Battle of Sagrajas (Zallaqa)
Plain north of Badajoz, Extremadura, Spain
What happened
The Almoravid leader Yusuf ibn Tashfin and the Andalusian kings led by al-Mu'tamid of Seville fought King Alfonso VI of León and Castile. In 1085 Alfonso VI captured Toledo, and the Muslim kings of al-Andalus feared they would be next. They asked the Almoravids, a powerful dynasty from Morocco, for help, and Yusuf crossed the sea with his army. Near Badajoz, Alfonso's knights first pushed back the front lines, but Yusuf's reserve attacked the Castilian camp, and the wounded Alfonso retreated at night.
Why it matters
Why it matters: It stopped Alfonso's advance into the south of Spain. It also brought the Almoravids into Spain, where they soon took over the Muslim kingdoms they had come to help.
What came next
Yusuf returned to Spain in 1088 and 1090. The Almoravids then removed the local kings and took cities including Seville, Granada and Córdoba.
Did you know?
Yusuf brought camels from Morocco, and the sight of them panicked the Castilian horses.
Timeline
- 1085Alfonso VI captures Toledo.
- 23 October 1086The Almoravids and Andalusians win at Sagrajas.
- 1088Yusuf returns to al-Andalus.
- 1090Yusuf returns again and begins removing the local kings.