Muhammad I of Córdoba

Silver dirham coined during the reign of Muhammad.

Muhammad I (Arabic: محمد بن عبد الرحمن الأوسط‎) (823–886) was the Umayyad emir of Córdoba from 852 to 886 in the Al-Andalus (Moorish Iberia).

Biography

Muhammad was born in Córdoba. His reign was marked by several revolts and separatists movements of the Muladi (Muslims of ethnic Iberian origin) and Mozarabs (Christians living in the Muslim controlled areas).

The Banu Qasi Muladi family, led by Musa ibn Musa, allied with the Arista family of the Kingdom of Navarre, and rebelled, proclaiming himself "third king of Spain" (after Muhammad and Ordoño I of Asturias). The rebel Umayyad officer Ibn Marwan returned to Mérida and also rebelled against the emir who, unable to quench the revolt, allowed him to found a free city (Badajoz, in what is now the Spanish region of Extremadura) in 875. Finally, Toledo rebelled with the support of Ordoño I, but was defeated in the battle of Guazalete.

In 880 Umar ibn Hafsun, a man of probable Visigothic origin, started also a revolt which was finally suppressed only in 928, under Abd ar-Rahman III ibn Muhammad.

Muhammad I died in 886, being succeeded by his son al-Mundhir ibn Muhammad I.

Sources

• Altamira, Rafael (1999). "Il califfato occidentale". Storia del mondo medievale II. pp. 477–515.