Marwan (Umayyad) bin 'Abd al-Rahman (aft. 915 - bef. 961)

Born after 13 Jan 0915 in Córdoba, Al-Ándalus [uncertain]

Ancestors

Died before 15 Oct 0961 before age 46 in Córdoba, Al-Ándalus [uncertain]

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Biography

Marwan bin 'Abd al-Rahman was the son of 'Abd al-Rahman III, or Abderramán III, who succeeded his grandfather, 'Abd Allah or Abdallah bin Muhammad, as the eighth Emir Omeya of Al-Ándalus, and who became the first Caliph of Córdoba in 0929, using the title "al-Nasir li-Din Allah" ("the Defender of God's Faith"). ^[1] His mother's name is not known, although she may have been one of his father's three main wives: Fátima bint Abu l-Hakam, his only free-born wife, and the daughter of one of his great uncles, the Emir, Al-Mundir I, Maryan, or Marjan or Murjan, a slave of Christian origin who was the mother of his successor, al-Hakam II, and his principal favorite until she died, and Mustad or Mustaq, Mushtaq, his last favorite, once the other two had died.

'Abd al-Rahman is said to have had 11 sons and 16 daughters. ^[2] but he actually had 18 or 19 sons, 11 of whom survived childhood. ^[1] Considering his harem reportedly contained more than 6,300 women, the figure is underwhelming, ^[3] although it does seem to be within the average because 10 generations of Emirs and Caliphs, beginning with 'Abd al-Rahman I and up to and including Hakam II, appear to have produced around 143 males and 135 females, i.e., around 28 adult children per generation. ^[4]

According to the scholar Ibn Hazm, the names of the 10 sons who survived childhood, apart from al-Hakam bin 'Abd al-Rahman, (0915-0976), who succeeded him, were (in the order of their birth): ^[5]

1. 'Abd al-Aziz (*)
2. Al-Asbagh (*)
3. Ubayd Allah
4. 'Abd al-Jabbar
5. 'Abd al-Malik
6. Sulayman
7. Abdullah
8. Marwan
9. Al-Munhir (*)
10. Al-Mugira (*)

Another list, slightly different, comes from an anonymous chronicler, who cites Hakam's brothers as ^[6]

1. Al-Mundir (*)
2. Abdullah
3. Ubayd Allah
4. 'Abd al-Jabbar
5. Sulayman
6. 'Abd al-Malik
7. Marwan
8. Al-Asbagh (*)
9. Al-Zubayr (instead of 'Abd al-Aziz (*))
10. Al-Mugira (*)

The second list has been used in WT, substituting the name of Al-Zubayr for 'Abd al-Aziz who is known to have survived his father (see below). However, the sequence of births seems better adjusted to the succession of favorite wives, according to the few names that can be connected to their mothers.

Arab Horsemen, Eugène Fromentin

Only 5 (*) sons survived him at his death in Oct 0961: al-Hakam II, and the princes 'Abd al-Aziz, al-Mundir, al-Asbagh y al-Mugira. ^[1]

Based on the previous information, the birth date for all the males in the list above, except for the youngest, al-Mugira, has been estimated @ after 13 Jan 0915 (birth date of their eldest brother, al-Hakam II). The death date has also been estimated, using the death date of their father (15 Oct 0961), in this case @ before 15 Oct 0961. The birth and death locations have been assigned, arbitrarily, in Córdoba, Al-Ándalus. Note that 'Abd al-Rahman III did not allow his sons, with the exception of his heir and the youngest, to reside in the royal palace after childhood, in an attempt to avoid conspiracies. As they grew up, they were sent to luxurious residences and given allowances so that they could live opulently, but completely apart from court life. ^[7]

Basic information:

ProFN: Marwan

PreFN: Marwan

OtherNick:

MidN: ---

LNAB: Umayyad

CLN: bin 'Abd al-Rahman

OTHERLN: ---

SUFFIX: ---

BDATE: after 13 Jan 0915

BPLACE: possibly, Córdoba, Al-Ándalus

DDATE: before 15 Oct 0961

DPLACE: possibly, Córdoba, Al-Ándalus

GENDER: Male

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} _ WIKIPEDIA: "Abd al-Rahman III", accessed 12 Jul 2019 (blss)
2. ↑ _ Al-Andalus, VIDA COTIDIANA: MUSULMANES Y CRISTIANOS, Masía, Concha, "Una aproximación a la vida personal y familiar de Abd al-Rahman III", 22 Jun 2013, accessed 12 Jul 2019 (blss)
3. ↑ _ "961: Abd-ar-Rahman III: Ruler who had a Harem with 6,300 Women, accessed 12 Jul 2019 (blss)
4. ↑ _ Vallvé Bermejo, Joaquín, Al-Andalus: Sociedad e Instituciones, Real Academia de Historia, 1999, p. 50, accessed 12 Jul 2019 (blss)
5. ↑ _ WIKIWAND: "Abd al-Rahman III", accessed 12 Jul 2019 (blss)
6. ↑ _ Vallvé Bermejo, Joaquín, Al-Andalus: Sociedad e Instituciones, Real Academia de Historia, 1999, p. 48, accessed 12 Jul 2019 (blss)
7. ↑ _ WIKIPEDIA: "Abd al-Rahman III", accessed 12 Jul 2019 (blss)