Labib al-Fata al-Saqlabi () (or Labib of Tortosa) was the founder and first ruler of the Taifa of Tortosa from around to . He was a

Saqaliba Saqaliba ( ar, صقالبة, ṣaqāliba, singular ar, صقلبي, ṣaqlabī) is a term used in medieval Arabic sources to refer to Slavs and other peoples of Central, Southern, and Eastern Europe, or in a broad sense to European slaves. Th ...

, usually Slavic children that were captured, castrated, sold as slaves in Spain, and educated in the Islamic culture and religion. It is possible that Labib left Cordoba after

Hisham II Hisham II or Abu'l-Walid Hisham II al-Mu'ayyad bi-llah (, Abū'l-Walīd Hishām al-Muʾayyad bi-ʾllāh) (son of Al-Hakam II and Subh of Cordoba) was the third Umayyad Caliph of Spain, in Al-Andalus from 976 to 1009, and 1010–13. Reign In ...

was deposed in . Some time after this he took power in the city of

Tortosa Tortosa (; ) is the capital of the ''comarca'' of Baix Ebre, in Catalonia, Spain. Tortosa is located at above sea level, by the Ebro river, protected on its northern side by the mountains of the Cardó Massif, of which Buinaca, one of the h ...

, but was deposed when the city was briefly taken over by the Mundhir I of the

Taifa of Zaragoza The taifa of Zaragoza () was an independent Arab Muslim state in the east of Al-Andalus (present day Spain), which was established in 1018 as one of the taifa kingdoms, with its capital in Saraqusta (Zaragoza) city. Zaragoza's taifa emerged ...

. However, due to aid from the Mubarak and Muzaffar of Taifa of Valencia he was able to regain his throne. During this time, the poet Ibn Darrach al-Qastalli dedicated a composition to him. He supported the proclamation of Abd al-Rahman IV as caliph of Cordoba in , but they and their caliph were defeated in the vicinity of Granada by Zawi ibn Ziri. Shortly after this Mubarak and Muzaffar died (possibly due to a rebellion instigated by Labib), and Labib became the ruler of the

Taifa of Valencia The Taifa of Valencia () was a medieval Moorish taifa kingdom which existed, in and around Valencia, Spain during four distinct periods: from 1010 to 1065, from 1075 to 1099, from 1145 to 1147 and last from 1229 to 1238 when it was finally co ...

. In he became co-ruler of the Taifa of Valencia alongside

Mujāhid al-ʿĀmirī Abu ʾl-Jaysh Mujāhid ibn ʿAbd Allāh al-ʿĀmirī, surnamed ''al-Muwaffaḳ'' (died AD 1044/5 Anno_Hegirae.html" ;"title="small> AH 436, was the Taifa of Dénia">ruler of Dénia and the Balearic Islands from late 1014 (early AH 405) until h ...

. This arrangement only lasted until , when Labib was forced to leave Valencia and return to Tortosa. Soon after this Mujahid was replaced by Abd al-Aziz ibn Ámir as the ruler of The Taifa of Valencia. In , Labib declared allegiance to

(who was most likely dead after the Berbers sacking Cordoba in 1013) as a symbol of his legitimacy, after the ruler of the

Taifa of Seville The Taifa of Seville ( ''Ta'ifat-u Ishbiliyyah'') was an Arab kingdom which was ruled by the Abbadid dynasty. It was established in 1023 and lasted until 1091, in what is today southern Spain and Portugal. It gained independence from the Caliph ...

Abu al-Qasim Muhammad ibn Abbad Abu al-Qasim Muhammad ibn Abbad (or Abbad I; 984 – 25 January 1042) () was the eponymous founder of the Abbadid dynasty; he was the first independent Muslim ruler of Seville in Al-Andalus (ruled 1023–1042), dying in 1042. The qadi (re ...

claimed he had reappeared. It is possible that he died in Tortosa in , but it is uncertain whether he was deposed or named a successor, since the only evidence found has been that after this date coinage was issued by his successor, Muqatil Sayf al-Milla.

External links

* Spanish Royal Academy of History biography page o
Labib al-Fata al-Saqlabi

References

Taifa of Valencia Taifa of Tortosa 11th-century rulers in Al-Andalus Slavs of the medieval Islamic world {{Al-Andalus-royal-stub