The Almoravid northern expeditions was a series of raids led by Muhammad ibn al-Hajj, the governor of Zaragoza against the Kingdom of Aragon and Catalonia.
Background
In 1110, the Almoravids took control of the Taifa of Zaragoza and its capital Zaragoza.[1] Zaragoza was the most important city in Sharq al-Andalus, as the Almoravids made it the capital of the Upper March (Arabic: الثغر الاعلى). Zaragoza was also a base for the Almoravids to launch campaigns against the Kingdom of Aragon and the Catalan Counties.
Expeditions
In 1112, Ibn al-Hajj left from Zaragoza with his forces heading to the lands of Aragon, where he destroyed the Huesca region and the surrounding cities.[2] The Almoravid forces reached the town of Ayera northeast of Huesca, where they captured and sacked it. Its governor, Íñigo Sanz de Laves, was among the prisoners.[3][4] The invading forces continued their attacks north, raiding the Cinca River and the foothills of the Pyrenees[5][6]
Between 1113 and 1114, the Almoravids, led by Ibn al-Hajj, carried out heavy raids on the regions of Huesca and Barbastro. During this campaign, the Almoravids recaptured the towns of Chalamera, Ontiñena, Pomar de Cinca, Sariñena and Velilla de Cinca.[7][8] The attacks reached Catalonia and the foothills of the Pyrenees.[9] There was no Aragonese or Christian resistance, as Ibn al-Hajj immediately returned to Zaragoza.[8]
Aftermath
The absence of Alfonso I had a profound impact on the southern borders of his kingdom, which he was then tasked with defending.[7] In late 1114, the governors of Zaragoza and Valencia, Muhammad ibn al-Hajj and Muhammad ibn Aisha, launched a campaign against Catalonia. While returning to Zaragoza, they were ambushed at Martorell by Catalan troops, resulting in the deaths of Muhammad ibn al-Hajj.
In 1118, after six years in captivity, Íñigo Sanz de Laves finally paid a ransom of 500 mithqals for himself, his wife, his son and his daughter.[10]