Íñigo I of Pamplona
Encyclopedia
Íñigo Íñiguez Arista is considered the first King of Pamplona. He is thought to have risen to prominence after the defeat of local French partisans in 816, and his rule is usually dated from the defeat of a French army in 824. However, he is only first noticed by chroniclers as a rebel against the Emirate of Córdoba
from 840 until his death a decade later. The nascent state that he passed on to his son García came to be known as the kingdom of Pamplona.
indicates that he was the son of an Íñigo. He is said by a later chronicler to have been count of Bigorre
, or at least to have come from there, but there is no near-contemporary evidence of this. It has been speculated that he was kinsman of García Jiménez, who in the late 8th century succeeded his father Jimeno 'the Strong' in resisting Carolingian
expansion into Vasconia
. He is also speculated to have been related to Pamplona dynasty that would supplant his, the Jiménez
.
His mother had also married Musa ibn Fortun ibn Qasi, by him having son Musa ibn Musa ibn Qasi
, head of the Banu Qasi
, Moslem ruler of Tudela, and one of the chief lords of Valley of the Ebro
. Due to this relationship, Íñigo and his kin frequently acted in alliance with Musa ibn Musa and this relationship allowed Íñigo to extend his influence over large territories in the Pyrenean
valleys.
The family came to power through struggles over Frankish
and Muslim
influence in northern Iberia
. In 799, pro-Frankish assassins murdered Mutarrif ibn Musa, governor of Pamplona
, perhaps the brother of Musa ibn Musa ibn Qasi and of Íñigo himself. Ibn Hayyan reports that in 816, Abd al-Karim ibn Abd al-Wahid ibn Mugit launched a military campaign against the pro-Frankish "Enemy of God", Velasco the Gascon , Sahib
of Pamplona , who had united Christian and pagan factions. They fought a three-day battle in which the pro-Córdoba
faction routed their enemies and killed Velasco, along with García López, kinsman of Alfonso II of Asturias
, Sancho "warrior/knight of Pamplona", and pagan warrior "Ṣaltān". This defeat of the pro-Frankish force appears to have allowed the anti-French Íñigo to come to power. In 820, Íñigo is said to have intervened in the County of Aragon
, ejecting a Frankish vassal, count Aznar I Galíndez
, in favor of García el Malo
(the Bad), who would become Íñigo's son-in-law. In 824, the Frankish counts Aeblus
and Aznar Sánchez made an expedition against Pamplona, but were defeated in the third Battle of Roncesvalles
. Traditionally, this battle is portrayed as resulting in the crowning of Íñigo as "King of Pamplona", but there is no direct evidence of this and he is referred to by Arabic chroniclers with the same title as given Velasco, "Lord of Pamplona". His realm would continually play Moslem and Christian against themselves and each other to maintain independence against the outside powers.
In 840 Íñigo's lands were attacked by Abd Allah ibn Kulayb, wali
of Zaragoza, leading his half-brother, Musa ibn Musa into rebellion. The next year, Íñigo fell victim to paralysis
in battle against the Norse with Musa ibn Musa. His son García acted as regent
, in concert with Íñigo's warrior brother Fortún Íñiguez , who was also half-brother of Musa. They joined Musa ibn Musa in an uprising against the Emirate of Córdoba
. Abd-ar-Rahman II, emir of Córdoba, launched reprisal campaigns in the succeeding years. In an 843 battle, Fortún Íñiguez was killed, and Musa unhorsed and forced to escape on foot, while Íñigo and his son Galindo escaped with wounds and several nobleman, most notably Velasco Garcés, defected to Abd-ar-Rahman. The next year, Íñigo's own son, Galindo Íñiguez and Musa's son Lubb ibn Musa went over to Córdoba, and Musa was forced to submit. Following a brief campaign the next year, 845, a general peace was achieved. In 850, Mūsā again rose in open rebellion, supported by Pamplona, and envoys of Induo (thought to be Íñigo) and Mitio, "Dukes of the Navarrese", were received at the French
court. Íñigo died in the Muslim year
237 A.H., which is late 851 or early 852, and was succeeded by his son García Íñiguez.
The name of the wife (or wives) of Íñigo is not reported in contemporary records, although sources from centuries later assign her the name of Toda or Oneca. There is also scholarly debate regarding her derivation, some hypothesizing that she was daughter of Velasco, lord of Pamplona (killed 816), and others making her kinswoman of Aznar I Galíndez
. He was father of the following known children:
The dynasty founded by Íñigo reigned for about 80 years, being supplanted by a rival dynasty in 905. However, due to intermarriages, subsequent kings of Navarre descend from Íñigo.
