The Wolf King: Ibn Mardanish and the Construction of Power in al-Andalus

The Wolf King explores how political power was conceptualized, constructed, and wielded in twelfth-century al-Andalus, focusing on the reign of Muhammad ibn Sad ibn Ahmad ibn Mardanīsh (r. 1147–1172). Ibn Mardanīsh ruled a kingdom that at its peak constituted nearly half of al-Andalus and served as an important buffer between the Almohads and the Christian kingdoms of Castile and Aragon. Abigail Krasner Balbale shows that Ibn Mardanīsh's short-lived dynasty was an attempt to integrate al-Andalus more closely with the Islamic East, particularly the Abbasid caliphate. The book uses chronicles, chancery documents, poetry, architecture, coinage, and artifacts to uncover how Ibn Mardanīsh adapted language and cultural forms from around the Islamic world to assert and consolidate power and how these strategies influenced expressions of kingship in subsequent periods.

Format: Hardback
Length: 360 pages
Publication date: 15 January 2023
Publisher: Cornell University Press

The Wolf King delves into the intricate tapestry of political power in twelfth-century al-Andalus, shedding light on the tumultuous reign of Muhammad ibn Sad ibn Ahmad ibn Mardanīsh (r. 1147–1172). Renowned in Castilian and Latin sources as el rey lobo/rex lupus and maligned by Almohad and subsequent Arabic sources for his opposition to the Almohads and alliance with the Castilians, Ibn Mardanīsh governed a kingdom that, at its zenith, encompassed nearly half of al-Andalus and played a crucial role in safeguarding the Christian kingdoms of Castile and Aragon from the Almohad threat.

In her meticulous exploration of contemporary sources spanning the region, Abigail Krasner Balbale reveals that Ibn Mardanīsh's short-lived dynasty was, in fact, an audacious endeavor to forge closer ties between al-Andalus and the Islamic East, particularly the Abbasid caliphate. At the heart of his conflicts with the Almohads lay the very concept of the caliphate during this period, as well as the power to define righteous religious authority.

The Wolf King employs a diverse range of chronicles, chancery documents, poetry, architecture, coinage, and artifacts to unravel the intricate ways in which Ibn Mardanīsh adapted language and cultural forms from across the Islamic world to assert and consolidate power. Furthermore, the book meticulously tracks the lasting impact of these strategies and the memory of Ibn Mardanīsh on subsequent expressions of kingship throughout history.

Weight: 907g
Dimension: 229 x 152 x 30 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781501765872