IN July 711 AD, Tariq bin Ziyad, under the instructions of the Governor of Mughrab, Musa bin Nasir, anchored off the shore of Spain. Thus began the era of Muslim rule in the Iberian Peninsula which lasted up to 1492 AD. With this campaign is also attached the story of the ‘burning of the boats’. As a result of latest research, it has transpired that Tariq’s ordering the burning of boats was nowhere reported in the following historical sources of earlier period:
i. Tawarikh al-Fateh al-Andlusby Ibn Qutia, 4th century Hijra;
ii. Akhbar Majmoa, 4th century Hijra;
iii. Fatuhat Misr-o-Maghrab-wal-Andlus by Abdul Malik bin Habib and Abdul Hakam, 3rd century Hijra;
iv. Mubtada Kaliq Aldunya by Abubakar Muhammad Al Qurtabi;
v. Tawarikh Fatuhat Andlus by Ahmed bin Muhammad;
vi. Tawarikh Ibn Khuldun, 5th century Hijra;
vii. Al-Tabari, 3rd century Hijra.
For the first time, the incident was mentioned in 6th century Hijra by historians Abdul Malik bin Al Khardobos in the history of Al-Andlus and Abu Abdullah at Sharif Idreesi, without referring to any source. Later-day historians also repeated the incident without verifying the sources.
By the end of 7th century AD, Muslim conquests had reached as far as present-day Morocco, up to the shores of the Atlantic Ocean on the West, and on South up to the end of the Mediterranean Sea, thus ending the rule of the Byzantine Empire in Africa. However, on the far end of Morocco, on the Mediterranean coast, a small territory called Ceuta was still under the control of Count Julian, a remnant of Byzantine power. However, with the emperor being far off in Constantinople, the Count developed relations with Spain. His dependence on Spain created the erroneous impression that it was under the latter’s domain.
This place, because of its impregnable fort built by the Romans and despite repeated efforts, could not be taken by Musa bin Nasir. Out of expediency, he developed cordial relations with the Count. Here, the question arises as to why Muslims who were compelled to make peace with Count Julian dared to attack a much bigger alien territory of Europe. For the answer, we have to scan the pages of history.
Spain was under the rule of Rome till the year 415 AD, when Visigoths from the North wreaked havoc on the declining Byzantine Empire and finished their period of 500-year rule. They adopted Christianity as Seljuk who, after conquering the Muslim world, had converted to Islam. By the time Muslims were conquering Africa, Spain was under the rule of the last Visigoth king named Witica, a very ineffective monarch. Taking advantage of the king’s incompetence, his general, Roderick, overthrew and killed him and established himself as the king of Spain. Count Julian being a relative of the deposed king was outraged, but expediency forced him to keep a semblance of relationship with the usurper.
Later, an incident took place which made the Count more furious. In those days, as a matter of custom, he sent his daughter to the Court of Toledo to be educated as became her birth. But she, unfortunately, found favour in the eyes of the King Roderick who dishonoured her. This made her father outrageous and he entered into treaty with the Muslims and urged Musa bin Nasir to attempt its conquest and assured him of his help, including making ships available for transportation of the Muslim army.
Musa bin Nasir sought permission from the Caliph Walid bin Abdul Malik. The reply that came from Damascus was:
“Explore Spain with some light troops, but do not, at any rate for the present, expose a large army to the damages of expedition beyond the sea.”
Musa accordingly sent Abu Zora Tarif, his officer, with 500 men in four vessels supplied by the Count. He anchored off the shore of Spain and after conducting minor forays, returned to Africa in July 710 AD.
Next year, in the month of Ramazan, an army of 7,000 strong under the command of Tariq bin Ziyad crossed the 10-mile channel and landed at a place called Lion Rock, now called Gibraltar (Jabal al Tariq). At that time, King Roderick was campaigning at a far-off place in Basque country. When he heard about the landing of Muslims, he immediately collected 100,000 troops and prepared to meet the challenge.
On the other side, when Tariq came to know about the level of preparedness of the King, he immediately dispatched an emissary to Africa for urgent help. Musa bin Nasir sent a detachment of 5,000 and the number now rose to 12,000 soldiers. Apparently, during this period, Tariq was communicating with Musa bin Nasir through boats. Had he burnt them, he could not have made his position known and sought further aid from the headquarters.
Historical facts prove that the story of the burning of boats was a figment of the imagination of later-day historians. Besides, 1,000 years before the invention of wireless, the brave general and prudent commander that Tariq knew that he was leading a scanty force against a much stronger army in an alien territory, besides the instructions of the Caliph regarding the safety of soldiers. Therefore, during the two-month period between landing and commencement of war, the boats were the mode of communication and logistics between Tariq and Musa bin Nasir.
In the year 712 AD, Musa bin Nasir deputed his son, Abdullah bin Musa bin Nasir, as in-charge and left Africa with a force of 18,000 soldiers, crossed the Strait and took the cities of Medina and Caromina. He then marched to Cordova where Tariq came to greet him. Later, Musa sent Tariq to Toledo, 21 days’ journey from Cordova. Obviously, the boats that transported Musa bin Nasir’s army to Spain were the same provided by Count Julian and used by Tariq.
