Íñigo Íñiguez Arista (Arabic: ونّقه بن ونّقه, Wannaqo ibn Wannaqo, Basque: Eneko Enekones Aritza/Haritza/Aiza; c. 790 – 851 or 852) is considered the first King of Pamplona. He is thought to have risen to prominence after the defeat of local French partisans in 816, and his rule is usually dated from the defeat of a French army in 824. However, he is only first noticed by chroniclers as a rebel against the Emirate of Córdoba from 840 until his death a decade later. The nascent state that he passed on to his son García came to be known as the kingdom of Pamplona.
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His origin is obscure, but his patronymic indicates that he was the son of an Íñigo.[1] He is said by a later chronicler to have been count of Bigorre, or at least to have come from there, but there is no near-contemporary evidence of this.[2] It has been speculated that he was kinsman of García Jiménez, who in the late 8th century succeeded his father Jimeno 'the Strong' in resisting Carolingian expansion into Vasconia. He is also speculated to have been related to Pamplona dynasty that would supplant his, the Jiménez.[3]
His mother had also married Musa ibn Fortun ibn Qasi, by him having son Musa ibn Musa ibn Qasi, head of the Banu Qasi, Moslem ruler of Tudela, and one of the chief lords of Valley of the Ebro.[4] Due to this relationship, Íñigo and his kin frequently acted in alliance with Musa ibn Musa and this relationship allowed Íñigo to extend his influence over large territories in the Pyrenean valleys.
The family came to power through struggles over Frankish and Muslim influence in northern Iberia. In 799, pro-Frankish assassins murdered Mutarrif ibn Musa, governor of Pamplona, perhaps the brother of Musa ibn Musa ibn Qasi and of Íñigo himself. Ibn Hayyan reports that in 816, Abd al-Karim ibn Abd al-Wahid ibn Mugit launched a military campaign against the pro-Frankish "Enemy of God", Velasco the Gascon (Arabic: بلشك الجلشقي, Balašk al-Ŷalašqī), Sahib of Pamplona (Arabic: صاحب بنبلونة), who had united Christian and pagan factions. They fought a three-day battle in which the pro-Córdoba faction routed their enemies and killed Velasco, along with García López, kinsman of Alfonso II of Asturias, Sancho "warrior/knight of Pamplona", and pagan warrior "Ṣaltān". This defeat of the pro-Frankish force appears to have allowed the anti-French Íñigo to come to power. In 820, Íñigo is said to have intervened in the County of Aragon, ejecting a Frankish vassal, count Aznar I Galíndez, in favor of García el Malo (the Bad), who would become Íñigo's son-in-law. In 824, the Frankish counts Aeblus and Aznar Sánchez made an expedition against Pamplona, but were defeated in the third Battle of Roncesvalles. Traditionally, this battle is portrayed as resulting in the crowning of Íñigo as "King of Pamplona", but there is no direct evidence of this and he is referred to by Arabic chroniclers with the same title as given Velasco, "Lord of Pamplona". His realm would continually play Moslem and Christian against themselves and each other to maintain independence against the outside powers.
In 840 Íñigo's lands were attacked by Abd Allah ibn Kulayb, wali of Zaragoza, leading his half-brother, Musa ibn Musa into rebellion.[5] The next year, Íñigo fell victim to paralysis in battle against the Norse with Musa ibn Musa. His son García acted as regent, in concert with Íñigo's warrior brother Fortún Íñiguez (Arabic: فرتون بن ونّقه, Fortūn ibn Wannaqo), who was also half-brother of Musa. They joined Musa ibn Musa in an uprising against the Emirate of Córdoba. Abd-ar-Rahman II, emir of Córdoba, launched reprisal campaigns in the succeeding years. In an 843 battle, Fortún Íñiguez was killed, and Musa unhorsed and forced to escape on foot, while Íñigo and his son Galindo escaped with wounds and several nobleman, most notably Velasco Garcés, defected to Abd-ar-Rahman. The next year, Íñigo's own son, Galindo Íñiguez and Musa's son Lubb ibn Musa went over to Córdoba, and Musa was forced to submit. Following a brief campaign the next year, 845, a general peace was achieved.[6] In 850, Mūsā again rose in open rebellion, supported by Pamplona,[7] and envoys of Induo (thought to be Íñigo) and Mitio,[8] "Dukes of the Navarrese", were received at the French court. Íñigo died in the Muslim year 237 A.H., which is late 851 or early 852, and was succeeded by his son García Íñiguez.[9]
The name of the wife (or wives) of Íñigo is not reported in contemporary records, although sources from centuries later assign her the name of Toda or Oneca.[10] There is also scholarly debate regarding her derivation, some hypothesizing that she was daughter of Velasco, lord of Pamplona (killed 816), and others making her kinswoman of Aznar I Galíndez.[11] He was father of the following known children:[12]
The dynasty founded by Íñigo reigned for about 80 years, being supplanted by a rival dynasty in 905. However, due to intermarriages, subsequent kings of Navarre descend from Íñigo.
| New title | King of Pamplona 824–851/2 |
Succeeded by García Íñiguez |