The Arab Leader Who Arrived With His Army on The Outskirts of Paris

He is Anbasa bin Suhaim al-Kalbi, the prince of Andalusia, and one of the leaders of the martyrdom invaders in France, which some historians liken to the immortal leader Uqba bin Nafie, the hero of the conquest of the Great Maghreb. What do you know about this hero and his conquests in France? And where did he arrive? And how was it ending? Hassan. Here is his story in a nutshell.

His mandate over Andalusia and his personality
Anbasa took over the state of Andalusia, after the martyrdom of Al-Samh bin Malik Al-Khawlani, in the Battle of Tolosha (Toulouse), which took place on the day of Arafa 102 AH / June 10, 721, by appointing his cousin Bishr bin Safwan Al-Kalbi, Prince of Africa (102-109 AH), for the Caliph Yazid bin Abd King (101-105 AH), and this caliph had restored the subordination of Andalusia to Africa, and the amendment made by his predecessor, Caliph Omar bin Abdul Aziz, did not approve of separating it from it and making it an independent state in its own right. And the arrival of Anbasa, to his workplace in Cordoba, in Safar 103 AH / July 721, that is, only about three months after the martyrdom of the previous governor.

Anbasa, similar to tolerance, was efficient, and capable, in terms of military and administrative terms, pious, righteous, and faithful to the Islamic state and its people, and was passionate about jihad, and keen to continue the conquests to spread Islam and expand its territory, and he was one of the brave rulers, and prominent leaders, whom I knew Andalusia in the era of governors (95-138 AH), and his tenure over it was four and a half years, of which he spent nearly three years, in restoring security to Andalusia, organizing the administration, reforming the army, and preparing for jihad, behind the Albert Mountains. Things are fine. At the end of the year 105 AH / the beginning of the year 724 AD, Anbasa moved at the head of a large group of Muslims in Andalusia, and they were “the best of virtuous people, people of intention in jihad, and a measure of reward,” as Ibn Adhari said, and Anbasa crossed the Alberta Mountains with them from the eastern crossing. , which is the same crossing that Al-Samh and his army took before him, and it led to the province of Septimania, in southeastern France, and he began his activity there, by inspecting the conditions of the Muslims, at the Narbona hole.

Qarqshonna and Neema

After that, Anbasa intended to restore the rules, which departed from the Muslims’ obedience, after their defeat in Tolosha, and the discipline of the disobedient who rebelled against the Sultan of the Muslims, especially the city of Qarqsona, in the northwest of Narbouneh, and the city of Nima, in its northeast. He began his military effort, with the siege of Qarqsunna, the latter that resisted the siege, and it was a very fortified city, and therefore Arab sources call it “Qal’at Qarqsunna”, but Anbasa insisted in besieging it, and tightening the noose on those who were in it from fighting the Goths, until he forced them to surrender, And accepting the terms of peace that he stipulated on them, which are:

1. The release of the Muslim prisoners who held them in the Citadel of Medina, after the defeat of the Muslims in Tolosha.

2. Leaving the country and paying half of the agricultural land surrounding it to the Muslims.

3. To give the jizya to Muslims, in return for protecting them, enjoying their rights, and not violating their churches.

4. To commit themselves to supporting the Muslims, and standing with them against the common enemy (the Franks).

After that, Anbasa worked to impose security in this city, and arranged its garrison, and made it a second base for Muslims in France, in order to counter any attack that might target Narbouneh, from the side of Tolusha, in the northwest. After that, Anbasa resumed his movement, and turned east, at the head of his light and fast-moving battalions, to re-open Nima, and he opened it, without much resistance, because its people had understood the lesson, and Anbasa took a number of the sons of its leaders as hostages, and sent them to Barcelona, ​​in the north-east of Andalusia. , which the Muslims had taken as a fortress and a center for conquest, behind the Alberta Mountains, in order to ensure the obedience of these leaders, and that they would not rebel against Islamic supremacy in the future.

The Road to Paris..

