Siege of Badajoz (1169)
Siege of Badajoz (1169) | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Part of the Portuguese Reconquista | |||||||
| |||||||
Belligerents | |||||||
Kingdom of Portugal | Almohad Caliphate Kingdom of León | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Afonso I of Portugal Gerald the Fearless | Umar ibn Temecelite Ferdinand II of León | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
Unknown | Unknown | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
Heavy | Unknown |
- v
- t
- e
- 8th century
- Covadonga
- 1st Roncevaux Pass
- Burbia River
- Orbieu River
- Lutos
- Las Babias
- Río Quirós
- Río Nalón
- Oviedo
- 9th century
- 1st Barcelona
- 1st Tortosa
- Pancorbo
- 2nd Roncevaux Pass
- Clavijo
- Albelda
- Guadalacete
- Monte Laturce
- Morcuera
- Polvoraria
- 1st Cellorigo
- 2nd Cellorigo
- 2nd Barcelona
- 10th century
- Day of Zamora
- Pallars and Ribagorza
- 1st San Esteban de Gormaz
- 2nd San Esteban de Gormaz
- Valdejunquera
- 1st Toledo
- Alhandic
- Simancas
- Estercuel
- Torrevicente
- Rueda
- 3rd Barcelona
- 11th century
- Cervera
- Calatañazor
- Torà
- Albesa
- Aqbat al-Bakr
- Graus
- Coimbra
- Barbastro
- Paterna
- Llantada
- Golpejera
- Cabra
- Piedra Pisada
- Morella
- 2nd Toledo
- 1st Zaragoza
- Sagrajas
- Tudela
- Tévar
- 3rd Toledo
- 1st Valencia
- Alcoraz
- Bairén
- Consuegra
- 4th Toledo
- 5th Toledo
- 12th century
- 2nd Valencia
- Mollerussa
- Uclés
- Norwegian raid
- 6th Toledo
- Talavera
- 1st Balearic Islands
- Candespina
- 1st Santarém
- 2nd Balearic Islands
- Martorell
- Coimbra
- 2nd Zaragoza
- Cutanda
- 1st Granada
- 3rd Valencia
- 1st Badajoz
- Fraga
- 1st Coria
- Ourique
- Oreja
- 2nd Coria
- 1st Lisbon
- 1st Montiel
- Albacete
- Almería
- Al-Ludjdj
- 2nd Santarém
- Sacavém
- 2nd Lisbon
- 2nd Tortosa
- 2nd Badajoz
- 3rd Santarém
- Alvor
- 1st Silves
- 2nd Silves
- Tomar
- Alarcos
- 13th century
- Al-Dāmūs
- Las Navas de Tolosa
- Alcácer do Sal
- 1st Jaén
- Peníscola
- Aragonese raid
- Majorca
- 2nd Jaén
- 1st Jerez
- Ares
- Burriana
- Córdoba
- El Puig
- 4th Valencia
- Algarve
- 1st Xàtiva
- 2nd Xàtiva
- Biar
- 3rd Jaén
- 2nd Seville
- Faro
- 2nd Jerez
- Mudéjar revolt
- 3rd Jerez
- 1st Murcia
- Écija
- Martos
- Montesa
- 1st Algeciras
- 2nd Algeciras
- Moclín
- Iznalloz
- 14th century
- 1st Gibraltar
- 3rd Algeciras
- Almería
- 2nd Gibraltar
- Vega de Granada
- Shepherds' Crusade
- Teba
- 3rd Gibraltar
- 4th Gibraltar
- Vega de Pagana
- Getares
- Río Salado
- Estepona
- 4th Algeciras
- 5th Gibraltar
- Linuesa
- Guadix
- 2nd Montiel
- 5th Algeciras
- 2nd Murcia
- 15th century
- Collejares
- Antequera
- 6th Gibraltar
- La Higueruela
- 7th Gibraltar
- Los Alporchones
- 8th Gibraltar
- 9th Gibraltar
- 2nd Granada campaign
- Lucena
- Málaga
- Post-Reconquista Rebellions
- 1st Alpujarras
- 2nd Alpujarras
- North Africa
The siege of Badajoz (1169) was a military engagement between the Portuguese, led by King Afonso I of Portugal, and the Almohad garrison of Badajoz, allied with the Kingdom of León. The Almohad inflicted a severe defeat on the Portuguese force.
