, Íñigo Arista Of Pamplona

Íñigo Arista (Basque: Eneko "my little (love)", Arabic: ??????, Wannaqo,c. 790 – 851 or 852) was a Basque leader considered the first King ofPamplona. He is thought to have risen to prominence after the defeat oflocal Frankish partisans in 816, and his rule is usually dated fromshortly after the defeat of a Carolingian army in 824. He is firstattested by chroniclers as a rebel against the Emirate of Córdoba from840 until his death a decade later. Remembered as the nation''s founder,he would be referred to as early as the 10th century by the nickname"Arista",[1] coming either from Basque Aritza (Haritza/Aiza, literally''the oak'', meaning ''the resilient'') or Latin Aresta (''theconsiderable'').[2]

The origin of Íñigo Arista is obscure. There is even disagreementregarding the name of his father. A charter preserved at Leyre describeshim as Enneco ... filius Simeonis (Íñigo son of Jimeno) and another Leyredocument reports the obituary of Enneco Garceanes, que fuit vulgaritervocas Areista (Íñigo Garcés [son of García], who is commonly calledArista). Many later historians have followed one or the other of these,but the reliability of both are questioned due to the possibility oflater corruption or forgery. 11th century chroniclers Ibn Hayyan, whocalls him and his brother both ibn Wannaqo (Arabic: ?? ??????, Íñiguez),and Al-Udri (ibn Yannaqo) indicate that his father was likewise namedÍñigo.[3] He is said by Rodrigo Jiménez de Rada (c. 1170–1247) to havebeen count of Bigorre, or at least to have come from there, but there isno near-contemporary evidence of this.[4] It has been speculated that hewas kinsman of García Jiménez, who in the late 8th century succeeded hisfather Jimeno ''the Strong'' in resisting Carolingian expansion intoVasconia. A second dynasty of Pamplona monarchs that would supplant his,the Jimena, are usually made to be related to him.[1]
The name of Íñigo''s mother is unknown (she is sometimes called Oneca,without foundation) but it is known that she also married local muwalladlord Musa ibn Fortun ibn Qasi, by him having son Musa ibn Musa ibnQasi.[5] This younger Musa would become head of the Banu Qasi, ruler ofTudela and one of the chief lords of Ebro Valley. Due to thisrelationship, Íñigo and his kin frequently acted in alliance with Musaibn Musa and this relationship allowed Íñigo to extend his influence overlarge territories in the Pyrenean valleys, and was also instrumental inthe rebellions that would lead to Pamplona breaking with the Emirate.

The family came to power through struggles over Frankish and Córdobaninfluence in northern Iberia. In 799, pro-Frankish assassins murderedMutarrif ibn Musa, governor of Pamplona, perhaps the brother of Musa ibnMusa ibn Qasi and even of Íñigo himself. Ibn Hayyan reports that in 816,Abd al-Karim ibn Abd al-Wahid ibn Mugit launched a military campaignagainst the pro-Frankish "Enemy of God", Velasco ''the Gascon'' (Arabic:???? ????????, Balašk al-Yalašqi), Sahib of Pamplona (Arabic: ????????????), who had united Christian and pagan factions. They fought athree-day battle in which the pro-Córdoba faction routed their enemiesand killed Velasco, along with García López, kinsman of Alfonso II ofAsturias, Sancho "warrior/knight of Pamplona", and pagan warrior"?altan". This defeat of the pro-Frankish force appears to have allowedthe anti-Frankish Íñigo to come to power. In 820, Íñigo is said to haveintervened in the County of Aragon, ejecting a Frankish vassal, countAznar I Galíndez, in favor of García el Malo (the Mean), who would becomeÍñigo''s son-in-law. In 824, a Carolingian force led by counts Aeblus andAznar Sánchez made an expedition against Pamplona, but were defeated inthe second Battle of Roncesvalles. Traditionally, this battle isportrayed as resulting in the crowning of Íñigo as "King of Pamplona",but there is no direct evidence of his involvement in the battle or hiscrowning thereafter, and he is referred to by Arabic chroniclers with thesame title as given Velasco, "Lord of Pamplona". His realm wouldcontinually play Muslim and Christian against themselves and each otherto maintain independence against the outside powers.

In 840 Íñigo''s lands were attacked by Abd Allah ibn Kulayb, wali ofZaragoza, leading his half-brother, Musa ibn Musa into rebellion.[6]Íñigo''s son García acted as regent, in concert with Íñigo''s warriorbrother Fortún Íñiguez (Arabic: ????? ?? ??????, Fortun ibn Wannaqo), whowas also half-brother of Musa, and they joined Musa in an uprisingagainst the Emirate of Córdoba. Abd-ar-Rahman II, emir of Córdoba,launched reprisal campaigns in the succeeding years. In an 843 battle,Fortún Íñiguez was killed, and Musa unhorsed and forced to escape onfoot, while Íñigo and his son Galindo escaped with wounds and severalnobleman, most notably Velasco Garcés, defected to Abd-ar-Rahman. Thesubsequent year, Íñigo''s own son, Galindo Íñiguez and Musa''s son Lubb ibnMusa went over to Córdoba, and Musa was forced to submit. Following abrief campaign in 845, a general peace was achieved.[7] In 850, Musaagain rose in open rebellion, supported by Pamplona,[8] and envoys ofInduo (thought to be Íñigo) and Mitio,[9] "Dukes of the Navarrese", werereceived at the French court. Íñigo died in the Muslim year 237 A.H.,which is late 851 or early 852, and was succeeded by his son GarcíaÍñiguez.[10]

During the lifetime of Íñigo, the existence of several monasteries isattested across Navarre, when the Cordovan priest Eulogius had to stay inthe area (848). In a letter written to Willesind, not only does Eulogiusreveal that the Basque leader was a christicola princeps but he providesthe names of three monasteries not far from Pamplona: Siresa, St.Zacharias and Leyre. The iconic monastery of Leyre, founded in the 9thcentury[11] and claimed later to be founded by the king of Pamplona, wasfostered by granting lands and estates to it. A document in the archivesof the monastery shows that in 842, Íñigo bestowed the town and lands ofYesa on Leyre ("Ego rex Eneco concedo..."), although the authenticity ofthe document recording this grant is disputed. Íñigo himself is reportedto have been buried in the monastery after his death in 851/852.

The name of the wife (or wives) of Íñigo is not reported in contemporaryrecords, although sources from centuries later assign her the name ofToda or Oneca.[12] There is also scholarly debate regarding herderivation, some hypothesizing that she was daughter of Velasco, lord ofPamplona (killed 816), and others making her kinswoman of Aznar IGalíndez.[13] He was father of the following known children:[14]
Assona Íñiguez, who married her father''s half-brother, Musa ibn Musa ibnFortun ibn Qasi, lord of Tudela and Huesca
García Íñiguez, regent and then Íñigo''s successor as ''king''.
Galindo Íñiguez, fled to Córdoba where he was friend of Eulogio ofCórdoba. The Musa ibn Galind, Amil of Huesca in 860, assassinated in 870,was apparently his son.[15]
a daughter, wife of Count García el Malo (the Mean) of Aragón.