Battle of Teba facts for kids

Quick facts for kids

Battle of Teba

15th century depiction of Battle of Teba

Date	August, 1330
Location	Teba, Andalusia
Result	Castilian victory

Belligerents

Castile and allies

Emirate of Granada

Commanders and leaders

Alfonso XI of Castile
Pedro Fernández de Castro

Sir James, Lord of Douglas †

Uthman ibn Abi al-Ula

The Battle of Teba happened in August 1330. It took place in a valley near the fortress of Teba. This area is now a town in southern Spain. The battle was part of a longer fight between Alfonso XI of Castile and Muhammed IV, Sultan of Granada. This conflict lasted from 1327 to 1333.

What Caused the Battle of Teba?
Who Was Sir James Douglas?
The March to Teba
The Siege of Teba
The Battle of Teba
What Happened After the Battle?
Images for kids
See also

What Caused the Battle of Teba?

In 1325, King Alfonso XI of Castile decided to go to war. He wanted to fight against the Emirate of Granada. This was a Muslim kingdom in southern Spain. Alfonso asked other Christian kings to join him in a new holy war, called a crusade.

While waiting for help, Alfonso started his own attacks. In 1327, he captured several castles. These included Olvera, Pruna, and Torre Alháquime. In 1330, he planned a second attack. This time, his target was the castle of Teba. Teba was an important fort protecting the city of Malaga.

Alfonso set up his main camp in Cordoba. He called his knights and nobles to gather there. Five hundred knights also came from the King of Portugal. By the end of July, Alfonso was ready to march. He planned to move his army to Ecija, where they would set up an advance base.

Who Was Sir James Douglas?

In 1329, Robert the Bruce, the King of Scots, was dying. He asked his friend, Sir James Douglas, for one last favor. The King wanted Sir James to take his embalmed heart on a crusade. This would fulfill a promise Bruce could not keep himself.

Some stories say Bruce wanted his heart taken to the Holy Land. Others say he just wanted it carried into battle against "God's foes." The planned war in Spain seemed like a perfect chance for Sir James.

In the spring of 1330, Douglas left Berwick. He sailed to Sluys in Flanders. He had permission from the King of England and a letter for King Alfonso XI of Castile.

According to a writer named Jean le Bel, Douglas's group had about 27 men. This included knights and squires. Other Scottish writers mentioned knights like Sir William de Keith and Sir William de St. Clair.

Douglas stayed in Sluys for nearly two weeks. He wanted to tell people about his mission. He also hoped other knights would join him. When he heard that King Alfonso was still going to war, Douglas sailed for Spain. After a difficult journey, they arrived in Seville in late June.

The March to Teba

Sir James Douglas met with King Alfonso XI. The King offered Douglas many gifts, like horses and armor. But Sir James politely refused. He said he and his men wanted to serve the king as humble pilgrims. They sought forgiveness for their sins.

Alfonso accepted their help. He gave Douglas experienced soldiers as advisors. These soldiers knew how to fight on the Spanish frontier. While the Scots rested, many other foreign knights came to meet Douglas. Even some Englishmen, who had been his enemies, wanted to see him.

Alfonso then prepared his army to march south. Some say Douglas led the first part of the army. It's more likely he was in charge of all the foreign knights.

The Christian army marched to Ecija, then to Osuna. Once they crossed the border, Alfonso continued south. He reached the meadows of Almargen, near Teba. From there, he set up camp and began to surround the fortress.

While Alfonso waited for his siege engines, a relief force gathered in Malaga. This force was led by Uthman ibn Abi al-Ula. He was a Berber noble fighting for Granada. Uthman set off with 6,000 cavalry and many foot soldiers. He planned to help Teba. Uthman's force camped about ten miles south of Teba.

The Siege of Teba

The Christian army faced a problem: getting water. They had to take their animals two miles south to the Río Guadalteba every day. Uthman saw this weakness. He sent small groups to attack the watering parties. Alfonso sent patrols to stop them. This led to many small fights.

It is possible that Sir James Douglas died in one of these skirmishes. A Spanish history book mentions a "foreign count" who died by his "own error" during a river fight. However, some believe Douglas died in a bigger battle later.

Alfonso had other issues. The 500 Portuguese knights left because their service time was up. Meanwhile, the siege engines arrived at Teba. The Christians began trying to break down the castle walls. One night, the Teba defenders attacked the siege lines. They set a siege tower on fire before retreating.

Uthman also faced difficulties. He realized he couldn't beat the Christians in a direct battle. So, he came up with a trick to make Alfonso leave the siege.

The Battle of Teba

Under the cover of darkness, 3,000 Moorish cavalry prepared to attack across the river. At the same time, Uthman took another 3,000 men upstream. His plan was to attack Alfonso's camp from the side.

At dawn, Uthman's river group took control of the watering grounds. But Alfonso had been warned by his scouts. He kept most of his army in camp. He sent Don Pedro Fernández de Castro with troops to stop the attack on the river. Some think Douglas and his men were part of this group.

Uthman thought his trick was working. He came out of the valley to attack the Christian camp from the west. But when he reached a high point, he saw Alfonso's camp ready for battle. He also saw his men on the river starting to retreat. Uthman quickly gave up his attack. He rode back to help his right side. But he only arrived in time to join the general retreat.

Memorial to Sir James Douglas in the town of Teba

The Moors on the river could not, or would not, fight the Christian counter-attack. When Alfonso saw Uthman retreat, he sent more men to join the fight. The Granadan retreat quickly turned into a full rout.

John Barbour, a Scottish poet, wrote about Douglas's last battle. He described a similar rout. Douglas and his men chased the fleeing enemy closely. However, Barbour's story does not mention the siege of Teba. He says the Christian army was fighting an invasion from Morocco.

According to Barbour, Sir James rode too far ahead. He had only about ten followers with him. He tried to turn back to his main army, but it was too late. The fast Moorish cavalry saw their chance. They turned around and attacked. In the fight, Douglas saw Sir William St.Clair surrounded. Douglas rode to rescue him with his few knights. But all of them were killed. This included Sir William St.Clair and the brothers Sir Robert and Sir Walter Logan.

Spanish historical records do not mention any Moorish counter-attacks during the chase.

What Happened After the Battle?

The Castilian forces chased the Moorish army back to their camp. The Christians could have won an even bigger victory. But they stopped to loot the enemy tents and supplies.

Uthman did not try to lift the siege again. Soon after, the defenders of Teba surrendered. The old Berber general died a few weeks later.

Barbour's story says that Douglas's body was found after the battle. The small box holding Robert the Bruce's heart was also recovered. Douglas's bones and the casket were taken back to Scotland. His bones were buried at St Bride's Kirk.

The Battle of Teba was not a final victory for the Christians. Teba stayed in Castilian hands. But the valleys around it remained battlegrounds for another 150 years.

After Alfonso XI's victories, the Marinid sultan of Morocco, Abu Hasan, sent help to Muhammad IV. They wanted to control the Straits of Gibraltar again. Gibraltar was taken back from the Christians in 1333. But Abu Hasan's attempt to retake Tarifa in 1340 led to a big defeat. This happened at the Battle of Rio Salado. This battle was the last time North African powers helped defend Muslim Granada.