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AbZeroNow

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Jul 31, 2016
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  • Crusader Kings II
  • Crusader Kings II: Legacy of Rome
  • Crusader Kings II: The Old Gods
  • Crusader Kings II: The Republic
  • Crusader Kings II: Sunset Invasion
  • Crusader Kings II: Sword of Islam
This will be my first AAR so bare with me as I didn't originally plan to make an AAR of my Zirid game, but interesting developments necessitated it. Here is a tease of things to come:




Chapter 1: Badis "the Ill-Ruler" (1066-1077) https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/foru...ada-a-zirid-dynasty-aar.965812/#post-21765889
Chapter 2: Tamim I "The Fat" (1077-1092) https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/foru...ada-a-zirid-dynasty-aar.965812/#post-21772754
Chapter 3: Early Years of Ali I "The Old" (1092-1126) https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/foru...ada-a-zirid-dynasty-aar.965812/#post-21787242
Chapter 4: Later Years of Ali I "The Old" (1126-1157) https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/foru...ada-a-zirid-dynasty-aar.965812/#post-21795730
Chapter 5: Ali II "The Scholar" (1157-1173) https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/foru...ada-a-zirid-dynasty-aar.965812/#post-21800534
Chapter 6: Abdullah, the forgotten Emir (1173-1177) https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/foru...ada-a-zirid-dynasty-aar.965812/#post-21817020
Chapter 7: Frederi, the unlucky Emir(1177-1184) https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/foru...ada-a-zirid-dynasty-aar.965812/#post-21818068
Chapter 8: Tamim II, "The Cruel" (1184-1217) https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/foru...zirid-dynasty-aar.965812/page-2#post-21821235
Chapter 9: Duke Tamim III, triple duke, becomes(1217-1236)....https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/foru...zirid-dynasty-aar.965812/page-2#post-21826420
Chapter 10: King Tamim I "The Great" of Burgundy(Sept. 29, 1236-Dec. 27, 1257) https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/foru...zirid-dynasty-aar.965812/page-2#post-21829743
Chapter 11: The Early Reign of King Tamim II[Duke Tamim IV] "The Great" of Burgundy(December 27, 1257-December 6,1269)
https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/foru...zirid-dynasty-aar.965812/page-2#post-21834640
Chapter 12: The rest of King Tamim II's reign(December 6, 1269-February 25, 1303) https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/foru...zirid-dynasty-aar.965812/page-2#post-21849600
Chapter 13: King Tamim III "The Cruel" of Burgundy(1303-1321) https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/foru...zirid-dynasty-aar.965812/page-2#post-21851206
Chapter 14: King Nicholaus I, the stressed king(1321-1332)
https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/foru...zirid-dynasty-aar.965812/page-2#post-21862859
Chapter 15: King Guiraud "The Great" of Burgundy(1332-1364)
https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/foru...zirid-dynasty-aar.965812/page-2#post-21871198
Chapter 16: Nicholaus II, the struggling king(1364-1376)
https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/foru...zirid-dynasty-aar.965812/page-3#post-21873565
Chapter 17: King Utman "The Hammer" of Burgundy(1376-1402)
https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/foru...zirid-dynasty-aar.965812/page-3#post-21882119
Chapter 18: Suleyman "The Hammer"(1402-1427)
https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/foru...zirid-dynasty-aar.965812/page-3#post-21891547
Chapter 19: Abbad, the expansionist(1427-1444)
https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/foru...zirid-dynasty-aar.965812/page-3#post-21902674
Chapter 20: Yahya's years of challenge and expansion(1444-1453)
https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/foru...zirid-dynasty-aar.965812/page-3#post-21943469
 
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Chapter 1: Emir Badis 'the Ill-ruler" (1066-1077)
Badis ben Habus had been the third Berber ruler of Granada, and in December 1066 had faced the prospect of his young grandson as his heir since his only son at the time had been Buluggin ben Badis who had died of seemingly natural causes on January 1, 1065. His demesne had included the sheikhdoms of Granada and Malaga, and he had a de jure claim on the sheikhdom of Almeria which was held by the Hudids who had controlled the Emirate of Aragon & Zaragoza.

