Tariq ibn Ziyad

Tariq ibn Ziyad

Tariq ibn Ziyad lived around the years 670 to 720. He was an important leader from the Umayyad period.

He is best known for leading soldiers across the Strait of Gibraltar from North Africa into what we now call Spain and Portugal. This happened between the years 711 and 718.

Tariq and his army fought against the rulers of the area, called the Visigoths. Before crossing, he gathered his troops at a place now known as the Rock of Gibraltar. This spot got its name from him. In Arabic it was called "Jabal Ṭāriq," meaning "mountain of Tariq." In Spanish, this became "Gibraltar." His actions started big changes in the history of the area.

Origins

Historians from long ago tell different stories about where Tariq ibn Ziyad was from. Most believe he was a Berber and worked under Musa ibn Nusayr, the leader of Ifriqiya in North Africa. Some say he was from a Berber tribe in what is now Algeria. He is thought to have lived in Wadi Tafna in what is today Tlemcen before he became the governor of Tangier.

History

After Roderic became the leader in Spain, a nobleman named Julian, Count of Ceuta helped Ṭāriq cross the sea to Spain. On April 26, 711, Ṭāriq and his army landed near a mountain that was later named after him, Gibraltar.

Ṭāriq led about 7,000 soldiers, including both Berber and Arab troops. They fought against the army of Roderic and won a big battle on July 19 at the Battle of Guadalete. After this victory, Ṭāriq’s army went on to capture many places such as Córdoba, Granada, and Toledo. He continued moving north and reached Guadalajara and Astorga.

Speech

Main article: Khutba of Tariq Ibn Ziyad

Long ago, people wrote about a speech that Tariq ibn Ziyad may have given to his soldiers before a big battle named the Battle of Guadalete. They thought his words helped encourage the soldiers.

Legends and cultural references

Ṭāriq is part of a story from the One Thousand and One Nights. In this story, he defeated the ruler of a city named Labtayt, which might have been Toledo. This happened because a prediction had said it would.