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Abd al-Rahman al-Ghafiqi | |
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 Abd-al-Rahman al-Ghafiqi as depicted in Charles de Steuben's Bataille de Poitiers en Octobre 732. | |
| Birth name | Abd al-Rahman ibn Abd Allah Al-Ghafiqi |
| Born | |
| Died | 10 October 732 (0732-10-11) |
| Allegiance | Umayyad Caliphate |
| Service years | 722–732 |
| Conflicts | Battle of Toulouse (721) Battle of the River Garonne Battle of Tours † |
Abd al-Rahman ibn Abd Allah Al-Ghafiqi (Arabic:عبد الرحمن بن عبد اللّه الغافقي,romanized: ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn ʿAbd Allāh al-Ghāfiqī; died 732), was anArabUmayyad commander and governor who ledAndalusian Umayyad forces against theFranks. He is most famous for leading the Umayyad forces during theBattle of Tours (also known as the Battle of Poitiers) in 732. This battle, fought against the Frankish forces led byCharles Martel.
Al-Ghafiqi was appointed as the governor of al-Andalus around 730 and led several successful military campaigns across thePyrenees into Frankish territories where he was successful in sacking and capturing the city ofBordeaux, after defeating DukeOdo of Aquitaine in the battle outside the city, and then again defeating a second army of Duke Odo at theBattle of the River Garonne —where the western chroniclers state, "God alone knows the number of the slain.[1] His army advanced deep into modern-day France before being confronted by Charles Martel's forces near the city ofTours. Al-Ghafiqi was killed in the battle, the Umayyad forces retreated, and this event is often seen as a pivotal moment that preserved Christian rule in Gaul.
Despite his defeat at Tours, al-Ghafiqi is remembered as a capable and ambitious military leader within the early history of Umayyad expansion inGaul.
From theArabTihamite tribe of Ghafiq, he relocated toIfriqiya (nowTunisia), then to the stretch of theMaghreb that is nowAlgeria,Morocco, Tunisia andMauritania, where he became acquainted withMusa ibn Nusayr and his sonAbd al-Aziz, the governors ofal-Andalus.
Abd Al-Rahman took part in theBattle of Toulouse, whereAl Samh ibn Malik was killed in 721 (102AH) by the forces of DukeOdo of Aquitaine. After the severe defeat, he fled south along with other commanders and troops, and took over the command of Eastern Andalus. He was briefly relieved of his command, whenAnbasa ibn Suhaym al-Kalbi was appointed in 721. After Anbasa died in 726 in southernGaul, several successive commanders were put in place, none of whom lasted very long.
In 730, theCaliphHisham ibn Abd al-Malik appointed Abd Al-Rahman aswali (governor) of al-Andalus.David Levering Lewis describes him as "intelligent, eloquent, and an accomplished administrator".[2] On hearing thatUthman ibn Naissa, the Berber deputy governor of Catalunya, had concluded an alliance with dukeOdo of Aquitaine, in order to set up an independent Catalunya for himself, the governor hurried to quell the rebellion. He engaged the Berber lord's forces and killed him in 731. By some accounts, Uthman ibn Naissa killed himself.
The wali assembled troops inPamplona, called for recruits from Yemen and theLevant, and prepared to cross the Pyrenees intoGaul.[dubious –discuss] Many arrived, and he crossed thePyrenees range with an army composed primarily ofArabs. Emir Abd Al-Rahman made his way throughGascony andAquitaine, according to one unidentified Arab, "That army went through all places like a desolating storm,"[citation needed] sacking and capturing the city ofBordeaux, after defeating DukeOdo of Aquitaine in battle outside the city, and then again defeating a second army of Duke Odo at the Battle of the River Garonne —where the western chroniclers state, "God alone knows the number of the slain."[1] Unlike Toulouse, whereOdo had won by achieving complete surprise over the Umayyad forces when he relieved the city in 721, this time his forces were forced to face the Umayyad cavalry in open battle and were utterly destroyed. Also, the Umayyad forces he had faced at the Battle of Toulouse were primarily light infantry and, while good fighters, were not remotely close to the caliber of the Arab cavalry brought by the Emir in this invasion.
Odo, with his remaining nobility, fled to Charles Martel, seeking help. Charles was campaigning on the Danube when news reached him. Martel had a seasoned professional infantry which had campaigned with him for many years and force-marched his army towards Acquitaine.[2] In addition to the levies of militia the Franks normally called up to buttress their forces,[3] he formed an army of Gauls and Germans approximately 30,000 strong. The invading forces, having no reason to believe the Franks were anything more than one of the various barbarian tribes that had ravaged Europe after Rome's fall, failed to scout their strength in advance. They also misjudged Charles Martel, who was determined to prevent the expansion of the Caliphate over the Pyrenees into the heart of Christian Europe.[citation needed] This was a disastrous mistake which led to the defeat of Abd Al-Rahman in 732 nearPoitiers, south of the riverLoire.
The Frankish leader chose the battlefield. Moving his army over the mountains and avoiding the open roads, he escaped detection until positioning his men on a high, wooded plain. Martel had carefully chosen the battlefield, in large part knowing the hills and trees surrounding his position would greatly hinder the Umayyad cavalry. For seven days, the two armies skirmished and maneuvered, with the Islamic forces recalling all their raiding parties, so that on the seventh day, their army was at full strength. Martel also received some reinforcements, though most historians agree he was badly outnumbered during the battle. Martel trained his men to fight in a large square, similar to the ancient Greek phalanx formation, to withstand the Umayyad heavy cavalry. The Franks held their defensive formation all day, and repulsed repeated charges by the Umayyad heavy cavalry.
According to Lewis, the Umayyad soldiers were accompanied by their families. Wives and concubines were among the casualties.[2] Realizing their camp was being plundered, a large contingent of Abd Al-Rahman's forces broke off battle and returned to rescue their booty. Abd Al-Rahman was thus left exposed before the Frankish infantry and was killed in battle while attempting to rally his men. One reason for the defeat of the Umayyad army was their preoccupation with war booty; another was the squabbles between various ethnic and tribal factions, which led to the surviving generals being unable to agree on a single commander to take Abd Al-Rahman's place. Political factions, racial and ethnic rivalries, and personality clashes arose following his death. The varied nationalities and ethnicities present in an army drawn from all over the Caliphate, and the surviving generals, bickered among themselves, unable to agree on a commander to lead them the following day. The inability to select anyone to lead certainly contributed to the wholesale retreat of an army that was still dangerous.
| Preceded by | Governor of Al-Andalus 721–722 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Governor of Al-Andalus 730–732 | Succeeded by |
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