Muhammad II of Córdoba in the context of Sulayman ibn al-Hakam

⭐ Core Definition: Muhammad II of Córdoba

Muhammad II al-Mahdi (Arabic: محمد المهدي بالله, romanized: Muḥammad al-Mahdī bi-ʾllāh) was the fourth Caliph of Córdoba of the Umayyad dynasty in Al-Andalus (Moorish Iberia).

In early 1009, Muhammad II, an Umayyad prince and pretender to the throne of Córdoba, rose to power, led a rebellion against the existing Caliph, ultimately deposing and imprisoning Hisham II. Muhammad II then took the throne for himself but oppressed, slaughtered, and ultimately expelled many resident Berbers from the city. Great numbers of alienated Berbers traveled north to Calatrava where they regrouped, created a fighting force and selected Sulayman ibn al-Hakam as their candidate for caliph.

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Muhammad II of Córdoba in the context of Fitna of al-Andalus

The Fitna of al-Andalus (Arabic: فتنة الأندلس, romanized: Fitnat al-Andalus) (1009–1031), sometimes referred to as the second fitna of al-Andalus, was a civil war in the Caliphate of Córdoba. It began in the year 1009 with a coup d'état which led to the assassination of Abd al-Rahman Sanchuelo, the son of Almanzor, the deposition of the Caliph Hisham II al-Hakam, and the rise to power of Muhammad II of Córdoba, great-grandson of Abd al-Rahman III. The conflict would eventually divide all of Al-Andalus into a series of Taifa Kingdoms. The Fitna finally ended with the definitive abolition of the Caliphate of Córdoba in 1031, although various successor kingdoms would continue to claim the Caliphate for themselves. The added pressures of financial collapse were present due to the large tax burden placed on the populace to finance the continuous war.

View the full Wikipedia page for Fitna of al-Andalus

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