Siege of Córdoba (1236)
Siege of Córdoba | |||||||
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Part of the Reconquista | |||||||
The conquest of Córdoba by Ferdinand III the Saint, by Antonio Palomino. Chapel of Saint Teresa of the Mosque of Córdoba (Spain). | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
Taifa of Córdoba | |||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
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During the
Siege
Upon receiving information that part of the inhabitants of the eastern quarter of Cordoba, Ajarquia, were disaffected with their rulers, a handful of
The whole episode has been subject to varying interpretations. The
The Christian soldiers killed a number of the Muslim inhabitants of Ajarquia, and some survivors took refuge in the Al Medina quarter, the sociopolitical center of the city. Because an inner wall separated the two quarters, a bloody standoff followed, with significant losses on both sides, but with neither being able to make significant progress. The Christians immediately sent word to neighboring border forces, most notably those of Álvaro Pérez de Castro, who reinforced them, and they also asked king Ferdinand for help.[2][6]
The event took Ferdinand by surprise, as he had recently concluded a truce with Ibn Hud.[7] Ferdinand rode with a small band of knights and arrived at Córdoba on February 7, 1236, after traveling through rainstorms and a flooded country.
Aftermath
The Siege of Córdoba, culminating in Ferdinand III's capture of the city, was a turning point in the Reconquista, consolidating Christian control over Al-Andalus. The conquest led to significant upheaval for the city's Muslim population, with many facing displacement and persecution. The event also left a lasting impact on Córdoba's cultural and architectural landscape, as Christian rulers sought to integrate Islamic influences into their domains.[2][6]
In capturing the city, Ferdinand benefited from the rivalry between the two main competing
References
- ISBN 978-0-8166-0663-4.
- ^ ISBN 978-84-9761-277-7.
- ^ ISBN 978-84-8239-233-2.
- ^ ISBN 978-84-7737-053-6.
- ^ Interpretations of the single chronicle passage that allows a precise dating vary:
- Ansón concluded it may have happened either on the night of 23–24 December 1235 or on that of 7–8 January 1236 based on a literal reading of the polysemic passage in Francisco Ansón (1998). Fernando III, rey de Castilla y León. Ediciones Palabra. pp. 145–147. ISBN 978-84-8239-233-2.
- O'Callaghan ascribes it "toward the end of 1235" in Joseph F. O'Callaghan (2004). Reconquest and crusade in medieval Spain. University of Pennsylvania Press. p. 94. ISBN 978-0-8122-1889-3.
- Gonzalo Martínez Diez puts it on 23-24 or 24–25 December in Gonzalo Martínez Diez (2000). "La conquista de Andujar: su integración en la Corona de Castilla". Boletín del Instituto de Estudios Giennenses (176): 640–642. ISSN 0561-3590.
- Ansón concluded it may have happened either on the night of 23–24 December 1235 or on that of 7–8 January 1236 based on a literal reading of the polysemic passage in Francisco Ansón (1998). Fernando III, rey de Castilla y León. Ediciones Palabra. pp. 145–147.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-8122-1889-3.
- ISSN 0578-8072.