Fall of the Caliphate of Cordoba

This book is a discussion of the complex events which surround the breakup of the Muslim Caliphate of Cordoba in the early eleventh century. The focus of the study concerns quite a short period of time: 1009-1031 A.D., although a wide-ranging investigation of the political structure of Muslim Spain is embarked on.A thorough narrative of the events is followed by separate discussions of some of the main groups involved in the civil wars, the Marwanids (the supporters of a legitimately-appointed Umayyad representative), the saqaliba (Slavs), the Berbers and the Christians of northern Spain.This book is able to fill the gap in our knowledge of this hitherto little-understood period of Spanish history and tackles important questions, such as the attitude towards the Berbers, tribal solidarity and the importance of land-reforms during the 10th century