KDDPqUY.jpg


In 1067, Badis had undertaken the hajj. After he had completed it, he then set to remarry. He decided on a courtier named Herru. This union did produce a child, Habus ben Badis, born May 9, 1070. Sadly, Herru would die of illness that very same year.

IvyjBfj.jpg


In the late years of his reign, Badis would join in on the defense against holy wars from the aggressive Castalian kingdoms of the north, and those Christian kingdoms would fail to gain any territory during those years. Badis ruled over the Emirate of Granada in a seemingly Content fashion as he would not actively pursue wars of expansion, noting the strength of his immediate neighbors, the Abbadids of Seville & Algarve and the Dhunnunids of Toledo & Valencia.

Although not of concern to Granada during the reign of Badis or his successor, the Kingdom of England had seen King William the Conqueror felled in battle a mere three years after his historic victory at Hastings. He would be slain by Chief Bjorn of Halsingland. His eldest song, Robert, would ascend to the throne of England on April 1, 1069.

n6eGOvo.jpg


Badis would live long enough to see his grandson Tamim come of age. Badis would die of natural causes on April 17, 1077. After the nearly 40 year long reign of Badis, the eyes of Granada were now on Tamim to see what kind of legacy he would have on the Emirate.

b9QcSzl.jpg


[For those curious, Badis was a Charismatic Negotiator who became a Hajjaj. He had these traits: greedy, arbitrary, content, lustful, humble, craven & temperate].
 
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Why is your game map showing a completely different date to the AAR?
 
Why is your game map showing a completely different date to the AAR?

Because I did not intend for this to become an AAR. I did not grab any screenshots during Badis's rule so I had to look up the history. I did grab a screenshot from Tamim's reign and so the correct date will be there. Otherwise, you'll be seeing 13th Century dates if I don't have a screenshot from when I was playing a particular ruler.

I'll work on the Tamim "the Fat" chapter tonight.
 
Chapter 2: Emir Tamim "The Fat" (1077-1092)

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After the death of Emir Badis, his 22 year old grandson Tamim had become the first Emir of Granada of his name. Tamim, who had been raised in the foreign lands of Sicily, had picked up some bad traits for his Shia mentor, including the gluttony that had informed his nickname "the Fat". Perhaps because he was foreign educated, he was able to adapt to the Andalusian culture that had defined the Emirate in those days. Perhaps it was also a bit of shrewdness that had defined his education [Elusive Shadow]. Tamim had also undertaken the hajj within the first year of his ascension to Emir. Since he was not the best administator, he had also decided to gift the lands of Tamisa to his uncle Habus, who would become the first of his long line of Wali of Tamisa.

Tamim, like his grandfather, pursued a policy of not trying to expand against his strong neighbors to his west and north, and had joined in the defense of the Muslim lands when an aggressive Christian kingdom from the north would declare their holy wars. Since Tamim was not known for aggressive foreign policy despite his decent ability in military matters, he devoted his time to other pursues that suited him like gardening. Tamim being known for both being shy and his short temper rarely was involved in diplomatic matters.

Tamim had four children. Two daughters(Thashim bint Tamim & Nuri bint Tamim) and two sons(Ali & Muhammad). After March 3, 1089 saw Yusuf, the Sultan of the Almoravids conquer the nearby province of Algeciras, Tamim had arraigned a betrothal between his beloved daughter Thashim and Yusuf's favorite son Abu-Bakr(who would later become Sultan).