Background
The Portuguese-Leonese rivalry started with the Battle of Valdevez, in which Portuguese forces defeated the Leonese army. The successor of king Alfonso VII of León and Castile, king Ferdinand II of León, refused to acknowledge the Portuguese kingdom, as he proclaimed his right over Portugal, which led to the establishment of a fortress to conduct raids against the Portuguese. King Afonso sent his son Sancho to destroy the fortress; however, Ferdinand successfully routed the Portuguese army in 1167.[1]
In 1168, Afonso began plans to fight with the Moors by invading the city of Badajoz alongside Gerald the Fearless. In 1161, King Afonso launched his first attempt to capture the city in order to take revenge for previous Almohad raids into Portugal's dominions; however, the Almohads repulsed the attempt.[2]
Siege
In April 1169, Gerald marched to Badajoz with his army and attacked the city. The city was surrounded by strong walls, and the population of the city deserted due to civil discord. The Badajoz garrison was led by Umar ibn Temecelite. Umar saw that he could not defend the town, so he retreated to the Kasbah of the city. Umar then dispatched messages to Seville for aid. Afonso followed Gerald and entered the city; he began besieging the Almohads in their citadel. Afonso set a deadline for the Almohads to surrender the castle, but Umar was confident that he would last longer.[3][4]
However, the help came from the Leonese instead of the Almohads, and Ferdinand II marched to Badajoz to relieve the town as they were allied with the Almohads. As Ferdinand got closer to Badajoz, he dispatched a messenger secretly to the Almohad garrison, informing them that help had come and ordering them to guide him to a place where the Leonese troops could enter. Umar sent a group of his men to a section of the walls where the Portuguese were unaware; the Almohads climbed up the walls of that section and secretly began opening one of the gates of the city, allowing the Leonese to enter.[5][6]
Seeing this dangerous situation, Afonso abandoned the citadel and marched to meet the Leonese. The Almohads made a sortie against the Portuguese, attacking them from behind. The fighting was fierce, and both sides fought bravely until the Almohad-Leonese force decimated the Portuguese. Surprised by this tumult, Afonso began escaping, but as he was fleeing through the gates, his leg was crushed against one of the iron bolts, breaking his leg. He fell from his horse. His men carried him away, but the Leonese troops chased and captured him.[7][8]
Ferdinand treated the captured Afonso with great respect and ordered his doctors to treat him. Ferdinand then released Afonso in exchange for giving up territories he captured in Galicia. For Gerald the Fearless, either he ran away from the battlefield or he was captured alongside his king and released. The rout of the Portuguese forces happened on May 21; the Almohads captured weaponry, baggage, and supplies left by the Portuguese, which were many.[9][10]
See also
- Portugal in the Middle Ages
- Portugal in the Reconquista
- Timeline of Portuguese history (First Dynasty)
Bibliography
- Muhammad Abdullah Enan, The State of Islam in Andalusia, Vol. III: The Era of Almoravids and Almohads, Part 2, p. 35-39 [1]
- Edward McMurdo, The History of Portugal, From the Commencement of the Monarchy to the Reign of Alfonso III, p. 224-6 [2]
References
- ^ Muhammad Abdullah Enan, p. 36-7
- ^ Muhammad Abdullah Enan, p. 35-6
- ^ Muhammad Abdullah Enan, p. 36
- ^ Edward McMurdo, p. 224
- ^ Muhammad Abdullah Enan, p. 37-8
- ^ Edward McMurdo, p. 224
- ^ Muhammad Abdullah Enan, p. 38
- ^ Edward McMurdo, p. 225
- ^ Muhammad Abdullah Enan, p. 38-9
- ^ Edward McMurdo, p. 225-6