Stories of the Conquest of al-Andalus

The following post consists of some traditions and stories about the Muslim conquest of Spain as related in an interesting seventeenth century work entitled “Rihlat al-Wazir fi Iftikak al-Asir,” written by Muhammad bin ‘Abd al-Wahhab al-Ghassani (Morocco’s ambassador to Spain), who performed a diplomatic mission to free some prisoners and recover some Arabic manuscripts. Ghassani’s book is primarily a work of travel writing about Spain, but as an appendix to his book he includes an account of various interesting traditions about the original Muslim conquest of Spain, primarily focused on the exploits of the Muslim generals Tariq bin Ziyad and Musa bin Nusayr (Tariq said in this account to have been a client of Musa- referring to the patron-client system that was prevalent in the Umayyad caliphate at the time), the tensions between Tariq and Musa, how the lands of al-Andalus were initially divided and subjected to different kinds of taxation, and the legend of Solomon’s table.

The account given by Ghassani bears striking similarity to the earlier parts of the anonymous work Fath al-Andalus (‘The Conquest of al-Andalus’) that is dated to the around the beginning of the twelfth century CE. In general however, the account given in the Rihla tends to be more detailed, and a closer comparison between the two shows some interesting omissions and suppressions on the part of Fath al-Andalus. While it has been supposed that the Rihla might have made use of an earlier, lengthier version of Fath al-Andalus that has not survived, another arguably more plausible explanation is that the Rihla and Fath al-Andalus were relying on a now lost common source.

Below is a translation of the Rihla’s historical appendix, together with my annotations of it. The edition of the Arabic text is taken from Alfredo Bustani’s edition and Spanish translation (Tangier, 1940).

The centre of Toledo was the abode of the non-Arab kings- previously it and Seville- and Tariq (may God have mercy on him) headed towards it when he entered al-Udwa[i] after passing through Cordoba, and he did not divert to go anywhere else until he reached Toledo. There he found remains of countless treasures and wealth indicating its status. Included within that was the well-known table, but some historians claim that the table was not in the city of Toledo but rather it was in another place near Toledo called Guadalajara, and that Tariq (may God have mercy on him) went to this place called Guadalajara near the road that was named for him and located behind the mountain, until he reached the town of the table that was called as such because the table was there. This table was attributed to Solomon the son of David (peace be upon them both), and it was said that the table’s green borders and legs were made of green emerald and it had 365 legs, and God knows best. It has also been said that the table was made of inlaid gold, and this is closer to the truth.

He said: when Tariq became certain that Musa bin Nusayr was coming to meet him and that he would hear of the report regarding the table and would demand it from him, he removed one of its legs in order to show it to the Amir al-Mu’minin al-Walid[ii] should Musa claim that he had conquered the land and found the table.

Then Tariq left the town of the table for Toledo and it was said that on his way this time to Toledo  he entered the enemy’s territory and assailed the land of Galicia and reached the town of Astorga.[iii] Then he departed to Toledo: this was in the year 93 AH[iv]; and he remained there until his patron Musa bin Nusayr came to him.

Musa’s entry to al-Udwa was in the year 93, and 18,000 men from the Quraysh, Arabs and prominent people entered with him. He asked for a guide form the non-Arabs to guide him to the towns that Tariq had not conquered, and he promised the guide gifts and rewards for that. So the guide brought him to the fort of Za‘awaq of the district of Seville, so Musa began there. Tariq had not turned towards it. Then Musa went from there to Niebla,[v] then to Baja, then to Ossonoba on the coast.[vi] So he conquered all these places through conciliation. Then he left that area on the road named for him of the area of Alcant, and the people of that area came to meet him, so he confirmed their status and so they were called Musa’s clients. Then Musa proceeded until he came to Toledo.