SVlOGYH.jpg


In what would end up as Tamim's shrewdest moment, when the Hudids were engaged in a losing war(to hold onto the Emirate of Zaragoza) against the King of Navarra, Antso IV, Tamim had declared his own war for his de jure claim on Almeria. Around the same time, the King of France, Phillpe I 'the Ill-Ruler" would also declare his own holy war for the Mallorcan islands. Tamim had bravely undertaken command in Granada's aid to stop the French aggression. Tamim had tried to use Granada's fleet to outmaneuver the French to limited success, but in a decisive battle against the French in December 1092, the Emir would fall in battle, and Granada would enter a long regency as his eldest son Ali was still a young boy. The French would take Mallorca the following year.

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Various rulers of the time period:
Heinrich IV 'the Priest-hater", HRE Emperor:
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King Phillipe I of France "The Ill-Ruler"
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King Antso IV of Navarra:

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I'll keep looking here. I'm interested to know what gives you the inspiration for an AAR. :)
 
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Chapter 3: The Early Years of the reign of Emir Ali I "The Old"(1092-1126)
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After the honorable death that the previous Emir had against King Phillipe I of France, the Emirate of Granada had entered into a long regency period as Ali, the eldest son of the Emir, had been only four years old(born on April 29, 1088). It had been a standing tradition for the previous emirs to save money and hire mercenaries as needed for the defense of the realm. With the successful war to gain control of the sheikhdom of Almeria very early into Ali's reign, at least now the Emirate had control of all the lands within its de jure borders. Unfortunately, the sudden absence of Granada in surrounding holy wars had begun a new series of events that spelled trouble for the various Muslim taifas of al-Andalus. The Hudids became the first to completely fall to the aggressive Christian kingdoms, losing their last two sheikhdoms against King Antso IV of Navarra October 1096.

d6ypnu9.jpg


The Kingdom of Navarra was not the only expansionist Christian kingdom that the Emirate of Granada had to take note of. The Kingdom of France had waged another holy war not long after after they fought one for Mallorca, and so the Dhunnunids would begin their fall from power. Between the amount of men King Phililpe was able to field and the generalship of his armies, Phillipe would win his second holy war in less than a decade in November 1099. And so the lands of Castelion and Valencia would fall under his control.

WJ3JBq2.jpg


After King Phillipe's death on April 5, 1103, the Kingdoms of France & Aquitaine [note: I had begun this game on 2.5.2.2] had split. France was a lot more distant from the lands that it had more recently conquered, especially Mallorca which had to be reached by boat rather than over land like the Valencian lands. The new King of Aquitaine, Aimeric who would be remembered as "The Gentle", had taken this newfound oppertunity to expand his realm into Andalusia as well and so they had fought a two county Emir for Denia. In August of 1107, Denia became Aquitaine's.

SujVAzb.jpg


It would be around the time of Aquitaine's war for Denia, that Emir Ali, finally free of the regency, had begun to leave his own significant mark on the history of Granada. He would also wage a holy war. He saw that France would have a difficult time of defending Mallorca, and since he had built himself a strong warchest, he declared his war. On January 27, 1108, Ali conquered the islands(and created himself a second Emirate). The islands themselves would not contribute much to his military might, but Ali had his eye on the future, and the potential money the islands would eventually bring him. Ali was known for his ability to handle the administration of the Emirate [Fortune Builder education]. Ali would become well-loved by his subjects as he was known for his mercy and his kindness to the needy.

F1U2qyS.jpg


Ali's decision to take Mallorca would prove wise in the years to come. The Kingdom of Aragon had decided to also expand southwards and so they battled for Murcia, and had conquered it March 1110 under King Ramon-Berenger II "The Magnanimous". This would also mark the beginning of Granada's long hatred towards Aragon, which would become more significant later in Ali's reign and the reigns of his successors. By this time, the Republic of Pisa had been attacking Emir Ali's kin near Tunis, and the Pisans had established a trade post in Granada itself. Feeling sympathy towards his distant kin and looking to make a little money, Ali had begun an embargo war against the Republic, and five years later, he won. Of course, Pisa would continue to make progress in conquering North Africa along with the Duchy of Benevento.

