Page:Baladhuri-Hitti1916.djvu/381

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CHAPTER I

The Conquest of Andalusia

Ṭâriḳ crosses the Straits. According to al-Wâḳidi, the first to invade Andalusia[1] was Ṭâriḳ ibn-Ziyâd,[2] the ʿâmil of Mûsa ibn-Nuṣair, and that was in the year 92. Ṭâriḳ was met by Ulyân, the commander of the Majâz[3] al-Andalus, whom he promised safety provided he would transport him with his companions to Andalusia in his ships. When he arrived there, Ṭâriḳ was resisted by the people, but he effected the conquest of the land in the year 92.[4] The king of Andalusia, it is claimed, belonged to the Ashbân [Spanish] people whose origin was from Iṣbahân.[5] Mûsa ibn-Nuṣair wrote Ṭâriḳ a severe letter for risking the lives of the Moslems and following his own opinion without consulting Mûsa as regards the campaign. In the meantime, he ordered him not to go beyond Cordova [Ar. Ḳurṭubah].[6] Mûsa himself proceeded to Cordova in Andalusia; and Ṭâriḳ sought and was reinstated in his favor. Ṭâriḳ then reduced the city of Ṭulaiṭulah,[7] the capital of the kingdom

  1. Al-Andalus, Spain. Yaʿḳûbi, Buldân, pp. 353–355.
  2. ʿAdhâri, vol. ii, pp. 11 seq.
  3. "The straits separating Morocco from Andalusia," al-Marâkishi, al-Muʿjib fi-Talkhîṣ Akhbâr al-Maghrib, p. 6.
  4. ʿAdhâri, vol. ii, pp. 5 seq.
  5. Ispahan of Persia. The Arabs were misled to this conclusion by the accidental similarity between the two names. See Masʿûdi, vol. ii, pp. 326–327.
  6. Idrîsi, Ṣifat al-Maghrib, pp. 208–214.
  7. Toledo. Muḳaddasi, p. 235; Khurdâdhbih, p. 89.
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