Caliphate of Córdoba
The Caliphate of Córdoba ruled the Iberian peninsula and part of North Africa, from the city of Córdoba, from 929 to 1031. This period was characterized by remarkable success in trade and culture; many of the masterpieces of Islamic Iberia were constructed in this period, including the famous...
from 840 until his death a decade later. The nascent state that he passed on to his son García came to be known as the kingdom of Pamplona.
Biography
His origin is obscure, but his patronymicPatronymic
A patronym, or patronymic, is a component of a personal name based on the name of one's father, grandfather or an even earlier male ancestor. A component of a name based on the name of one's mother or a female ancestor is a matronymic. Each is a means of conveying lineage.In many areas patronyms...
indicates that he was the son of an Íñigo. He is said by a later chronicler to have been count of Bigorre
Bigorre
Bigorre is region in southwest France, historically an independent county and later a French province, located in the upper watershed of the Adour, on the northern slopes of the Pyrenees, part of the larger region known as Gascony...
, or at least to have come from there, but there is no near-contemporary evidence of this. It has been speculated that he was kinsman of García Jiménez, who in the late 8th century succeeded his father Jimeno 'the Strong' in resisting Carolingian
Carolingian
The Carolingian dynasty was a Frankish noble family with origins in the Arnulfing and Pippinid clans of the 7th century AD. The name "Carolingian", Medieval Latin karolingi, an altered form of an unattested Old High German *karling, kerling The Carolingian dynasty (known variously as the...
expansion into Vasconia
Vasconia
Vasconia is an historical name derived from the ancient tribe of the Vascones and used in different times, specially in the Middle Ages, to refer to the Basque territories...
. He is also speculated to have been related to Pamplona dynasty that would supplant his, the Jiménez
Jiménez dynasty
The Jiménez or Ximenes were an Iberian ruling family from the 10th century to the 13th century. They were the first Europeanisers of Spain and brought her back within the wider European political scene while also giving her the political character and division that persisted until the end of the...
.
His mother had also married Musa ibn Fortun ibn Qasi, by him having son Musa ibn Musa ibn Qasi
Musa ibn Musa ibn Qasi
Musa ibn Musa al-Qasawi was leader of the muwallad Banu Qasi clan and ruler of a semi-autonomous principality in the upper Ebro valley in northern Iberia in the 9th century.-Rise:...
, head of the Banu Qasi
Banu Qasi
The Banu Qasi, Banu Kasi, Beni Casi or Banu Musa were a Basque Muladi dynasty that ruled the upper Ebro valley in the 9th century, before being displaced in the first quarter of the 10th century.-Dynastic beginnings:...
, Moslem ruler of Tudela, and one of the chief lords of Valley of the Ebro
Ebro
The Ebro or Ebre is one of the most important rivers in the Iberian Peninsula. It is the biggest river by discharge volume in Spain.The Ebro flows through the following cities:*Reinosa in Cantabria.*Miranda de Ebro in Castile and León....
. Due to this relationship, Íñigo and his kin frequently acted in alliance with Musa ibn Musa and this relationship allowed Íñigo to extend his influence over large territories in the Pyrenean
Pyrenees
The Pyrenees is a range of mountains in southwest Europe that forms a natural border between France and Spain...
valleys.
The family came to power through struggles over 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...
and Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
influence in northern Iberia
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar...
. In 799, pro-Frankish assassins murdered Mutarrif ibn Musa, governor of Pamplona
Pamplona
Pamplona is the historial capital city of Navarre, in Spain, and of the former kingdom of Navarre.The city is famous worldwide for the San Fermín festival, from July 6 to 14, in which the running of the bulls is one of the main attractions...
, perhaps the brother of Musa ibn Musa ibn Qasi and of Íñigo himself. Ibn Hayyan reports that in 816, Abd al-Karim ibn Abd al-Wahid ibn Mugit launched a military campaign against the pro-Frankish "Enemy of God", Velasco the Gascon , Sahib
Sahib
Sahib is an Urdu term which literally translates to "Owner" or "Proprietor". The primary Arabic meaning of Sahib is "associate, companion, comrade, friend" though it also includes "Sahib is an Urdu term which literally translates to "Owner" or "Proprietor". The primary Arabic meaning of Sahib...
of Pamplona , who had united Christian and pagan factions. They fought a three-day battle in which the pro-Córdoba
Caliphate of Córdoba
The Caliphate of Córdoba ruled the Iberian peninsula and part of North Africa, from the city of Córdoba, from 929 to 1031. This period was characterized by remarkable success in trade and culture; many of the masterpieces of Islamic Iberia were constructed in this period, including the famous...
faction routed their enemies and killed Velasco, along with García López, kinsman of Alfonso II of Asturias
Alfonso II of Asturias
Alfonso II , called the Chaste, was the king of Asturias from 791 to his death, the son of Fruela I and the Basque Munia.He was born in Oviedo in 759 or 760. He was put under the guardianship of his aunt Adosinda after his father's death, but one tradition relates his being put in the monastery of...
