Al-Hurr ibn Abd al-Rahman al-Thaqafi facts for kids

Al-Hurr ibn Abd al-Rahman al-Thaqafi (Arabic: الحر بن عبد الرحمن الثقفي) was an early Umayyad governor. He ruled the Muslim province of Al-Andalus (which is now Spain and Portugal) from 716 to 718. He was the third leader after Musa bin Nusair, who led the conquest of Visigothic Hispania in 711. Al-Hurr was the first Muslim commander to cross the Pyrenees mountains in 717. He led small groups into a region called Septimania (part of modern-day France). His trips were not very successful, and because of this, he was removed from his position in 718.

How Al-Andalus Began

In 711, an army from the Umayyad empire, led by Tariq bin Ziyad, came to the Iberian peninsula. This was ordered by the North African governor Musa bin Nusair. Their actions led to the conquest of the area. After the conquest, Musa left his son, 'Abd al-'Aziz, in charge. Musa then traveled to Damascus to meet the Caliph al-Walid I. During this visit, Musa lost the Caliph's favor. 'Abd al-'Aziz remained in charge of the newly conquered lands, which were then called "Al-Andalus."

Al-Hurr's Time as Governor

After 'Abd al-'Aziz was killed in 716, and his cousin Ayyub ibn Habib al-Lakhmi ruled for six months, Al-Hurr ibn 'Abd al-Rahman al-Thaqafi became the new governor. Soon after, he moved the main government city of Al-Andalus from Seville to Córdoba.

Al-Hurr worked hard to stop Christian groups who were still fighting against the new rule. He was quite successful in bringing peace to almost all of Visigothic Hispania. Only the mountain areas of the Basque region, most of the Pyrenees, and the Duchy of Cantabria in the north remained mostly untouched. Some historians believe the small Battle of Covadonga happened at the end of his time in office, around 718. This battle was important for the start of the Reconquista, a long period when Christian kingdoms slowly took back control of the Iberian Peninsula.

Setting Up the Government

During Al-Hurr's rule, coins were made with both Arabic and Latin writing on them. He also started to build the future Umayyad government system. He sent Umayyad officials to towns. He created rules for how land was managed and how taxes were collected on it. He also made sure that property was given back to Christian owners if it was taken unfairly. He even punished soldiers from the Berber group for stealing and hiding goods they had taken. This important work of setting up a civil government was continued by the next governor, Al-Samh ibn Malik al-Khawlani, and finished by another leader named Yahya ibn Salama al-Kalbi.

Crossing the Pyrenees

Al-Hurr also looked towards the people across the Pyrenees mountains, who were often called "Franks" in Arabic writings. Some sources say he was interested in the treasures in their churches. Others suggest he was chasing people who had fled there, or taking advantage of a civil war happening among the leaders of the Merovingian court in France.

No governor before Al-Hurr had tried to cross the Pyrenees. But in 717, he decided to try. He led a small group across the mountains into Septimania, which was still controlled by the Goths. This first trip was probably to explore the area. He tried several more raids, but none of them worked well. Because of these failures, the caliph removed Al-Hurr from his position. Al-Samh ibn Malik al-Khawlani was appointed as his replacement in 718. Al-Samh continued to lead expeditions into what is now France. He reached as far as the Rhône river, but he was killed in the Battle of Toulouse in 721.

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In Spanish: Al-Hurr ibn Abd al-Rahman al-Thaqafi para niños