Battle of the River Garonne
Encyclopedia
The Battle of the River Garonne was fought in 732 between an Umayyad
army led by Abdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi
, governor of Al-Andalus
, and Frankish
forces led by Duke Odo of Aquitaine
.
At the beginning of his governorship of Al-Andalus
in 730 Abdul Rahman was opposed by a local Berber commander called Manuza (aka Uthman ibn Naissa; Othman Ibn Abi Nes'ah Manuza; Othman-ben-Abou-Nessa) whose stronghold was the town of Cerritania (Cerdanya
) in the Pyrenees
. Manuza, hearing of the oppression of Berbers in North Africa, had made a truce with Odo. Some accounts claim that Odo promised his daughter Lampade to Manusa in a marriage alliance. Manusa's death immediately preceded Abdul Rahman's expedition, which crossed the Pyrenees at their west end, through Navarre
and advanced with great speed through Aquitaine
to Bordeaux
. The city was captured by storm, the commander of the garrison being killed in the battle. In his march northward, following the victory at Bordeaux, Abdul Rahman engaged Odo's forces on the Garonne River, or possibly at the Dordogne River
. Odo was defeated comprehensively and most of his forces were wiped out, after which the Arabs looted the rich monasteries of northern Aquitaine before resuming their march northward. The Arab armies were finally defeated by forces led by Charles Martel
at the Battle of Tours
on 10 October, 732.
Umayyad
The Umayyad Caliphate was the second of the four major Arab caliphates established after the death of Muhammad. It was ruled by the Umayyad dynasty, whose name derives from Umayya ibn Abd Shams, the great-grandfather of the first Umayyad caliph. Although the Umayyad family originally came from the...
army led by Abdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi
Abdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi
Abdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi , also known as Abd er Rahman, Abdderrahman, Abderame, and Abd el-Rahman, led the Andalusian Muslims into battle against the forces of Charles Martel in the Battle of Tours on October 10, 732 AD. for which he is primarily remembered in the West...
, governor of Al-Andalus
Al-Andalus
Al-Andalus was the Arabic name given to a nation and territorial region also commonly referred to as Moorish Iberia. The name describes parts of the Iberian Peninsula and Septimania governed by Muslims , at various times in the period between 711 and 1492, although the territorial boundaries...
, and Frankish
Franks
The Franks were a confederation of Germanic tribes first attested in the third century AD as living north and east of the Lower Rhine River. From the third to fifth centuries some Franks raided Roman territory while other Franks joined the Roman troops in Gaul. Only the Salian Franks formed a...
forces led by Duke Odo of Aquitaine
Odo of Aquitaine
Odo the Great , Duke of Aquitaine, obtained this dignity by 700. His territory included the Duchy of Vasconia in the south-west of Gaul and the Duchy of Aquitaine , a realm extending from the Loire to the Pyrenees, with capital in Toulouse...
.
At the beginning of his governorship of Al-Andalus
Al-Andalus
Al-Andalus was the Arabic name given to a nation and territorial region also commonly referred to as Moorish Iberia. The name describes parts of the Iberian Peninsula and Septimania governed by Muslims , at various times in the period between 711 and 1492, although the territorial boundaries...
in 730 Abdul Rahman was opposed by a local Berber commander called Manuza (aka Uthman ibn Naissa; Othman Ibn Abi Nes'ah Manuza; Othman-ben-Abou-Nessa) whose stronghold was the town of Cerritania (Cerdanya
Cerdanya
Cerdanya is a natural comarca and historical region of the eastern Pyrenees divided between France and Spain. Historically it has been one of the counties of Catalonia....
) in the Pyrenees
Pyrenees
The Pyrenees is a range of mountains in southwest Europe that forms a natural border between France and Spain...
. Manuza, hearing of the oppression of Berbers in North Africa, had made a truce with Odo. Some accounts claim that Odo promised his daughter Lampade to Manusa in a marriage alliance. Manusa's death immediately preceded Abdul Rahman's expedition, which crossed the Pyrenees at their west end, through Navarre
Navarre
Navarre , officially the Chartered Community of Navarre is an autonomous community in northern Spain, bordering the Basque Country, La Rioja, and Aragon in Spain and Aquitaine in France...
and advanced with great speed through Aquitaine
Aquitaine
Aquitaine , archaic Guyenne/Guienne , is one of the 27 regions of France, in the south-western part of metropolitan France, along the Atlantic Ocean and the Pyrenees mountain range on the border with Spain. It comprises the 5 departments of Dordogne, :Lot et Garonne, :Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Landes...
to Bordeaux
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
. The city was captured by storm, the commander of the garrison being killed in the battle. In his march northward, following the victory at Bordeaux, Abdul Rahman engaged Odo's forces on the Garonne River, or possibly at the Dordogne River
Dordogne River
The Dordogne is a river in south-central and southwest France.-Name:Contrary to appearances, the name of the Dordogne is not a recent word resulting from the names of the Dore and the Dogne...
. Odo was defeated comprehensively and most of his forces were wiped out, after which the Arabs looted the rich monasteries of northern Aquitaine before resuming their march northward. The Arab armies were finally defeated by forces led by Charles Martel
Charles Martel
Charles Martel , also known as Charles the Hammer, was a Frankish military and political leader, who served as Mayor of the Palace under the Merovingian kings and ruled de facto during an interregnum at the end of his life, using the title Duke and Prince of the Franks. In 739 he was offered the...
at the Battle of Tours
Battle of Tours
The Battle of Tours , also called the Battle of Poitiers and in Battle of the Court of the Martyrs, was fought in an area between the cities of Poitiers and Tours, located in north-central France, near the village of Moussais-la-Bataille, about northeast of Poitiers...
on 10 October, 732.