south, where his good qualities won him general affection. Meanwhile Mahomet was succeeded (886) by his son Mundhir (886-888), who, however, was poisoned by his brother 'Abdallāh.
'Abdallāh ascended the throne at a disastrous time. Besides the revolts already begun he had to deal with the attempts of the Arab aristocracy to recover their independence. In Elvira (Granada), where there were numerous renegades, the Spaniards, whether Muslims or Christians, were called and treated as a low rabble by the Arabs. The result was a tremendous struggle between the two parties, who fought and massacred each other for many months.
Meanwhile greater events were happening at Seville. There power was divided between the Spanish party in the town, represented by the Beni-Angelino, and the Arab party in the remoter country, led by the Beni-Ḥajjāj and the Beni-Khaldūn. At the outset of 'Abdallāh's reign the leader of the Khaldūn was Ḳuraib, a treacherous but able man and a whole-hearted enemy of the monarchy. He formed a league to capture Seville and plunder the Spaniards. Under the guidance of Ḳuraib the Berbers of Mérida and Medellin made a terrible raid on Seville. The most formidable of the bandits was a Bornos Berber of Carmona, who was named Tamashecca. Mahomet ibn Ghālib, a gallant renegade from Écija, offered to make the roads secure if he were allowed to build a fortress near Siete Torres. He had begun his task when the Ḥajjāj and the Khaldūn attacked his castle. The Arabs promptly revolted, captured Carmona, and so filled Seville with alarm. To satisfy them 'Abdallāh resolved upon the treacherous execution of Ibn Ghālib. As soon as the renegades knew of the death of Ibn Ghālib, they rose to avenge him. The prince Mahomet, then at Seville, begged for reinforcements from the Beni-Angelino, who with some hesitation sent troops to hold the palace. Every moment the situation became more desperate, and it was only saved by the timely arrival of Jad, governor of Elvira. The Spanish party in Seville were afterwards almost all put to the sword by the Ḥajjāj and the Khaldūn. It was these tribes who reaped full advantage from the position of affairs, and not the Emir, while Jad's successors were constantly threatened and even placed under constraint.
Such was the position of affairs in Seville in 891. The rest of Muslim Spain was quite as independent. The lords of Mentesa, Medina Sidonia, Lorca and Saragossa only obeyed the Emir when it suited them. The Berbers had reverted to a system of tribal government. The renegades, however, maintained their position in Ocsonoba, in Beja and Mértola, and in Priego. The nobles in the province of Jaen were all in alliance with Omar ibn Ḥafṣūn. Another independent chief, Daisam ibn Isḥāḳ, was lord of almost the whole of Todmir (Murcia).
But the Emir's most formidable enemy was still Omar Ibn Ḥafṣūn. Although the Emir made a truce, Ibn Ḥafṣūn broke it whenever he chose. When Ibn Mastana of Priego, however, formed an alliance with
