| abstract | - The Emirate of Cordoba was engulfed in conflict as Al-Hakam I fought against the pretensions of his uncles Sulaymán and Abd-Al·lah ibn Abd-ar-Rahman who had rebelled against the Cordoban establishment with the death of Hisham I of Córdoba. The disorder in the Emirate was exploited by the Franks who in 798, convened an assembly under William of Gellone for the purpose of assisting Alfonso II of Asturias and Bahlul Ibn Marzuq against the Cordoban Emirate. Their goal was to coordinate operations to take Al-Tagr al-Ala (Marca Superior) in the name of Louis the Pious. However, for some reason that didn´t happen, and the Kingdom of Asturias launched attacks upon Lisbon in 797, Velasco took over Pamplona in 798, but William of Orange and Louis the Pious launched an expedition to conquer Barcelona later in 801. The Arabs, commanded by Muawiya ibn al-Hàkam, son of Emir Al-Hakam I, attacked Álava and the Kingdom of Castile in 801, crossing the River Ebro and the pass of las Conchas. They were surprised by Velasco, a Basque commander in control of troops from all over the Christian kingdoms, possible sent by Sancho I of Gascony. The surprise Christian attack occurred at La Puebla de Arganzón and resulted in a complete rout of the Muslim forces under Muawiya ibn al-Hàkam who was obliged to return to Cordoba (Qurtuba) after most of his best commanders and a large part of his army were wiped out. In 803, Basque troops and members of the Banu Qasi attacked and took control of Tutila, capturing Yusuf ibn Amrús, although the city and its municipality were later retaken for Cordoba by Amrús ibn Yússuf. By 806, Pamplona and the western Basque territories fell again in the hands of a Frankish vassal, Velasco (or Belasko, "Balask al-Yalasqi"), who had rebelled against the Cordoban wali in the Basque stronghold (798). He was Charlemagne's man in the Basque territories extending up to the boundaries of Alfonso II's realm. Meanwhile, in 812 Seguin was appointed dux Wasconum in Bordeaux, but soon after the spread of news of Charlemagne's death, the Basques stirred.
|