In the meantime, the Kingdom of Navarra had begun to expand even more under their newly crowned Queen, Ximena "the Bold". The Dhunnunids would be fatally weakened after the fall of Toledo in December 1113. (And would ultimately lose the last of their lands in July 1122). And this had begun Granada's weary watch of their northern borders.

panrhzR.jpg


Of course, the Emirate of Granada itself had flourished under the rule of Ali. Ali had become a Poet and a Mystic in these times, and Ali was well-known for his appreciation of poetry and his patronage of poets. He also had a reputation as a pious man, zealous in fact. Of course, he had to deal with the Abbadid Emir become a heretic, and thus occasionally would have to use his Court Imam to squelch any heresy that would pop up in his lands. During his early years of his long reign, Emir Ali I would expand the realm. He was remarkably tolerant towards Christians in his lands, making at least one Occitan mayor a commander in his army. Of course, if Christians attacked him, he would avail himself of ransoming them to grow his treasury. He would also father two sons, who would both leave a lasting legacy upon the Emirate as well.

hswbOLG.jpg


Notable rulers:

King Aimeric "The Gentle" of Aquitaine:
tBUaiz8.jpg


Kaiser Heinrich V "The Bewitched" (last Salian ruler of HRE)
LSFbuOh.jpg


Kaiser Baldarich the Wise
WpvLiyf.jpg
 
Chatenois doesn't sound german in the slightest.

I'll check what lands that family had before they had someone elected to be the Kaiser.

The 12th century is where things start to get interesting. Ali I would represent the first rise of the Zirids along with a few setbacks. Later would both be a decline and then a interesting comeback(the events of the 13th century are what finally made me do an AAR.)

EDIT: Chatenois were the Dukes of Upper Lorraine.
 
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Chapter 4: The Later Years of Emir Ali I "The Old" of Granada(1126-1157)
It would often be remarked the early 12th Century under Ali the first of his name was both the beginning of a massive change to Iberia in the form of Christian Reconquista, and an expansion of the power that the Zirids would hold in Iberia. Ali himself was not exempt from reversals. In the early 1120s, he would face two separate holy wars for his Emirate of Mallorca. One was from Aimeric "The Gentle" of the Kingdom of Aquitaine, and the other was from Baldarich "the Wise" of the Holy Roman Empire [which of course was neither Holy, nor Roman], who came from a line of Dukes of Upper Lorraine. Ali being a shrew ruler knew that the HRE was a giant and that he would not be able to fend off both of the invaders. Standard protocol also stated that Ali would gain a binding truce for a decade from whomever took Mallorca, and so with a heavy heart on July 1, 1122, Mallorca was surrendered to Aquitaine. Interestingly enough, Aimeric must have been so taken off guard by Ali's surrender that he had never attempted to usurp the title of Duke of Mallorca.

The 1120s also saw the Emir's eldest son also named Ali to come of age. Like his father, Ali would love books. His younger brother Tamim was significantly younger. The Emir was also blessed with three daughters. His youngest, Maha, was betrothed to an Almoravid heir. For better or worse, Ali's reign would be tied in with the fortunes of the Almoravids, who were very capable allies.

The early 1130s saw a period of wars for Aquitaine as a new king would ascend to the throne in Peire "the Accursed", and so Emir Ali would press all of his claims given this opportunity. He barely used the assistance of the Almoravids, and had conquered the islands of Mallorca for a second time in his lifetime on March 7, 1134.

NPbq8ZS.jpg


Of course against the grain of Ali's triumphs was more encroachment from the Iberian Christians. On July 12, 1136, Castille under Fernando "The Bold" would be the new rulers of Beja, weaking even further the Muslim hold on al-Andalus. At this point though Ali and his Almoravid allies would be enough to repel against attackers to the Emir's realm. The mid-1140s would give Emir Ali another opportunity to strike at the Christians as Aquitaine had another civil war and one of the counts in revolt against Piere controlled Denia. And thusly, Ali gathered his Turkic mercanies from far away and his own substantial levy and declared holy war. On April 18, 1146, he would gain the lands and add new prestige to the Zirid name.

