409

CHAPTER

XVI.

THE WESTERN CALIPHATE. Afteu

of Mu.sa and ‘Al)d-al-‘ Aziz and the occupation hv Hurr the slight resistance of the Christians may be neglected, while we follow the victorious IMuslims through Gaul up to the defeat of the Emir ‘Ahd-ar-Rahman at Poitiers bv Charles Martel (7132). From that date till the accession of ‘Abd-ar-Rahman ibn Muhiwiya the whole history of Muslim Spain may be said to consist of intei'iial dissensions between Yemenites and Kaisites, Syrians and Medinthe

.-lucce.s.'.es

of the Iberian peninsula

‘Abd-al-Malik, an old Medinese chief, was appointed governor of Spain in October 7132. He refused to provide some Syrians, who were starving in Ceuta, with the means of crossing over into Spain, but an insurrection among the Berbers in the peninsula compelled him to summon them to his aid. The ragged and starving Svrians fought so fiercely that they routed the Berbers, and then having no desire to return to Africa

ese.

where they had fared so ill, they revolted and proclaimed Balj as their They sought to inspire terror. They crucified ‘Abd-al(741). ilalik, and defeated his sons at Aqua Portora (August 742). The civil war ended with the appointment bv the Emir of Africa of Abu-1Khattar the Kalbite as governor. He pacified Spain and settled the Syrians along the southern fringe from Murcia to Ocsonoba (Algarve); but the confiict was pi’omptlv renewed between Kaisites or lIa‘'addites and Yemenites or Kalbites. The rebels defeated the Kalbites under Abu-l-Khattar at the battle of Guadalete (745), theii* leader Thuwaba becoming Emir. On his death war between rival tribes lasted some six

Emir

years longer.

According to the oldest Arab and Christian chroniclers Asturias was the only part where the Visigoths prolonged their resistance. Some nobles of the south and centre of Spain had taken refuge there with the remnants of their defeated armies. The death of Roderick at jregoyuela’ led them to elect Pelavo as their king, who took up Roderick’s task of th»e in the heroic resistance. I’elavo retired to the Picos de Europa valley of Covadonga the Visigoths defeated (718) an expedition led

'

CII.

XVI.

See Vol.

II.

p.

180,

and

cf.

Vol.

ii.

p.

S7--

•