Count Cassius
Encyclopedia
Count Cassius also Count Casius, kumis Kasi or kumis Qasi, was a Hispano-Roman
or Visigoth
ic nobleman that originated the Banu Qasi
dynasty.
According to the 10th century Muwallad
historian Ibn al-Qutiyya, Count Cassius converted to Islam
in 714 as the mawali
(client) of the Umayyads, shortly after the Umayyad conquest of Hispania
, and his family came to be called the Banu Qasi (sons or descendants of Cassius). Cassius had converted at the hands of the Arab
, Hassan ibn Yassar al-Hudhali, qadi
in Zaragossa at the time of Abd ar-Rahman's arrival in the peninsula. He converted to Islam as a means to preserve his lands and political power. Cassius joined forces with Musa ibn Nusayr and Tariq ibn Ziyad and travelled to Damascus
to personally swear allegiance to the Caliph
Al-Walid I.
Another Arab historian Ibn Hazm
who lived in the 11th century, listed his sons as Fortun, Abu Tawr, Abu Salama, Yunus and Yahya. The Banu Qasi dynasty was directly descended from Fortun, the eldest son of Count Cassius, while it has been suggested that the second son may be the Abu Taur of Huesca
who invited Charlemagne to Zaragoza
in 778. It has further been suggested that the Banu Salama
, a family that ruled Huesca
and Barbitanya (Barbastro
) in the late 10th century, may descend from Abu Salama.
At the time of the Muslim arrival and after, Cassius ruled an area comprising Tudela
, Tarazona
, Borja
and probably Ejea
.
However, there is a certain degree of doubt among some historians as to whether Count Cassius ever existed, partly because the name Cassius is not attested to anywhere in the period as a name. They point out that the origins of the Banu Qasi, as recounted by Ibn al-Qutiyya, could be a product of the spurious antiquarianism of the latter Umayyad period rather than reliable genealogy, that satisfied the need for stories which bridged the conquest.
Hispania
Another theory holds that the name derives from Ezpanna, the Basque word for "border" or "edge", thus meaning the farthest area or place. Isidore of Sevilla considered Hispania derived from Hispalis....
or Visigoth
Visigoth
The Visigoths were one of two main branches of the Goths, the Ostrogoths being the other. These tribes were among the Germans who spread through the late Roman Empire during the Migration Period...
ic nobleman that originated the Banu Qasi
Banu Qasi
The Banu Qasi, Banu Kasi, Beni Casi or Banu Musa were a Basque Muladi dynasty that ruled the upper Ebro valley in the 9th century, before being displaced in the first quarter of the 10th century.-Dynastic beginnings:...
dynasty.
According to the 10th century Muwallad
Muladi
The Muladi were Muslims of ethnic Iberian descent or of mixed Arab, Berber and European origin, who lived in Al-Andalus during the Middle Ages. They were also called "Musalima" .-Etymology:...
historian Ibn al-Qutiyya, Count Cassius converted to Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
in 714 as the mawali
Mawali
Mawali or mawālá is a term in Classical Arabic used to address non-Arab Muslims.The term gained prominence in the centuries following the early Arab Muslim conquests in the 7th century, as many non-Arabs such as Persians, Egyptians, and Turks converted to Islam...
(client) of the Umayyads, shortly after the Umayyad conquest of Hispania
Umayyad conquest of Hispania
The Umayyad conquest of Hispania is the initial Islamic Ummayad Caliphate's conquest, between 711 and 718, of the Christian Visigothic Kingdom of Hispania, centered in the Iberian Peninsula, which was known to them under the Arabic name al-Andalus....
, and his family came to be called the Banu Qasi (sons or descendants of Cassius). Cassius had converted at the hands of the Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
, Hassan ibn Yassar al-Hudhali, qadi
Qadi
Qadi is a judge ruling in accordance with Islamic religious law appointed by the ruler of a Muslim country. Because Islam makes no distinction between religious and secular domains, qadis traditionally have jurisdiction over all legal matters involving Muslims...
in Zaragossa at the time of Abd ar-Rahman's arrival in the peninsula. He converted to Islam as a means to preserve his lands and political power. Cassius joined forces with Musa ibn Nusayr and Tariq ibn Ziyad and travelled to Damascus
Damascus
Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
to personally swear allegiance to the Caliph
Caliph
The Caliph is the head of state in a Caliphate, and the title for the ruler of the Islamic Ummah, an Islamic community ruled by the Shari'ah. It is a transcribed version of the Arabic word which means "successor" or "representative"...
Al-Walid I.
Another Arab historian Ibn Hazm
Ibn Hazm
Abū Muḥammad ʿAlī ibn Aḥmad ibn Saʿīd ibn Ḥazm ) was an Andalusian philosopher, litterateur, psychologist, historian, jurist and theologian born in Córdoba, present-day Spain...
who lived in the 11th century, listed his sons as Fortun, Abu Tawr, Abu Salama, Yunus and Yahya. The Banu Qasi dynasty was directly descended from Fortun, the eldest son of Count Cassius, while it has been suggested that the second son may be the Abu Taur of Huesca
Abu Taur of Huesca
Abu Taur was the Wali of Huesca in 777, who joined Sulayman al-Arabi in offer his submission to Charlemagne and collaborated with Frankish forces in the unsuccessful assault on Zaragoza in 778. It has been suggested that he may be identical to Abu Tawr ibn Qasi, son of the eponymous ancestor of...
who invited Charlemagne to Zaragoza
Zaragoza
Zaragoza , also called Saragossa in English, is the capital city of the Zaragoza Province and of the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain...
in 778. It has further been suggested that the Banu Salama
Banu Salama
Banu Salama Tudjibid family that governed the regions of Huesca and Barbitanya in the Upper Mark of Al-Andalus c. 780-800. In 800 Bahlul Ibn Marzuq, revolted in Zaragoza, taking the region and the Banu Salama were deposed....
, a family that ruled Huesca
Huesca
Huesca is a city in north-eastern Spain, within the autonomous community of Aragon. It is also the capital of the Spanish province of the same name and the comarca of Hoya de Huesca....
and Barbitanya (Barbastro
Barbastro
Barbastro is a city in the Somontano county, province of Huesca, Spain...
) in the late 10th century, may descend from Abu Salama.
At the time of the Muslim arrival and after, Cassius ruled an area comprising Tudela
Tudela, Navarre
Tudela is a municipality in Spain, the second city of the autonomous community of Navarre. Its population is around 35,000. Tudela is sited in the Ebro valley. Fast trains running on two-track electrified railways serve the city and two freeways join close to it...
, Tarazona
Tarazona
Tarazona is a municipality in the Spanish province of Zaragoza, in the autonomous community of Aragon. It is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tarazona and the capital of the Tarazona y el Moncayo Aragonese comarca.- History :...
, Borja
Borja, Zaragoza
Borja is a town in the province of Zaragoza, community of Aragon, north-eastern Spain.-History:The town's origins date back to the 5th century BC, when a Celtiberian settlement, known as Bursau or Bursao, existed near the current ruins of the castle...
and probably Ejea
Ejea de los Caballeros
Ejea de los Caballeros is a town and municipality in the province of Zaragoza, part of the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain. It is one of the five main towns in the Comarca de las Cinco Villas...
.
However, there is a certain degree of doubt among some historians as to whether Count Cassius ever existed, partly because the name Cassius is not attested to anywhere in the period as a name. They point out that the origins of the Banu Qasi, as recounted by Ibn al-Qutiyya, could be a product of the spurious antiquarianism of the latter Umayyad period rather than reliable genealogy, that satisfied the need for stories which bridged the conquest.