u3YFmRv.jpg


The twilight years would see Emir Ali's forces and those of the Almoravids repel a French Holy War for Denia, and 1154's Battle of Elx was notable triumph over the French(the Scots had also been dragged into the ultimately unsuccessful war). By the time that Emir Ali would die on January 20, 1157, he had been Emir for nearly 65 years. His eldest son, Ali, would inherit both Emirates[Granada & Mallorca] and was over 50 himself.[Born April 13, 1105]. Clearly he wouldn't not reign nearly as long as his father would.

zdClJyD.jpg


Notable Rulers:
King Peire I "The Accursed" of Aquitaine
pRDhNmQ.jpg


King Ramon-Berenguer II "The Magnanimous" of Aragon.
4Lw5E2y.jpg


Kaiser Dietwin "the Accursed" [first but not last Waldensian heretic Kaiser]
8tgbthT.jpg


King Arnoul "The Quarreler" of France:

Dye2qGz.jpg
 
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Chapter 4: The Later Years of Emir Ali I "The Old" of Granada(1126-1157)
It would often be remarked the early 12th Century under Ali the first of his name was both the beginning of a massive change to Iberia in the form of Christian Reconquista, and an expansion of the power that the Zirids would hold in Iberia. Ali himself was not exempt from reversals. In the early 1120s, he would face two separate holy wars for his Emirate of Mallorca. One was from Aimeric "The Gentle" of the Kingdom of Aquitaine, and the other was from Baldarich "the Wise" of the Holy Roman Empire [which of course was neither Holy, nor Roman], who came from a line of Dukes of Upper Lorraine. Ali being a shrew ruler knew that the HRE was a giant and that he would not be able to fend off both of the invaders. Standard protocol also stated that Ali would gain a binding truce for a decade from whomever took Mallorca, and so with a heavy heart on July 1, 1122, Mallorca was surrendered to Aquitaine. Interestingly enough, Aimeric must have been so taken off guard by Ali's surrender that he had never attempted to usurp the title of Duke of Mallorca.

The 1120s also saw the Emir's eldest son also named Ali to come of age. Like his father, Ali would love books. His younger brother Tamim was significantly younger. The Emir was also blessed with three daughters. His youngest, Maha, was betrothed to an Almoravid heir. For better or worse, Ali's reign would be tied in with the fortunes of the Almoravids, who were very capable allies.

The early 1130s saw a period of wars for Aquitaine as a new king would ascend to the throne in Peire "the Accursed", and so Emir Ali would press all of his claims given this opportunity. He barely used the assistance of the Almoravids, and had conquered the islands of Mallorca for a second time in his lifetime on March 7, 1134.

NPbq8ZS.jpg


Of course against the grain of Ali's triumphs was more encroachment from the Iberian Christians. On July 12, 1136, Castille under Fernando "The Bold" would be the new rulers of Beja, weaking even further the Muslim hold on al-Andalus. At this point though Ali and his Almoravid allies would be enough to repel against attackers to the Emir's realm. The mid-1140s would give Emir Ali another opportunity to strike at the Christians as Aquitaine had another civil war and one of the counts in revolt against Piere controlled Denia. And thusly, Ali gathered his Turkic mercanies from far away and his own substantial levy and declared holy war. On April 18, 1146, he would gain the lands and add new prestige to the Zirid name.

u3YFmRv.jpg


The twilight years would see Emir Ali's forces and those of the Almoravids repel a French Holy War for Denia, and 1154's Battle of Elx was notable triumph over the French(the Scots had also been dragged into the ultimately unsuccessful war). By the time that Emir Ali would die on January 20, 1157, he had been Emir for nearly 65 years. His eldest son, Ali, would inherit both Emirates[Granada & Mallorca] and was over 50 himself.[Born April 13, 1105]. Clearly he wouldn't not reign nearly as long as his father would.

zdClJyD.jpg


Notable Rulers:
King Peire I "The Accursed" of Aquitaine
pRDhNmQ.jpg


King Ramon-Berenguer II "The Magnanimous" of Aragon.
4Lw5E2y.jpg


Kaiser Dietwin "the Accursed" [first but not last Waldensian heretic Kaiser]
8tgbthT.jpg


King Arnoul "The Quarreler" of France:

8tgbthT.jpg
uh, you didn't include an image of the french king.
 
