Abd al-Rahman ibn Abd Allah al-Ghafiqi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Abd al-Rahman al-Ghafiqi
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Abd al-Rahman al-Ghafiqi as depicted in Charles de Steuben's Bataille de Poitiers en Octobre 732.
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| Birth name | possibly Imran |
| Born | Tihamah, Arabia, Umayyad Caliphate |
| Died | 10 October 732 Vouneuil-sur-Vienne, Poitiers, Francia |
| Allegiance | Umayyad Caliphate |
| Years of service | 722–732 |
| Battles/wars | Battle of Toulouse (721) Battle of the River Garonne Battle of Tours |
Abd al-Rahman ibn Abd Allah Al-Ghafiqi (Arabic: عبدالرحمن بن عبداللّه الغافقي, romanized: ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn ʿAbd Allāh al-Ghāfiqī; died 732) was an Arab Muslim commander. He led the Muslim forces from Al-Andalus (modern-day Spain and Portugal). He is famous for leading his army against Charles Martel in the important Battle of Tours in 732 AD.
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Early Life and Travels
Abd al-Rahman came from the Ghafiq tribe in Tihamah, a region in Arabia. He later moved to Ifriqiya, which is now Tunisia. From there, he traveled across the Maghreb region. This area includes modern-day Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, and Mauritania.
During his travels, he met Musa ibn Nusayr and his son Abd al-Aziz ibn Musa. These men were important governors of al-Andalus. This is how Abd al-Rahman began his career in the Umayyad Caliphate's military.
The Battle of Toulouse
Abd al-Rahman took part in the Battle of Toulouse in 721 AD. In this battle, the Muslim forces were led by Al-Samh ibn Malik al-Khawlani. However, they suffered a big defeat against the army of Duke Odo of Aquitaine.
Al Samh ibn Malik was killed during this battle. After the loss, Abd al-Rahman and other commanders fled south. He then took charge of the eastern part of Al-Andalus. He was briefly replaced by another commander, but later returned to a leadership role.
Stopping a Rebellion
In 730 AD, the Caliph Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik appointed Abd al-Rahman as the wali of Al-Andalus. A wali was like a governor or commander. People described him as smart, good at speaking, and a skilled leader.
He soon heard about a rebellion in Cerdanya. Uthman ibn Naissa, a local leader, had teamed up with Duke Odo of Aquitaine. They wanted to create an independent region for themselves. Abd al-Rahman quickly moved to stop this rebellion. He fought Uthman ibn Naissa's forces and defeated him in 731 AD.
Campaign into Gaul
After stopping the rebellion, Abd al-Rahman gathered a large army in Pamplona. He called for new soldiers from Yemen and the Levant. His goal was to cross the Pyrenees mountains into Gaul (modern-day France).
His army was mostly made up of Arab soldiers. They marched through Gascony and Aquitaine. One Arab writer described their advance as "a desolating storm." They attacked and captured the city of Bordeaux.
Battle of the River Garonne
Outside Bordeaux, Abd al-Rahman's army defeated Duke Odo of Aquitaine's forces. Then, they fought a second battle at the Battle of the River Garonne. Western historians wrote that "God alone knows the number of the slain," meaning many people died.
Unlike the Battle of Toulouse, where Odo had surprised the Muslim army, this time Odo's soldiers had to face the strong Muslim cavalry in an open fight. Odo's army was completely destroyed. The Muslim cavalry was much stronger than the light infantry Odo had faced before.
The Battle of Tours-Poitiers
After his defeats, Duke Odo fled to Charles Martel for help. Charles Martel was a powerful Frankish leader. He was campaigning near the Danube River when he heard the news. Martel had a well-trained army of professional soldiers.
He quickly marched his army towards Aquitaine. His army included soldiers from Gaul and German areas, totaling about 30,000 men. The invading Muslim forces did not realize how strong Charles Martel's army was. They also underestimated Charles Martel himself. He was determined to stop the expansion of the Caliphate into Christian Europe.
This was a huge mistake for Abd al-Rahman's army. It led to their defeat in 732 AD near Poitiers, south of the Loire river.
Choosing the Battlefield
Charles Martel chose the battlefield carefully. He moved his army through mountains and avoided open roads. This way, he stayed hidden until he positioned his men on a high, wooded plain. Martel knew the hills and trees would make it hard for the Muslim cavalry to attack.
For seven days, the two armies had small fights and moved around. The Muslim forces called back all their raiding parties to be at full strength. Martel also received some extra soldiers. Most historians agree that Martel's army was still outnumbered.
The Battle Itself
Martel trained his men to fight in a large square formation. This was similar to the ancient Greek phalanx. It helped them stand strong against the Muslim heavy cavalry. The Franks held their defensive line all day. They pushed back many attacks from the Muslim cavalry.
According to some accounts, the Muslim soldiers had brought their families with them. Wives and other family members were among those killed. When a large group of Abd al-Rahman's soldiers realized their camp was being robbed, they left the battle to save their belongings.
This left Abd al-Rahman exposed to the Frankish infantry. He was killed in battle while trying to get his men back together.
Reasons for Defeat
One reason for the Muslim army's defeat was their focus on the war treasures. Another reason was arguments among the different groups and tribes within the army. After Abd al-Rahman's death, the remaining generals could not agree on who should lead them.
Political disagreements, rivalries between different groups, and personality clashes arose. The army was made up of many different nationalities and ethnicities. The surviving generals argued and could not choose a new commander for the next day. This inability to pick a leader definitely contributed to the army's retreat, even though it was still a dangerous force.
What Happened Next
Arab historians praise Abd al-Rahman as a fair and capable leader. They consider him the best governor of Al-Andalus. He did not take sides in the ethnic and tribal arguments that troubled Al-Andalus under other rulers. His importance as a leader was clear after his death at the Battle of Tours. Without him, the other commanders could not even agree on who should lead them back into battle. So, Abd al-Rahman's death had a huge impact on both Islamic and world history.
His son tried another invasion of Gaul in 736 AD, this time by sea. This naval invasion landed in Narbonne and moved inland. Charles Martel again attacked the Muslim strongholds in the region. In 736, he captured Montfrin and Avignon. He also took Arles and Aix-en-Provence with help from Liutprand, King of the Lombards.
Cities like Nîmes, Agde, and Béziers, which Muslims had held since 725, also fell to Charles Martel. Their fortresses and possibly the cities themselves were destroyed. He crushed one Muslim army at Arles as they came out of the city. He then took the city itself by direct attack and burned it down. This was to stop it from being used again as a base for Muslim expansion. He then quickly defeated a large army outside Narbonne at the River Berre. However, he did not have siege machines, so he could not capture Narbonne itself.
See also
In Spanish: Abd al-Rahman ibn Abd Allah al-Ghafiqi para niños
