Siege of Santarém (1184) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Siege of Santarém |
|||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Portuguese Reconquista | |||||||
|
|||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Kingdom of Portugal Kingdom of León |
 Almohad Caliphate |
||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Afonso I of Portugal Ferdinand II of León |
Abu Yaqub Yusuf † | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| unknown | unknown | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| unknown | unknown | ||||||
The Siege of Santarém was an important battle that happened in 1184. It lasted from June to July of that year. This battle was part of a bigger conflict called the Reconquista. The Reconquista was a long period when Christian kingdoms in the Iberian Peninsula tried to take back land from Muslim rulers.
In the spring of 1184, a powerful leader named Abu Yaqub Yusuf gathered a large army. He was the leader of the Almohad Caliphate, a Muslim empire. His army crossed the Strait of Gibraltar and marched towards Seville. From there, they moved to Badajoz and then headed west. Their goal was to attack and capture the city of Santarém, Portugal.
Santarém was defended by Afonso I of Portugal, who was the first King of Portugal. When Ferdinand II of León, the King of León, heard about the attack, he quickly brought his troops to Santarém. He came to help his father-in-law, King Afonso I.
The Death of Abu Yusuf
Abu Yusuf believed he had enough soldiers to keep attacking Santarém. So, he sent part of his army to march to Lisbon and start another attack there. But his orders were misunderstood. When his soldiers saw many groups of men leaving the battle, they became confused. They thought their own army was retreating, so they started to pull back too.
Abu Yusuf tried to get his troops to fight again. During this effort, he was hit by a crossbow bolt. He died from his wound on July 29, 1184. His death was a major turning point in the siege.
A Great Victory for Portugal
The victory at Santarém was a huge success for King Afonso I of Portugal. It showed his strength and the growing power of his new kingdom. Because of this important win, Pope Alexander III officially recognized Afonso I as the King of Portugal. This was a very important moment for Portugal as a new country.
See also
In Spanish: Sitio de Santarém para niños