[Note: this is still in the 2.5.2.2 part of the game in case anyone was wondering]

Chapter 5: Emir Ali II "The Scholar" (1157-1173)
GtUHEPC.jpg


After the death of Emir Ali I, who had expanded Granada's reach among diminishing Muslim presence in Iberia(Seville's sheikhdom would fall to the King of Aragon in 1155), it soon became clear that the new Emir, Ali II, was not the kind of Emir his father was. In fact, Emir Ali II "The Scholar" is widely considered a very mediocre ruler. Granada at this juncture did not need a mediocre ruler. But that was what Granada had gotten.

Ali had two sons, and he was widely expecting that his eldest(also named Ali, who had skills in diplomacy) would become his successor. In the meantime, he also had to deal with his decadent brother, Tamim, who had received a barony in Mallorca from Emir Ali I. Their relationship was not helped by the fact that Tamim considered himself as Occitan rather than Andalusian, since Tamim had been mentored by a warrior/mayor on the island of Mallorca(Ali overlooked the mayor Catholicism in exchange for the mayor's loyal service). Finally, Tamim had been discovered as part of a fabrication plot for Mallorca, and Ali had Tamim imprisoned.

a7bJ0tw.jpg


1165 is generally considered to be the annus horriblis for the Zirids. Ali II loses a war in which he was attempting to conquest Valencia, and the reparations were painful. Then the islands of Mallorca are taken by Aquitaine yet again on June 2, 1165., meaning that King Peire would reacquire the islands, but yet again, the King of Aquitaine never bothered to usurp the Duchy of Mallorca. And the most painful loss of all in 1165 was the death of Ali II's eldest son, Ali. So the succession now favored the youngest surviving son, Abdullah, who was never expected to rule.

SGsYA7a.jpg


Do6Zenw.jpg


It has been said that Emir Ali II was never the same after 1165. His nephews would wind up in the court of the Catholic Duchess of Gascony, where both would be educated by the Duchess's courtiers. Granada had recovered its finances to some degree, but then France seized its oppertunity to take Denia, and thusly Denia fell out of Zirid hands on September 13, 1171, and Ali II understandably became severely stressed, which would kill him a mere 18 months later on February 5, 1173. Abdullah was faced with the challenge of keeping Granada from falling.

mxmcGBA.jpg


Of interest to those who study the rich history of the Most Serene Republic of Venice, April 21, 1169 had seen the end of the Crusade for Italy against Kaiser Stefan "the Holy", and thusly the Most Serene Republic of Italy was created under Venetian hands. This basically marked the end of the HRE rule in Italy proper.
60VyNKI.jpg



Notable rulers:
Duchess Alic of Gascogne
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King Peire II of Aquitaine [slain in battle by Duchess Alic]
MdRvE7t.jpg


King Arnault "The Just" of France
89R9JAG.jpg


Kaiser Stefan "the Holy" of HRE
80bmO4J.jpg


Serene Doge Marco II "The Great" of Venice
XYY1wLx.jpg
 
Chapter 6: Abdullah, the forgotten Emir (1173-1177)
4iv1nVw.jpg


After the unfortunate reign of Emir Ali II, the Emirate passed to his only surviving son, Abdullah, who was also a very mediocre ruler. Only his administrative ability was up to snuff, but his personal diplomacy was considered horrendous. Since Abdullah was unexpectedly thrust into being the heir, he was raised to be content. Given the crisis that the Emirate of Granada faced at that moment, Abdullah was another example of the wrong leader at the wrong time.

