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The Battle of Guadalete took place July 19,[citation needed] 711, at the Guadalete River (or La Janda lake) in the southern extreme of the Iberian peninsula. It was quite possibly a decisive defeat for the Visigothic king Roderic of Hispania (the Iberian Peninsula, comprising modern Spain and Portugal), who disappeared or fled and was not seen killed, and an important victory for the Muslim forces that defeated him led by Tariq ibn Ziyad.
[edit] Background
Ummayad forces under Tariq ibn Ziyad had landed in Gibraltar in April on 711 AD, probably initially as part of a raid, although this is not known. It is also possible that this was an expeditionary force, but either way it seems to have met with less resistance than expected, prompting reinforcement for a complete conquest. As the predominantly Berber forces moved northwards Visigothic forces became increasingly worried, and King Roderic confronted them near the River Guadalete.
[edit] The battle
[edit] Aftermath
It has been conjectured that most of the prominent members of the Visigothic establishment, including the royal court, were also killed along with the king. This may explain the absolute lack of organized resistance to the invaders after the battle by the Visigothic state. Only scanty remainders of the Visigothic army escaped the massacre and sheltered in Ecija, near Seville. Shortly after, the city was put under siege and it capitulated. The governor of Northern Africa, Musa ibn Nusayr, who had sent Tariq, followed the next year with another army. The Moors proceeded to conquer most of the Iberian peninsula within the next five years.
Pelayo of Asturias, a Visigothic nobleman, escaped the Moors and went on to found the Kingdom of Asturias, resisting Muslim overlordship from the northwest corner of the peninsula. It is not clear whether Pelayo fought at Guadalete; however, most historians believe he was not present. Pelayo is credited with beginning the Reconquista at the Battle of Covadonga.
[edit] Troop numbers
Troop numbers in the battle are difficult to establish; the Visigoths had few sources at the time and those that may have been recorded would have undoubtly been lost in the succeeding years as the Moors conquered much of the Iberian peninsula. Muslim sources suggest numbers of between 7,000 - 12,000 troops; however, later Muslim sources give numbers close to 80,000 troops participating in the invasion of France at the Battle of Tours in 732.
[edit] References
- Collins, Roger, Early Medieval Spain. Unity and Diversity (400-1000), The McMillan Ltd, London, 1983.
- Martin, Laiy, Arab Conquests, Penguin Books, New York, 1933
[edit] External links
