Virtual Tangier: Ibn Abd-El-Hakem

VIRTUAL TANGIER: Visions of the City

c. 870 AD: Ibn ABD-EL-HAKEM (excerpt from The Islamic Conquest of Spain)

Musa Ibn Nusair sent his son Merwan to Tangier, to wage a holy war upon her coast. Having, then, exerted himself together with his friends, he returned, leaving to Tarik Ibn Amru the command of his army which amounted to 1,700. Others say that 12,000 Berbers besides 16 Arabs were with Tarik: but that is false. It is also said that Musa Ibn Nusair marched out of Ifrikiya [Africa] upon an expedition into Tangier, and that he was the first governor who entered Tangier, where parts of the Berber tribes Botir and Beranes resided. These had not yet submitted themselves. When he approached Tangier, he scattered his light troops…

Tark Ibn Zeiyad

Afterwards Musa deposed the viceroy whom he had placed over Tangier, and appointed Tarik Ibn Zeiyad governor. He then returned to Cairwan, Tarik with his female slave of the name Umm-Hakim setting out for Tangier. Tarik remained some time in this district, waging jihad. This was in the year 92. The governor of the straits between this district and Andalus was a foreigner called Ilyan, Lord of Septa [Ceuta]. He was also the governor of a town called Alchadra, situated on the same side of the straits of Andalus as Tangier. Ilyan was a subject of Roderic, the Lord of Andalus [i.e. king of Spain], who used to reside in Toledo.

Tarik put himself in communication with Ilyan, and treated him kindly, until they made peace with each other. Ilyan had sent one of his daughters to Roderic, the Lord of Andalus, for her improvement and education; but she became pregnant by him. Ilyan having heard of this, said, "I see for him no other punishment or recompense, than that I should bring the Arabs against him"…

After that Tarik went to Ilyan who was in Septa on the straits. The latter rejoicing at his coming, said, "I will bring thee to Andalus". But there was a mountain called the mountain of Tarik between the two landing places, that is, between Septa and Andalus. When the evening came, Ilyan brought him the vessels, in which he made him embark for that landing-place, where he concealed himself during the day, and in the evening sent back the vessels to bring over the rest of his companions. So they embarked for the landing-place, none of them being left behind…

Tarik, going along with his companions, marched over a bridge of mountains to a town called Cartagena. Having passed by an island in the sea, he left behind Umm-Hakim, and with her a division of his troops… they found no other inhabitants than vinedressers. They took one of the vinedressers, slaughtered him, cut him in pieces, and boiled him, while the rest of his companions looked on. They had also boiled meat in other cauldrons. When the meat was cooked, they threw away the flesh of that man which they had boiled; no one knowing that it was thrown away: and they ate the meat which they had boiled, while the rest of the vinedressers were spectators. …these being afterwards sent away informed the people of Andalus that the Moslems feed on human flesh..

The news of Tarik and of those who were with him, as well as of the place where they were, reached the people of Andalus… soldiers from Cordova came to meet him; and seeing the small number of his companions they despised him on that account. They then fought. The battle with Tarik was severe. They were routed, and he did not cease from the slaughter of them till they reached the town of Cordoba. When Roderic heard of this, he came to their rescue from Toledo. They then fought in a place of the name of Shedunia, in a valley which is called this day the valley of Umm-Hakim [on July 11, 711, at the mouth of the Barbate river]. They fought a severe battle; but God, mighty and great, killed Roderic and his companions.

Source: From Ibn Abd-el-Hakem, History of the Conquest of Spain,
trans. by John Harris Jones (1858)
This text is part of the Internet Medieval Source Book.

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