As if Granada's troubles were not bad enough, the Emirate of Badajoz fell to the Christians a mere month after the death of Emir Ali II. And of course, Abdullah himself could not produce a son, which would mean Granada was going to face a succession crisis eventually on top of the collapse of their safety net in Iberia. Abdullah took the first steps to ensuring a good succession for Granada by seeking out his two cousins who were in the court of the Duchess of Gascogne. The elder one, Frederi, had accepted Abdullah's invitation when he came of age, since Frederi was a devout Sunni despite being raised as Occitan. The youngest, Tanim, was not yet of age, but there would be a wrinkle to inviting him anyway: Tamim was Catholic.

Seeing that he was backed against a wall, Abdullah made the mistake of trying to revoke Almeria from the sheikh, one Abdul-Rahim of House Sumadid. Abdul-Rahim had revolted, and Abdullah did not have enough men to suppress the revolt due to his levies being exhausted from being off holy wars from Aragon. Abdullah made the most difficult decision he ever had to make in his life, and so he surrendered to the sheikh, and was forced to abdicate October 7, 1177. Abdullah's reign of error only lasted a mere four years. His Occitan speaking cousin, Frederi, became the next Emir.

YK1NbCK.jpg


It is just as well that Abdullah ibn Ali became a footnote on Granada's history. He would never get the son he desired, and would move from court to court(he would at one point become Steward to the rapidly declining Riyahdid Emirate). At least Abdullah had a long life, as he would live to a ripe old age of 77, dying January 9, 1229.

State of Southern Europe, 1176:
Zilk9WX.jpg
 
Chapter 7: Frederi, the unlucky Emir(1177-1184)
sDZbnGR.jpg


After the abdication of Abdullah, his cousin Frederi(born January 1, 1149) became Emir. Frederi was the Grandson of not only Emir Ali I, but also a grandson of the Mansa of Mali, which would explain why chroniclers of the period would talk of two Moors that spoke Occitan, since both Frederi and his younger brother Tamim had been raised in Gascogne. The old ways still stuck to Frederi, who was a jack of all trades, master of none. At least the succession of Granada seemed a lot more clear, but Navarrese aggression reached new heights, and Frederi could also dread when King Egidio, with his alliances with Aquitaine and Castille, would come roaring to Granada. Even with mercenaries, holding off the large bannerman that Aquitaine & Castille could supply Navarra was going to be a problem even with the Almoravids and Riyadids wanting to assist.

gpvWnzZ.jpg


Frederi wanted to reach out to his younger brother, but Tamim insisted on staying in Gascogne even after he came of age, since Tamim had become a zealous Catholic under the tutelage of the Duchess of Gascogne. Of course, Frederi at least respected his brother, as Tamim had grew up to be a pretty good military man. But those concerns had to wait when Navarra declared its newest Holy War for Granada in the early 1280s. Frederi had prepared as best he could, but his inadequate levies were blown aside by the combined might of Castille, Aquitaine & Navarra and Frederi could only hire so many mercenary bands to protect the Emirate. Frederi tried to hold out as his holdings became under siege, but the meager help that the Almoravids could provide was not enough to stem the tide. Frederi then got desperate, and revoked the shiekhdom of Almeria. Unlike Abdullah, Frederi had been able to get it. But even with Almeria's levies, he still could not hope to dislodge the Christians from sieging his lands. It seemed like it would require a miracle for Granada to survive, but instead Frederi had a amazing streak of bad luck(although Granada itself maybe got its miracle) when he challenged the Wali of Tamisa by trying to revoke his title. The Wali revolted, but by then Frederi had no fight left in him, and he immediately surrendered to the Baron without going to battle.

Frederi was forced to abdicate on November 7,1184 and Granada now found itself with a Catholic ruler. Duke Tamim the Second had inherited a realm ravaged by war. His levy was nonexistant. He was the sole Catholic lord amongst a bunch of Sunni mayors and walis. The Almoravids still controlled Algecias, and remained a threat. This was the lowest point that Granada had ever seen. Many eyes were on Tamim to see if he would be able to keep Granada an independent realm.