1200 ANNIVERSARY OF THE MUTINY OF THE SUBURB
El Motín del Arrabal
NOTE: I apologize for using the GOOGLE translator in this text, but I think the story it contains is worth it. It is a real fact in the history of my city, Córdoba - Spain. I have been lucky to be able to shape this interesting event with my design.
Córdoba- Spain, Century IX.
It reigned al-Haqem I, the most despotic of the Umayyad emirs. The inhabitants of the Shaqunda suburb of the Andalusian capital (now Miraflores), overwhelmed by the abusive taxes they were oppressed and by the mistreatment of the forces of order, in March 818 AD (202 Hegira ) , rebelled against the emir in a civil uprising that lasted three days and that endangered the Umayyad Alcázar and even the sovereign himself. Dominated the insurrection by the troops of the emir, those Cordoban had to endure the relentless punishment with which the riot was suppressed: the burning of their homes and businesses, the executions of relatives, friends and neighbors - more than 2,000 dead and up to 300 deaths in Cruz-, the loss of all their property and the exile of some 120,000 people who lived in the suburb.
Those exiled Cordovan families left their country, crossed the sea and 7,000 of them found refuge in the city of Fez (Morocco) where they created the medina of the Andalusians. The rest continued for years their painful exodus through North Africa, but managed to survive together, and there begins a great feat almost unknown in Spain.
It reigned al-Haqem I, the most despotic of the Umayyad emirs. The inhabitants of the Shaqunda suburb of the Andalusian capital (now Miraflores), overwhelmed by the abusive taxes they were oppressed and by the mistreatment of the forces of order, in March 818 AD (202 Hegira ) , rebelled against the emir in a civil uprising that lasted three days and that endangered the Umayyad Alcázar and even the sovereign himself. Dominated the insurrection by the troops of the emir, those Cordoban had to endure the relentless punishment with which the riot was suppressed: the burning of their homes and businesses, the executions of relatives, friends and neighbors - more than 2,000 dead and up to 300 deaths in Cruz-, the loss of all their property and the exile of some 120,000 people who lived in the suburb.
Those exiled Cordovan families left their country, crossed the sea and 7,000 of them found refuge in the city of Fez (Morocco) where they created the medina of the Andalusians. The rest continued for years their painful exodus through North Africa, but managed to survive together, and there begins a great feat almost unknown in Spain.
The outlaws of the suburb conquered Alexandria; after their expulsion from Egypt, they snatched Crete and many other smaller islands, to Byzantium in the year 827, founding there a Cordovan emirate that lasted almost a century and a half. Abũ Hafs al-Ballutí - a native of Pedroche (Córdoba) - was sworn in as the first emir of the newly born dynasty. There they were able to recreate their second Córdoba and recover their customs; they conquered Byzantium in decisive naval battles, minted their own currency, acclimated to the island crops that were not theirs, implanted the silkworm breeding and sedera industry, exploited their mines, brought Crete out of the recession it was in -Before I had lost even the monetary use-, they created their own culture, promoted a flourishing trade and opened the island to the world.
It was the struggle and the Odyssey of most of the inhabitants of today's Miraflores neighborhood for their survival. An unparalleled feat that put in check the invincible Byzantine Empire and brought the culture, crafts and cultures of Córdoba to the Hellenic islands.
The vindication and the recognition of the deed and the consequent mixture of the bloods and the cultures cordobesas and cretenses would take to the twinning of Cordova and Crete - Cordoba and Heraklion, the present capital of Crete that was founded by the Cordovan ones in Century IX .
The vindication and the recognition of the deed and the consequent mixture of the bloods and the cultures cordobesas and cretenses would take to the twinning of Cordova and Crete - Cordoba and Heraklion, the present capital of Crete that was founded by the Cordovan ones in Century IX .
TEXTO EN ESPAÑOL
Córdoba, siglo IX.
Reinaba al-Haqem I, el más despótico de los emires omeyas. Los habitantes del arrabal de Shaqunda de la capital andalusí (actual Miraflores), agobiados por los abusivos impuestos con que se les oprimía y por el maltrato de las fuerzas del orden, en marzo de 818 d.C., se rebelaron contra el emir en un levantamiento civil que duró tres días y que puso en peligro al Alcázar omeya y hasta al mismo soberano. Dominada la insurrección por las tropas del emir, aquellos cordobeses hubieron de padecer el implacable castigo con que se reprimió el motín: el incendio de sus casas y negocios, las ejecuciones de familiares, amigos y vecinos —más de 2.000 muertos y hasta 300 muertes en cruz—, la pérdida de todos sus bienes y el destierro de unas 120.000 personas que habitaban el arrabal.
Aquellas familias cordobesas desterradas abandonaron su país, cruzaron el mar y 7.000 de ellas encontraron refugio en la ciudad de Fez (Marruecos) donde crearon la medina de los Andaluces . El resto continuó durante años su penoso éxodo por el norte de África, pero lograron sobrevivir unidos, y ahí comienza una gran gesta casi desconocida en España.
Los proscritos del arrabal conquistaron Alejandría; tras su expulsión de Egipto, arrebataron Creta y muchas otras islas de menor tamaño, a Bizancio en el año 827, fundando allí un emirato Cordobés que perduró casi siglo y medio. Fue jurado Abũ Hafs al-Ballutí —un natural de Pedroche— como primer emir de la recién nacida dinastía. Allí pudieron recrear su segunda Córdoba y recobrar sus costumbres; vencieron a Bizancio en decisivas batallas navales, acuñaron su propia moneda, aclimataron a la isla cultivos que no le eran propios, implantaron la cría del gusano de seda y la industria sedera, explotaron sus minas, sacaron a Creta de la recesión en que se hallaba —antes había llegado a perder hasta el uso monetario—, crearon su propia cultura, impulsaron un comercio floreciente y abrieron la isla al mundo.
Fue la lucha y la Odisea de la mayor parte de los habitantes del hoy barrio de Miraflores por su supervivencia. Una gesta inigualable que puso en jaque al invencible imperio bizantino y llevó la cultura, la artesanía y los cultivos cordobeses a las islas helénicas.
La reivindicación y el reconocimiento de la gesta y la consecuente mezcla de las sangres y las culturas cordobesas y cretenses deberían llevar al hermanamiento de Córdoba y Creta -ó Córdoba y Heraklion, la actual capital de Creta que fue fundada por los cordobeses en el Siglo IX.
