Barbary, with all which he crossed the sea very happily, and reached the city of Cordova in safety. Here all the Walies and Alcaydes of Andalusia presented themselves before him, when Aly took care to inform himself of the condition of each province and city in respect to the government thereof. The Cadiazgo of Cordova, which had been held by Aben Raxid, the king then gave to the Cadi Abul Casem Ben Hamid, and having made certain other arrangements of similar kind, he departed to the land of Algarve. Here Aly Ben Juzef entered the city of Medina Sanabria* by force of arms, killing or taking captive the inhabitants. With the same cruelty he treated many other towns of Algarve, laying waste the fields, carrying off the flocks and herds, destroying the villages, burning the farms, and making the whole land desolate until he had subjugated the entire district, which he left in total ruin-a mere desert. The Christians fled in terror before his conquering host, finding no means of defending themselves, nor any refuge from that fearful and devastating tempest, save in the recesses of their mountains and among the fortresses which they still retained amidst the inaccessible rocks of the wilderness.

CHAP. XXVI.-OF THE INSURRECTION AGAINST THE ALMORAVIDES IN CORDOVA, OF THE TROUBLES AND REBELLION IN AFRICA, AND OF THE ORIGIN OF ABDALLAH, OR EL MEHEDI.

IN the following year, which was that of the Hegira 515, Aly Ben Juzef returned to Africa, leaving the affairs of Spain in the care of his brother, the Prince Temim, who had not an hour of repose.

Yahye Ben Ahmed tells us that the fourth visit of King Aly to Spain took place in that same year of 515, and was occasioned by a rebellion or insurrection of the people which took place at Cordova; one of the most renowned Almoravide generals, called Abu Yahye Ben Tobada, being then Wali of that city. The circumstances which gave rise to the disturbance were the aggressions insolently made by the

*This is believed to be the city called elsewhere Calambria.-Condé.

Almoravide soldiers composing the garrison, on the inhabitants of the place, to whom they offered every species of affront; to say nothing of the losses which they inflicted on them by plundering them of their property, destroying their gardens, and carrying to their barracks whatever they could lay their hands on. Not content with all this, they next proceeded to enter the houses of the citizens and take their wives and daughters by force; complaints to the authorities did not suffice to restrain this insolence, and many men took vengeance for those intolerable injuries with their own hands, but all was insufficient to keep that arrogant horde of Africans in order; wherefore the people at length flew to arms, attacking the Almoravides by common consent, and killing many of their number. The Africans then entrenched themselves in isolated dwellings and towers, but there also they were surrounded, and when other means failed, the people mined the buildings, which having forced, they entered with fury, slaying all whom they found.

The news of this rebellion were promptly carried to Aly Ben Juzef, who was then at Morocco, and believing his presence required to remedy the evils that might result from such a state of things, more especially if the other cities of Spain should follow the example of Cordova, he made preparation for proceeding thither in person, determined to put down the disorder prevailing there by the strong hand. To that intent he summoned his people from the Cabilas of Zeneta, Zanhaga, and Masamuda, adding others from the Barbary tribes inhabiting the mountains of Daren,* and having thus assembled a large force, both of cavalry and infantry, the king passed over to Andalusia, proceeding without delay to Cordova.

Having arrived before the city, he there met the relics of the garrison, with the Wali, Abu Yahye Ben Tobada, in full flight before the people, they having with difficulty succeeded in saving their lives from the fury of the popular vengeance. The inhabitants of Cordova, when they learned the arrival of the king, closed their gates and fortified all the streets which led to the walls, taking every other measure in their power for increasing their strength and preparing

* The Allas or Bright mountains, that is to say.-Condé

to support a long and vigorous siege. At the same time they took counsel among themselves, considering what was advisable to be done in those circumstances, and how they were to act in relation to their king, whose own servants and soldiers had given them just cause to take up arms. The Alimes and Alfakis of Cordova then said that it would first of all be proper to make known to King Aly Ben Juzef the fact that this rebellion had not been voluntary on the part of the inhabitants, but had been imposed upon them in the use of the natural right which they had to defend, not their property only, but their lives, their women, and their households. King Aly must be informed, they added, that the cause of the insurrection had been the unbridled insolence of the Almoravides, to whom the whole blame of what had occurred was justly due. If, then, the king, being thus informed, should resolve to protect those haughty and arrogant provokers of all the evil, the people of Cordova would in that case have a just cause for resistance against him in defence of their persons, their lives, the honour of their families, and their lawful possessions; nay, that they should, and must, and ought to maintain the defence until it should please God to send a remedy for their misfortunes.

