Battle of Covadonga facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of Covadonga |
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| Part of the Reconquista | |||||||
 Map of the Umayyad invasion, showing Covadonga |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
| Kingdom of Asturias | Umayyad Caliphate | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Pelagius of Asturias | Munuza Alqama † |
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| Strength | |||||||
| 300 | Unknown | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| Unknown | |||||||
The Battle of Covadonga was an important fight that happened around 718 or 722. It was between the army led by Pelagius, a Visigoth leader, and the army of the Umayyad Caliphate. The battle took place near Covadonga in the Picos de Europa mountains in what is now Spain. Pelagius's forces won this battle.
Many people see this battle as the start of the Kingdom of Asturias. It is also seen as the beginning of the Reconquista, which means "reconquest" in Spanish. This was when Christian kingdoms in Spain began to fight back after the Umayyad conquest in 711.
Contents
How the Battle Started
Pelagius Becomes a Leader
According to old writings from the late 800s, the Visigoths chose a nobleman named Pelagius as their leader around 718. Pelagius (born around 685, died 737) was the first king of the Kingdom of Asturias. His father, Favila, was an important person in the court of the Visigoth King Egica.
Pelagius set up his main base in Cangas de Onís, Asturias. He then encouraged people to rise up against the Umayyad Muslims.
People Flee North
When the Muslim invasion of Spain began, many people from the south moved north. They wanted to avoid being under Islamic rule. Some of them found safety in the distant mountains of Asturias, in the northwest part of Spain.
There, Pelagius gathered his group of fighters. These were people who had lost their homes and lands in the south.
A New Group of Leaders
Historians say that the remaining Hispano-Gothic aristocracy (noble families) were still important in Spain. By the end of Visigothic rule, Hispano-Romans and Visigoths were becoming one people. Their nobles started to think of themselves as one group, called the gens Gothorum or Hispani.
Many of these nobles fled to Asturias or Septimania. In Asturias, they supported Pelagius's uprising. They joined with local leaders to form a new group of nobles. The people living in the mountain region were native Astures, Galicians, Cantabri, Basques, and other groups.
Pelagius Fights Back
Pelagius's first actions were to stop paying the jizya (a tax for non-Muslims) to the Muslims. He also attacked the small Umayyad military bases in the area. Eventually, he managed to force a governor named Munuza out of Asturias.
Pelagius held onto this land against several attempts by the Muslims to take it back. Soon, he started the Kingdom of Asturias. This kingdom became a Christian stronghold, stopping further Muslim expansion.
Why the Umayyads Attacked
For the first few years, Pelagius's rebellion was not a big problem for the new rulers of Spain. Their main power center was in Córdoba. So, they only reacted a little bit. Pelagius could not always keep the Muslims out of Asturias. But they could not defeat him either. As soon as the Moors (Muslims) left, Pelagius would take control again.
The Islamic forces were busy raiding Narbonne and Gaul (now France). They did not have enough soldiers to put down a small rebellion in the mountains. Pelagius never tried to force a big fight.
However, a big defeat for the Umayyads elsewhere likely led to the Battle of Covadonga. On July 9, 721, a Muslim army crossed the Pyrenees mountains and invaded Francia. They were defeated in the Battle of Toulouse (721). This was the first major setback for the Muslim campaign in southwestern Europe.
The Umayyad governor, Anbasa ibn Suhaym al-Kalbi, did not want to return to Córdoba with such bad news. So, he decided that stopping the rebellion in Asturias on his way home would be an easy win. He hoped it would make his troops feel better.
The Battle of Covadonga
Umayyad Forces Arrive
In 722, Umayyad commanders Alqama and Munuza led forces to Asturias. Some stories say that Bishop Oppas of Seville was with them. Folklore suggests that Oppas tried to get his fellow Christians to surrender, but he failed.
Alqama took control of much of the region. Pelagius and his small army went deep into the mountains of Asturias. They finally went into a narrow valley surrounded by mountains. This place was easy to defend because it was impossible to attack from many sides at once. Pelagius may have had as few as 300 men with him.
The Fight Begins
Alqama eventually reached Covadonga. He sent a messenger to try and convince Pelagius to give up. Pelagius refused. So, Alqama ordered his best soldiers into the valley to fight.
The Asturians shot arrows and threw stones from the mountain slopes. Then, at the most important moment, Pelagius himself led some of his soldiers out into the valley. They had been hiding in a cave, unseen by the Muslims.
Victory for Pelagius
Christian stories about the battle claim that many Muslims were killed. However, Umayyad accounts describe it as only a small fight. Alqama himself died in the battle, and his soldiers left the battlefield.
After Pelagius's victory, the people from the conquered villages of Asturias came out with their weapons. They killed hundreds of Alqama's retreating soldiers. Munuza heard about the defeat. He gathered another army, made up of the remaining survivors from Covadonga.
Later, Munuza faced Pelagius and his now much larger army near the town of Proaza. Pelagius won again, and Munuza was killed in the fighting. The battle is remembered at the shrine of Our Lady of Covadonga.
See also
In Spanish: Batalla de Covadonga para niños
