have sufficient knowledge of fighting the front of the Crusader army, who were among the finest fighters.
In addition to his pride in his opinion, his failure to consult military experts, and his reliance on evil figures, such as his minister, Ibn Jami’, who advised him to carry out a long siege of Shalabtra Castle, which exhausted the army’s forces.
He also hid the letters of Ibn Qadis from him, then advised him to kill him and insulted the Andalusian commanders and warned them to leave the army. These incidents had the worst impact on the souls of the Andalusians and discouraged them in fighting. The Andalusians, despite their small numbers, were an important element in the Almohad invasion armies fighting in Andalusia. Because they were more experienced in fighting the Spaniards and their way of war, and more familiar with the battlefield.
On the other hand, Al-Nasir showed amazement and pride at the large number of his crowds, relied on his extreme numerical superiority, and underestimated the enemy’s importance, which prompted him to not be cautious or cautious when confronting the enemy.
Among the reasons that led to the defeat were also the imbalance in the system of the large Almohad armies, the inconsistency of their organizations, the disharmony of their constituent elements, and the lack of unification of their leadership in the hands of commanders characterized by military prowess, in addition to the imbalance in their supply system, due to their great distances from their bases.
Likewise, the Almohad state, prior to the Battle of Al-Uqab, had not recovered its health, after having been exhausted by internal revolutions and crises for years, as well as the change in the hearts of the Almohads, and their discontent with the ministers and leaders, due to the withholding and delay of their grants and their sending them out to the invasion while they were unwilling, and their moral strength had faded.
Source: Al Jazeera + websites