Then Anbasa continued his march eastward, towards the Rhone River, which the Arabs called “Rodana” or “Rodana”, which is (Rodno according to the Idrisi), until he reached the city of Arles, located at the mouth of this river, and opened the province of Provence, located in the southeastern corner of France. , which allowed him the freedom to move northward, and he was safe, so he ascended along the course of the Rhone River, conquered Avignon, and continued to advance, until he reached the city of Lodone (Lyon), in the eastern half of France, and he conquered it, without much resistance, and then turned westward, And he crossed the Saoun River, until he reached the city of Autun, located in the center of France, in August 725 CE / Rabi’ 107 AH. From Autun, the brigades were broadcast in various directions, so that the brigades were able to reach Luxel, Vienne, Macon, Chalon, Bonn, Dijon, and others, from the cities of central-eastern France.

Some historians indicate that Anbasa penetrated north until it reached the city of Sans, located 30 miles east of Paris, the farthest distance a Muslim leader in Europe reached. After imposing the tribute on these cities, he withdrew back to the Muslim bases in the south, after the winter season raided him. Thanks to these astonishing victories of Assa, which took only a little time, the Muslims extended their dominion over the Rhone, and over the south-east of France, up to the center of it, overtaking the Loire, and coming within close proximity to the Seine. This far-reaching conquest, and its resounding blows, spread terror in the kingdom of the Franks, and in the southern and central duchies of France.

The Martyrdom of The Hero

However, these Anbasa conquests were not stable and sustainable conquests, so they did not last long, as the Muslims soon lost all those cities he conquered in eastern France, due to the lack of human factor and the lack of reinforcements coming from Andalusia. That is because when Anbasa returned to the south, with the advent of winter, and the fall of rain and snow, and after he had covered that long distance, large crowds of the Franks raided him, before his army met him, and cut off his return line, as he crossed a river, so he clashed with her. With his soldiers, in a fierce battle, which took place in an unknown place, and there is an opinion that it took place at the town of Tarscona, located on the Rhone River between the cities of Avignon and Arles, where the fighting took place, in environmental and natural conditions, very bad, the snowy weather, The rainy weather and the muddy soil impeded the freedom of movement of the Muslim fighters and paralyzed their ability to maneuver, so the swords, spears, and arrows of the Frankish gangs uprooted them. Thus, similar to the end of his predecessor (Al-Samah), his killing weakened the morale of the Muslims, forcing the rest of the army to return to its bases in Septimania, especially the fortified base of Narbona. Muslims did not lose anything from the bases of Septimania, after the martyrdom of Anbasa. The one who took command of the army on the way back was Athra bin Abdullah Al-Fihri, whom the church annals call “Hadra” or “Hudayra”, and he is an excuse for that. Tolosha.

Why Didn’t He Go to Tolusha?

As for why Anbasa did not go to Tolosha and open it, and take revenge on his predecessor (Al-Samh), from Duke Udo, and then continue the conquests in the province of Aqtania, after he reopened Qarqsona, which is near Tolosha, instead of turning towards the east, heading towards Nima, then the river rune? The reason for this is unknown, because the Arab and Frankish sources were silent about it, but we do not believe that this was for fear of an unsafe confrontation with Duke Odo, as some contemporary historians mentioned, but because Duke Odo, had pacified the Muslims, for fear that they would attack him once And he distanced himself from indulging in a war with them, after he tried their strength in the Battle of Tolosha, especially since he was afraid – and this is the most important reason – that his strong opponent, Charles, the visor of the palace of the Frankish kingdom, would invade his duchy, which he drooled over, and therefore, the Duke allowed Add to the Muslims, free movement, in the provinces of south-eastern France, which are not under his lordship.

This may be the most plausible reason, and without that, Anbasa would not have left this duke calm, on the outskirts of his country, and veering towards the east, instead, especially since this Duke Odo did not go to attack the Muslims, when Their incursion into the north, into the Rhone River basin, and no movement against them came from it, especially since some ecclesiastical annals, which were under the authority of Charles, in the north, attribute to Duke Odo this to summon the Muslims to invade Gaul, and to cooperate with them against his archenemy, Charles, head of the court of the Frankish state.