Subh (Sobeya)
Encyclopedia
Subh, also known as Sobeya, was a 10th century sultana who ruled the Caliph
of Córdoba in Islamic Spain as a regent for her son Hisham II al-Hakam.
Subh was a concubine of Christian origin, abducted from Navarro and brought to Cordoba. Subh's origins have alternatively been identified as Basque
from the Gascony
region. She became the favourite wife of the Caliph, Al-Hakam II
. Al-Hakam II was homosexual and kept a male harem
. However, he was expected to produce an heir. Subh dressed in male clothing and used the male name Jafar in order to find favour with the Caliph, and they had two sons, only one of whom -- Hisham II al-Hakam -- survived to adulthood.
After the death of al-Hakem, Al-Mansur Ibn Abi Aamir
(also known as Almanzor), became the administrator of the properties left to Subh by al-Hakem.
Subh was allied with General Ghalib and al-Mansur, although the regents may have been al-Mushafi (the chief administrator of the late caliph), Ghalib and al-Mansur. In any event, it was al-Mansur, who was rumored to be Subh's lover, who rose to become the new ruler of Cordoba. al-Mansur had become the de facto ruler of Córdoba by 978, pushing both Subh and Hisham to the sidelines.
Caliph
The Caliph is the head of state in a Caliphate, and the title for the ruler of the Islamic Ummah, an Islamic community ruled by the Shari'ah. It is a transcribed version of the Arabic word which means "successor" or "representative"...
of Córdoba in Islamic Spain as a regent for her son Hisham II al-Hakam.
Subh was a concubine of Christian origin, abducted from Navarro and brought to Cordoba. Subh's origins have alternatively been identified as Basque
Basque people
The Basques as an ethnic group, primarily inhabit an area traditionally known as the Basque Country , a region that is located around the western end of the Pyrenees on the coast of the Bay of Biscay and straddles parts of north-central Spain and south-western France.The Basques are known in the...
from the Gascony
Gascony
Gascony is an area of southwest France that was part of the "Province of Guyenne and Gascony" prior to the French Revolution. The region is vaguely defined and the distinction between Guyenne and Gascony is unclear; sometimes they are considered to overlap, and sometimes Gascony is considered a...
region. She became the favourite wife of the Caliph, Al-Hakam II
Al-Hakam II
Al-Hakam II was the second Caliph of Cordoba, in Al-Andalus , and son of Abd-ar-rahman III . He ruled from 961 to 976....
. Al-Hakam II was homosexual and kept a male harem
Harem
Harem refers to the sphere of women in what is usually a polygynous household and their enclosed quarters which are forbidden to men...
. However, he was expected to produce an heir. Subh dressed in male clothing and used the male name Jafar in order to find favour with the Caliph, and they had two sons, only one of whom -- Hisham II al-Hakam -- survived to adulthood.
After the death of al-Hakem, Al-Mansur Ibn Abi Aamir
Al-Mansur Ibn Abi Aamir
Abu Aamir Muhammad Ibn Abdullah Ibn Abi Aamir, Al-Hajib Al-Mansur , better known as Almanzor, was the de facto ruler of Muslim Al-Andalus in the late 10th to early 11th centuries. His rule marked the peak of power for Moorish Iberia.-Origins:He was born Muhammad Ibn Abi Aamir, into a noble Arab...
(also known as Almanzor), became the administrator of the properties left to Subh by al-Hakem.
Subh was allied with General Ghalib and al-Mansur, although the regents may have been al-Mushafi (the chief administrator of the late caliph), Ghalib and al-Mansur. In any event, it was al-Mansur, who was rumored to be Subh's lover, who rose to become the new ruler of Cordoba. al-Mansur had become the de facto ruler of Córdoba by 978, pushing both Subh and Hisham to the sidelines.