DBA Armies

This list covers the armies of the original Muslim states set up in Spain “Al-Andalus”; from the original Umayyad Arab invasion from Africa, through the almost entire conquest of the Visigothic kingdom in 711, the reduction of the Umayyads to a relic independent Spanish emirate by the Abbasid revolution of 749, the self-promotion of this emirate to a new Spanish Umayyad Khalifate with temporary possession of Morocco, the loss of Morocco to the Maghrawanids, the fanatical Berber invasions of Spain from Morocco starting in 1086 and the fragmentation of Spain into warring Berber and Andalusian Arab emirates and revanchist Christian kingdoms (the period of “El Cid”), then ends with the completion of Murabit Berber domination over Spanish Muslims by the fall of Murcia in 1172. The original invasion force consisted of a small number of Arab cavalry and masses of Berber foot, but was reinforced by regular cavalry of the jund from Syria. The jund regular organisation was continued by the Umayyads, but reliance on them came to be replaced by non-Arab speakers called “the Silent Ones”. Cavalry were usually Frankish, Lombard and Spanish professionals but were misleadingly referred to as “Slav ghulams”. They were supplemented by unpaid irregulars serving for loot called “mujahids”. Berber horse, negro foot and even Christian knights were employed as mercenaries. References: Armies of the Dark Ages 1. Heath, Armies of Feudal Europe 1. Heath.