, Sancho "warrior/knight of Pamplona", and pagan warrior "Ṣaltān". This defeat of the pro-Frankish force appears to have allowed the anti-French Íñigo to come to power. In 820, Íñigo is said to have intervened in the County of Aragon
County of Aragon
The County of Aragon or Jaca was a small Frankish marcher county in the central Pyrenean valley of the Aragon river, comprising Ansó, Echo, and Canfranc and centred on the small town of Jaca...
, ejecting a Frankish vassal, count Aznar I Galíndez
Aznar I Galíndez
Aznar Galíndez I was the Count of Aragon and Conflent from 809 and Cerdanya and Urgell from 820. Aznar has been confused with Aznar Sánchez, Duke of Gascony, and some authorities have even considered the two like-named contemporaries to be one and the same person.Aznar succeeded Aureolus as count...
, in favor of García el Malo
García Galíndez
García Galíndez , called the Bad , was the Count of Aragon and Conflent from 820.The son of Galindo Belascotenes, García had married Matrona, daughter of Aznar Galíndez I, Count of Aragon...
(the Bad), who would become Íñigo's son-in-law. In 824, the Frankish counts Aeblus
Aeblus
Aeblus, Ebalus, or Ebles was a Frankish count in Gascony early in the ninth century.With Aznar Sánchez, he led a large expedition across the Pyrenees to re-establish control over Navarre...
and Aznar Sánchez made an expedition against Pamplona, but were defeated in the third Battle of Roncesvalles
Battle of Roncevaux Pass
The Battle of Roncevaux Pass was a battle in 778 in which Roland, prefect of the Breton March and commander of the rear guard of Charlemagne's army, was defeated by the Basques...
. Traditionally, this battle is portrayed as resulting in the crowning of Íñigo as "King of Pamplona", but there is no direct evidence of this and he is referred to by Arabic chroniclers with the same title as given Velasco, "Lord of Pamplona". His realm would continually play Moslem and Christian against themselves and each other to maintain independence against the outside powers.
In 840 Íñigo's lands were attacked by Abd Allah ibn Kulayb, wali
Wali
Walī , is an Arabic word meaning "custodian", "protector", "sponsor", or authority as denoted by its definition "crown". "Wali" is someone who has "Walayah" over somebody else. For example, in Fiqh the father is wali of his children. In Islam, the phrase ولي الله walīyu 'llāh...
of Zaragoza, leading his half-brother, Musa ibn Musa into rebellion. The next year, Íñigo fell victim to paralysis
Paralysis
Paralysis is loss of muscle function for one or more muscles. Paralysis can be accompanied by a loss of feeling in the affected area if there is sensory damage as well as motor. A study conducted by the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, suggests that about 1 in 50 people have been diagnosed...
in battle against the Norse with Musa ibn Musa. His son García acted as regent
Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
, in concert with Íñigo's warrior brother Fortún Íñiguez , who was also half-brother of Musa. They joined Musa ibn Musa in an uprising against the Emirate of Córdoba
Caliphate of Córdoba
The Caliphate of Córdoba ruled the Iberian peninsula and part of North Africa, from the city of Córdoba, from 929 to 1031. This period was characterized by remarkable success in trade and culture; many of the masterpieces of Islamic Iberia were constructed in this period, including the famous...
. Abd-ar-Rahman II, emir of Córdoba, launched reprisal campaigns in the succeeding years. In an 843 battle, Fortún Íñiguez was killed, and Musa unhorsed and forced to escape on foot, while Íñigo and his son Galindo escaped with wounds and several nobleman, most notably Velasco Garcés, defected to Abd-ar-Rahman. The next year, Íñigo's own son, Galindo Íñiguez and Musa's son Lubb ibn Musa went over to Córdoba, and Musa was forced to submit. Following a brief campaign the next year, 845, a general peace was achieved. In 850, Mūsā again rose in open rebellion, supported by Pamplona, and envoys of Induo (thought to be Íñigo) and Mitio, "Dukes of the Navarrese", were received at the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
court. Íñigo died in the Muslim year
Islamic calendar
The Hijri calendar , also known as the Muslim calendar or Islamic calendar , is a lunar calendar consisting of 12 lunar months in a year of 354 or 355 days. It is used to date events in many Muslim countries , and used by Muslims everywhere to determine the proper day on which to celebrate Islamic...
