Omar ben Hafsun He was a muladí nobleman (descendants of Christians converted to Islam) who led a guerrilla war against the emirate of Córdoba.
Grandson of a Christian although Muslim by birth, he led a rebellion at the end of the 9th century until his death in 917, which kept the different emirs of Córdoba in check. The conflict was an expression of social unrest, where the Jews are persecuted, the fundamentalism of Eulogio de Córdoba inciting the martyrdom of the Mozarabs (Christians in Muslim lands) and the contempt of the Arabs towards the Muladis (whom they treat as second-class Muslims). ), lead the Muladis and some Mozarabs to join Ben Hafsun in his fight against the Umayyads.
Ben Hafsun created a state in Bobastro (initially it was identified with the town of Barbastro in Huesca, but today it is accepted that it must have been in Malaga) from where he came to threaten Córdoba. He came to control an extension of land between Algeciras and Murcia, including cities such as écija, Archidona, Baeza and íšbeda. The emir al-Mundir manages to recover several squares and isolates him in the impregnable castle of Bobastro, where after the siege and some other betrayal he dies in battle. He is succeeded by his brother Abdallah who must lift the siege due to other problems in al-Andalus. Ben Hafsun, free again, recovers some of the lost seats and almost puts a siege on Córdoba.
Emir Abdallah realizes the serious problem and decides to throw all the meat on the grill. He creates an alliance with the muladí family of the Banu Qasi (sons of Casio), who control the Superior mark, and isolates him again in Bobastro. In 899 he makes a serious mistake, he converts to Christianity by taking the name of Samuel. With this, Ben Hafsun tries to gain the friendship and support of Alfonso III and the Mozarabs, but the end result is that many of the muladíes who have supported him abandon him.
He died in 917 fighting in Bobastro. His sons continue the fight until 928, when Ab al-Rhaman III takes the castle.
Source:Dictionary of Spanish History – Carlos Ferrera. Caliphs, warriors, slaves and eunuchs – Juan Eslava Galán
