- Aftasid dynasty
The Aftasids (from the Arabic "Banu-l'Aftas" or "Banu al-Aftas") were a Arabized Berber
Miknasa dynasty inBadajoz (1022 -1094 ) in theAl Andalus (Moorish Iberia).When the
Caliphate of Cordoba broke up into theTaifa kingdoms, the Berber mercenaryAbdallah ibn Muhammad ibn Maslamah ibn al-Aftas (1022 -1045 ) took control of Badajoz, by death ofSabur al-Khatib (a Slavic serf, previously serving at the court ofCaliph al-Hakam II , that had proclaimed himself Lord of Badajoz in 1009, and that Ibn al-Aftas served). Ibn al-Aftas added to his name the Laqab "al-Mansur Billah", "Victorious by Grace of God", and ruled over and extensive part of theAl Garb Al Andalus , from theDouro river to the south ofTagus river. Ibn al-Aftas died in 1045.Under Ibn al-Aftas' successors,
Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Abdallah al-Muzzaffar (1045 -1065 ) and his two sons'Umar ibn Muhammad al-Mutawakkil (1065 -1094 inÉvora ) andYahya ibn Muhammad al-Mansur (1065 -1072 in Badajoz), the Taifa of Badajoz not only controlled large expanses of westernSpain andPortugal , but was also a major centre ofIslamic culture, which was fostered by the Aftasid rulers. In1055 however Badajoz came under the suzerainty of theKingdom of León -Castile and was forced to pay tribute, losing significant parts of its territory, south of theMondego river (south ofCoimbra ). TheAbbadids ofSeville conquered parts of their territory. In1094 the kingdom was annexed by theAlmoravids and Badajoz was taken at the end of1095 by the Almoravid general Abu Bakr, with the connivance of the inhabitants who were fed up of the fiscal exactions of their emir, Umar ibn Muhammad al-Mutawakkil.Al-Mutawakkil and two of his sons Al-Fadl and S'ad, were taken prisoner and sent to
Seville , but were executed before their arrival. Another son of Al-Mutawakkil, Al-Mansur, escaped, fortified himself for some time in the castle of Montanchez, in the modern province ofCacares , and finally together with his followers, migrated into the dominions of Alfonso VI, where he abandonedIslam forChristianity .References
*Mohamed Taher, "Encyclopaedic Survey of Islamic Culture ", Anmol Publications PVT. LTD. (1998), ISBN 8126104031.
ee also
*
Emirate of Badajoz
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