Sulayman ibn al-Hakam or Sulayman al-Musta'in bi-llah (; died 1016) was the fifth

Caliph of Córdoba A caliphate ( ) is an institution or public office under the leadership of an Islamic steward with Khalifa, the title of caliph (; , ), a person considered a political–religious successor to the Islamic prophet Muhammad and a leader of ...

, ruling from 1009 to 1010, and from 1013 to 1016 in

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. In 1009, after Muhammad II ibn Hisham had led a revolt against caliph Hisham II al-Hakam and imprisoned him, taking advantage of the fact that the kingdom's strongman, Abd al-Rahman Sanchuelo, was fighting in León against the Christian king Alfonso V, Sulayman took command of an army of Berbers who had abandoned Muhammad; by an alliance with count Sancho García of Castile, he was able to defeat Muhammad on November 1, 1009, in the battle of Alcolea. While Muhammad took refuge in Toledo, Sulayman entered Córdoba, which he allowed to be sacked by Berbers and Castillans; he freed and recognized caliph Hisham II, only to depose him after a few days. He was thus elected caliph by his Berber troops, assuming the title (

laqab Arabic names have historically been based on a long naming system. Many people from Arabic-speaking and also non-Arab Muslim countries have not had given name, given, middle name, middle, and family names but rather a chain of names. This system ...

) of al-Musta'in bi-llah ("He Who Seeks for God's Help"). Sulayman was however unable to conquer Toledo. In May 1010 Muhammad, who had reorganized his troops of "slave" mercenaries from all over Europe and had allied with Count Ramon Borrell of

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, defeated Sulayman and conquered Córdoba, which was plundered by the Spaniards. Muhammad was made again caliph, but his mercenaries assassinated him in July and restored Hisham II. After he had withdrawn to

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, Sulayman managed to reconquer Cordoba in 1013 with Berber help and depose Hisham II. His policy of concessions to Berbers, Arab and "slave" troops and leaders, effectively reduced the caliphate's authority to only Córdoba. In the meantime the

Zirids The Zirid dynasty (), Banu Ziri (), was a Sanhaja Berber dynasty from what is now Algeria which ruled the central Maghreb from 972 to 1014 and Ifriqiya (eastern Maghreb) from 972 to 1148. Descendants of Ziri ibn Manad, a military leader of th ...

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formed an independent dynasty. In 1016 Córdoba was attacked by a large Berber army under the Hammudid governor of

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, Ali ibn Hammud al-Nasir, who conquered it on 1 July 1016. Sulayman was imprisoned and, shortly afterwards, beheaded.

Sources

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Sulayman Ibn Al-Hakam 10th-century births 11th-century Arab people 1016 deaths Umayyad caliphs of Córdoba 11th-century caliphs of Córdoba Executed Spanish people