Abd al-Rahman III

Abd-ar-Rahman III
Amir al-Mu'minin
Abd-ar-Rahman III and his court in Medina Azahara, by Dionisio Baixeras Verdaguer.
15th Caliph of Umayyad Dynasty 1st Caliph of Córdoba
Reign	16 January 929 – 15 October 961
Proclamation	16 January 929 (aged 38)
Predecessor	Himself as emir
Successor	Al-Hakam II
8th Emir of Córdoba
Reign	16 October 912 – 16 January 929
Bay'ah	17 October 912 (aged 21)
Predecessor	Abdullah
Successor	Emirate transformed as Caliphate
Born	(891-01-07)7 January 891 Córdoba
Died	15 October 961(961-10-15) (aged 70) Córdoba
Burial	Alcázar of Córdoba
Consort	Fatima Al-Mundhir Marjan or Murjan (favorite)
Issue	Sons in order of birth according to Ibn Hazm: Al-Hakam II (son of Murjan) Abd al-Aziz Al-Asbagh Ubayd Allah Abd al-Jabbar Abd al-Malik Sulayman Abdullah Marwan Al-Mundhir Al-Mugira
Full name Kunya: Abu al-Mutarrif (أبو المطرف) Laqab: Al-Nasir Lideenillah (الناصر لدين الله) Nasab: Abd-ar-Rahman Muhammad ibn Abdullah ibn Muhammad ibn Abd ar-Rahman ibn Al-Hakam ibn Hisham ibn Abd ar-Rahman ibn Muawiya ibn Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan ibn Al-Hakam ibn Abi al-'As ibn Umayya
Dynasty	Umayyad (Spanish branch) House of Íñiguez
Father	Muhammad ibn Abdullah
Mother	Muzna (originally Maria?)
Religion	Sunni Islam (Maliki school)

Abd-ar-Rahman III (′Abd ar-Rahmān ibn Muhammad ibn ′Abd Allāh ibn Muhammad ibn ′abd ar-Rahman ibn al-Hakam ar-Rabdi ibn Hisham ibn ′abd ar-Rahman ad-Dakhil;Arabic: عبد الرحمن الثالث‎‎; 11 January 889/91 – 15 October 961) was the Emir and Caliph of Córdoba (912–961) of the Umayyad dynasty in al-Andalus. Called al-Nasir li-Din Allah ("the Defender of God's Faith"), he ascended the throne in his early 20s, and reigned for half a century as the most powerful prince of Iberia. Although people of all creeds enjoyed tolerance and freedom of religion under his rule, he repelled the Fatimids, partly by supporting their Maghrawa enemies in North Africa, and partly by claiming the title Caliph (ruler of the Islamic world) for himself.

Abd ar-Rahman was born in Córdoba, the grandson of Abdullah, seventh independent Umayyad emir of Al-Andalus. His parents were Abdullah's son Muhammad and Muzna (or Muzayna), a Christian concubine. His paternal grandmother was also a Christian, the royal infanta Onneca Fortúnez, daughter of the captive king Fortún Garcés of Pamplona. Abd ar-Rahman was thus nephew in the half-blood of queen Toda of Navarre. He is described as having:

.. white skin, blue eyes and attractive face; good looking, although somewhat sturdy and stout. His legs were short, to the point that the stirrups of his saddle were mounted just one palm under it. When mounted, he looked tall, but on his feet he was quite short. He dyed his beard black.