In pursuance of the opinions and advice thus expressed, the people of Cordova refused to give the king admission to the city, which he therefore attacked with fury, and continued the assault thereof for many days. Finally, the inhabitants becoming weary of the struggle and of the fatigues and privations they were enduring, agreed to send an embassy to King Aly, entreating him to consider that the city was his own, and to treat it accordingly; they begged him also to remember the charge made to him by his father, King Jusef, at the hour of his death, in relation to that city of Cordova, and added that he ought to excuse what had been done in respect of his exclusion, since if he examined the causes given, he would find them to be a complete exculpation of the citizens.

The persons then despatched as messengers to the king were among the noblest of the city, and Aly Ben Juzef received them well; it was agreed that a certain amount of money in gold doubloons should be paid by the citizens, as indemnity to such of the Almoravides as had lost their

property and had had their houses sacked in the rebellion; these conditions being made to the satisfaction of all parties, the king entered Cordova and things returned to their previous condition. The troubles of the moment being thus quieted, Aly Ben Juzef did not long delay his departure from Cordova, being recalled to Africa by advices which informed him that the kingdom of Sûs Alaksa had been roused to rebellion by El Mehedi.

The preparations for warfare and rising of the people in Africa, which had caused the king's return to that country, had been provoked, as hath been said, by El Mehedi, whose appearance had placed all the land in a state of insurrection, and subsequently kept all Africa in arms for a period of several years. Nay, the enmity of this man, called El Mehedi, was ultimately the cause which brought ruin to the powerful empire of the Almoravides, who were at that time lords of the principal part of Spain and Africa, seeing that there were but few towns in both these regions which did not pay them obedience and tremble at their might. The origin of these events was on this wise:

In the land of Sûs there dwelt a man of the Cabila of Masamuda, who was called Muhamad Ben Abdallah, the son of Tamurt, but who afterwards received the name of El Mehedi. This Abdallah travelled to the East, where he heard the lessons given by the sages of the land, and more especially those of the renowned Aben Ahmed Algazali, with whom he remained three years. After that time he returned to Africa, re-entering his native country in the commencement of the moon of Rebie Primera in the year 510. No long time elapsed after the return of Abdallah Ben Tamurt before there rose a rumour among the people in respect to this man's rigid holiness, the energetic freedom of his preaching in reprehension of vice, whether in kings or their subjects, the austere sanctity of his life, and even the peculiarity of his clothing, all which contributed greatly to move the minds of the people. He had given himself the title of El Mehedi* to attract the superstitious and ignorant, who rarely discover the treacherous purposes of such impostors. Now it chanced that this man, arriving in a certain

* El Mehedi : the Guide, Leader, or Teacher.

Barbary, with all which he crossed the sea verv happily, and reached the city of Cordova in safety. Here all the Walies and Alcaydes of Andalusia presented themselves before him, when Aly took care to inform himself of the condition of each province and city in respect to the government thereof. The Cadiazgo of Cordova, which had been held by Aben Raxid, the king then gave to the Cadi Abul Casem Ben Hamid, and having made certain other arrangements of similar kind, he departed to the land of Algarve. Here Aly Ben Juzef entered the city of Medina Sanabria* by force of arms, killing or taking captive the inhabitants. With the same cruelty he treated many other towns of Algarve, laying waste the fields, carrying off the flocks and herds, destroying the villages, burning the farms, and making the whole land desolate until he had subjugated the entire district, which he left in total ruin-a mere desert. The Christians fled in terror before his conquering host, finding no means of defending themselves, nor any refuge from that fearful and devastating tempest, save in the recesses of their mountains and among the fortresses which they still retained amidst the inaccessible rocks of the wilderness.

CHAP. XXVI.—OF THE INSURRECTION AGAINST THE ALMORAVIDES IN CORDOVA, OF THE TROUBLES AND REBELLION IN AFRICA, AND OF THE ORIGIN OF ABDALLAH, OR EL MEHEDI.

IN the following year, which was that of the Hegira 515, Aly Ben Juzef returned to Africa, leaving the affairs of Spain in the care of his brother, the Prince Temim, who had not an hour of repose.

Yahye Ben Ahmed tells us that the fourth visit of King Aly to Spain took place in that same year of 515, and was occasioned by a rebellion or insurrection of the people which took place at Cordova; one of the most renowned Almoravide generals, called Abu Yahye Ben Tobada, being then Wali of that city. The circumstances which gave rise to the disturbance were the aggressions insolently made by the

* This is believed to be the city called elsewhere Calambria.-Condé.