237 A.H., which is late 851 or early 852, and was succeeded by his son García Íñiguez.
The name of the wife (or wives) of Íñigo is not reported in contemporary records, although sources from centuries later assign her the name of Toda or Oneca. There is also scholarly debate regarding her derivation, some hypothesizing that she was daughter of Velasco, lord of Pamplona (killed 816), and others making her kinswoman of Aznar I Galíndez
Aznar I Galíndez
Aznar Galíndez I was the Count of Aragon and Conflent from 809 and Cerdanya and Urgell from 820. Aznar has been confused with Aznar Sánchez, Duke of Gascony, and some authorities have even considered the two like-named contemporaries to be one and the same person.Aznar succeeded Aureolus as count...
. He was father of the following known children:
- Assona Íñiguez, who married her father's half-brother, Musa ibn Musa ibn Fortun ibn Qasi, lord of Tudela and HuescaHuescaHuesca is a city in north-eastern Spain, within the autonomous community of Aragon. It is also the capital of the Spanish province of the same name and the comarca of Hoya de Huesca....
- García Íñiguez, the future king
- Galindo Íñiguez, fled to Córdoba where he was friend of Eulogio of Córdoba and became father of Musa ibn Galind, Amil of HuescaHuescaHuesca is a city in north-eastern Spain, within the autonomous community of Aragon. It is also the capital of the Spanish province of the same name and the comarca of Hoya de Huesca....
in 860, assassinated in 870 - a daughter, wife of Count García el MaloGarcía GalíndezGarcía Galíndez , called the Bad , was the Count of Aragon and Conflent from 820.The son of Galindo Belascotenes, García had married Matrona, daughter of Aznar Galíndez I, Count of Aragon...
(the Bad) of AragónAragonAragon is a modern autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. Located in northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces : Huesca, Zaragoza, and Teruel. Its capital is Zaragoza...
.
The dynasty founded by Íñigo reigned for about 80 years, being supplanted by a rival dynasty in 905. However, due to intermarriages, subsequent kings of Navarre descend from Íñigo.
Sources
- Barrau-Dihigo, Louis. Les origines du royaume de Navarre d'apres une théorie récente. Revue Hispanique. 7: 141-222 (1900).
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- Lévi-Provençal, ÉvaristeÉvariste Lévi-ProvençalÉvariste Lévi-Provençal was a French medievalist, orientalist, Arabist, and historian of Islam.Born 4 January 1894 in Constantine, French Algeria, as Makhlóuf Evariste Levi, his name already revealing Gallicized tendencies in his North-African Jewish family...
. "Du nouveau sur le Royaume de Pampelune au IXe Siècle". Bulletin Hispanique. 55:5-22 (1953).
- Lévi-Provençal, Évariste and Emilio García GómezEmilio García GómezEmilio García Gómez, 1st Count of Alixares was a Spanish Arabist, literary historian and critic, whose talent as a poet enriched his many translations from Arabic.-Life:...
. "Textos inéditos del Muqtabis de Ibn Hayyan sobre los orígines del Reino de Pamplona". Al-Andalus. 19:295-315 (1954). - Mello Vaz de São Payo, Luiz. "A Ascendência de D. Afonso Henriques". Raízes & Memórias 6:23-57 (1990).
- Pérez de Urbel, Justo. "Lo viejo y lo nuevo sobre el origin del Reino de Pamplona". Al-Andalus. 19:1-42 (1954).
- Sánchez Albernoz, Claudio. "La Epistola de S. Eulogio y el Muqtabis de Ibn Hayan". Princípe de Viana. 19:265-66 (1958).
- Sánchez Albernoz, Claudio. "Problemas de la historia Navarra del siglo IX". Princípe de Viana, 20:5-62 (1959).
- Settipani, ChristianChristian SettipaniChristian Settipani is the Technical Director of an IT company in Paris and a genealogist and historian.He has a Master of Advanced Studies degree from the Paris-Sorbonne University and is currently preparing his doctoral thesis, while he often gives lectures to students undergraduates at the...
. La Noblesse du Midi Carolingien, Occasional Publiucations of the Unit for Prosopographical Research, Vol. 5. (2004). - Stasser, Thierry. "Consanguinity et Alliances Dynastiques en Espagne au Haut Moyen Age: La Politique Matrimoniale de la Reinne Tota de Navarre". Hidalguia. No. 277: 811-39 (1999).