not long before Yūsuf was slain in battle, and one morning Ṣumail himself was found dead, strangled by order of 'Abd-ar-Raḥmān.
In spite of his growing power 'Abd-ar-Raḥmān had to suppress other revolts, of which the most formidable was that of the Yemenites. In 764 Toledo made its submission. Its chiefs had to pass through Cordova clad in sackcloth, with their heads shaved and mounted on donkeys. But the Yemenites continued restless.
Shortly after 764 the Berbers, who had hitherto kept quiet, rose in arms, headed by a schoolmaster named Shakyā, half fanatic and half impostor, who gave himself out to be a descendant of Ali and Fāṭima. After six years of warfare 'Abd-ar-Raḥmān succeeded in sowing discord among them. He advanced against the rebels, who retreated northwards. Meanwhile the Yemenites and the Berbers of the East advanced towards Cordova. On the banks of the river Bembezar the Yemenites were treacherously left to their fate by the Berbers, and 30,000 perished at the hands of 'Abd-ar-Raḥmān's soldiers. The Berbers of the centre were only subdued after ten years' fighting, when Shakyā was murdered by one of his adherents.
In 777 A'rābī the Kalbite, governor of Barcelona, formed a league against 'Abd-ar-Raḥmān and sent to Charlemagne for help. Charles, who reckoned on the complete pacification of the Saxons, crossed the Pyrenees with an army. A'rābī was to support him north of the Ebro, where his sovereignty was to be recognised, while the African Berbers were to help in Murcia by raising the standard of the Abbasid Caliph, Charles's ally. But this coalition failed. Just as Charlemagne had begun the siege of Saragossa he was called home by the news that Widukind had re-entered Saxony and pushed on to Cologne. On his return to Francia through Roncesvalles the rear-guard his army was attacked and annihilated by the Basques. There the famous Roland, who was afterwards immortalised in the medieval epic, met his death. 'Abd-ar-Raḥmān reaped the benefit of these successes, which were due to his rebel subjects at Saragossa, to the Basques and to a Saxon prince who did not even know of his existence. He advanced and took possession of Saragossa; he attacked the Basques, and forced the Count of Cerdagne to become his tributary.
These feats were the admiration of the world and evoked from the Abbasid Caliph Manṣūr the following speech concerning 'Abd-ar-Raḥmān: "Although he had no other support to rely on but his statesmanship and perseverance, he succeeded in humbling his haughty opponents, in killing off all insurgents, and in securing his frontier against the attacks of the Christians. He founded a mighty empire, and united under his sceptre extensive dominions which had hitherto been divided among a number of different chiefs." This judgment is an exact description of 'Abd-ar-Raḥmān's life-work.
Detested by the Arab and Berber chiefs, deserted by his followers
