Sulayman al-Arabi

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Sulayman al-Arabi was Wali of Barcelona and Girona in the year 777.

Threatened by Abd ar-Rahman I, the Umayyad emir of Córdoba. He sent a delegation to Charlemagne in Paderborn, offering his submission, together with the allegiance of Husayn of Zaragoza and Abu Taur of Huesca in return for military aid. As a result Charlemagne marched across the Pyrenees toward Zaragoza in 778, joined by troops led by Sulayman.

Husayn of Zaragoza, however, refused to surrender the city, claiming that he had never promised Charlemagne his allegiance. After a month of siege Charlemagne decided to return to his kingdom, taking some hostages from his Muslims allies including Sulayman.

On his retreat, Charlemagne suffered an attack from the Basques in central Navarra. As a reprisal he attacked Pamplona conquering it. However on his retreat north his baggage train was ambushed at Roncesvalles August 15, 778. The children of Sulayman, Aysun al-Arabi and Matruh al-Arabi collaborated with the Basques in the assault which resulted in the release of their father.

Sulayman returned to Zaragoza where in 780 Sulayman was killed by his former friend and ally Husayn of Zaragoza.