‘Abd al-Raḥmān ibn Marwān al-Jillīqī (, died ''),'' also known as simply al-Jillīqī (), was a Muwallad whose family had come from what is now northern

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...

and settled near Mérida. In 868, leading a host of Muwallads and

Mozarab The Mozarabs (from ), or more precisely Andalusi Christians, were the Christians of al-Andalus, or the territories of Iberia under Muslim rule from 711 to 1492. Following the Umayyad conquest of the Visigothic Kingdom in Hispania, the Christian ...

s, he rebelled against

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and after a heroic resistance he received honourable surrendering terms from the Emir and was granted what would become the town of

Badajoz Badajoz is the capital of the Province of Badajoz in the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Extremadura, Spain. It is situated close to the Portugal, Portuguese Portugal–Spain border, border, on the left bank of the river ...

, which he started to fortify. Anticipating an incoming attack by the Emirate forces, he fled northwards, settling in the castle of ''Karkar'' (now Carquere, near

Lamego Lamego (; ) is a city and municipality in the Viseu District, in the Norte Region, Portugal, Norte Region of the Douro Subregion, Douro in northern Portugal. Located on the shores of the Balsemão River, the municipality has a population of 26,691 ...

, Portugal). Afterwards, at Ibn Marwân's request, King

Alfonso III of León Alfonso III (20 December 910), called the Great (), was king of Asturias from 866 until his death. He was the son and successor of Ordoño I. After his death, the Kingdom of Asturias was split between his sons, with García inheriting León, ...

sent him auxiliary troops and the combined army defeated the Emirate forces. Returning to Badajoz, now a well-fortified city, he established his rule throughout the whole of the Gharb al-Andalus. Together with his ally Sāʿḍūn al-Ṣurunbāqī, the other important Muwallad rebel leader in Gharb al-Andalus, Ibn Marwân expelled the Banu Dānis from

Coimbra Coimbra (, also , , or ), officially the City of Coimbra (), is a city and a concelho, municipality in Portugal. The population of the municipality at the 2021 census was 140,796, in an area of . The fourth-largest agglomerated urban area in Po ...

. Between 876 and 877 he also erected the Castle of Marvão, in Portugal, a place already known in the 10th century as '' Amaia de Ibn Maruán'' or ''Fortaleza de Amaia''. His dynasty lasted until 930.

References

*Velozo, Francisco José (1969), ''Um Muçulmano Precursor da Independência Portuguesa: Bem Marvão, o Galego'' in ''O Islão'', n.º 5, Agosto. *Campos, José A. Correia de, ''Monumentos da antiguidade árabe em Portugal'', pp. 111–112. 880s deaths People from the Emirate of Córdoba Rebels of the medieval Islamic world People from Galicia (Spain) 9th-century people from al-Andalus Year of birth unknown Al-Andalus military personnel Muwallads {{Al-Andalus-bio-stub