El Cid

El Cid was born Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar, count of Bivar in 1043 in Burgos, Spain. The son of Don Diego Lainez de Vivar and Teresa Munez De Amayo, he was later given the title of seid or cid meaning lord or chief by the Moors and that of "Campeador" or champion by his own countrymen. El Cid's family were members of the minor nobility of Castile. However, on his mother's side, El Cid was connected with the great landed aristocracy. He married ca 1063 to Jimena Diaz, niece of Alfonso, son of Ferdinand I and thus allied to the royal dynasty of Leon. Together, El Cid and his wife, Jimena had two daughters and one son. The son, Diego, was killed in battle against the Moslim Almoravid invaders of North Africa at Consuega in 1097. El Cid grew up in the court of Sancho, who, out of honor for the services of El Cid's father, had retained El Cid at the court and seen to his education and military training. Sancho's father, Ferdinand I, had, upon his death, divided his dominions between his three sons: Sancho, Alfonso and Garcia, and his two daughters: Elvira and Uraca, upon the promise that they would abide by his wishes in the division. Sancho, who had inherited the kingdom of Castile, believed he should have rightfully inherited the entire kingdom. He therefore planned to despoil his brothers and sisters of their inheritance. In 1063, El Cid fought for the king of Castile at the Battle of Graus. The Moslim king of Zaragoza, Al-Muktadir, defeated the king of Aragon, Ramiro I, who died in the battle. The king of Castile, Fernando, sent his son, Sancho, to aid the protected Al-Muktadir. El Cid, then only twenty, took part as a member of Sancho's troops. In Sancho's war with Aragon, El Cid would prove himself with such distinction that he would, at the age of only twenty-two, receive the office of standard bearer or commander-in-chief of the king's troops. El Cid accompanied Sancho on a campaign against the Moorish kingdom of Saragossa in 1067. He played a major role in the negotiations that made its king, al-Muqtadir, a tributary of the Castilian crown. Following the war with Aragon, Sancho began to deploy his plan to rule over the entire kingdom. With the help of El Cid, Sancho successfully gained his brother's portions of Leon and Galicia. He then took the city of Toro, the inheritance of his sister, Elvira. Laying siege to the city of Zamora, the possession of his sister, Urraca, he was treacherously murdered by Vellido Dolfos before the gates of the city in 1072. Sancho died childless, leaving Alfonso as his only heir. Upon receiveing the news of the death of Sancho, Alfonso, who had been exiled to the Moorish city of Toledo, set out to claim the throne as Alfonos VI. He was opposed by his brother, Garcia. Galicia and especially Castile, objected to rule by a Leonese king. Before assuming the throne of Castile, the nobles of the province, led by El Cid, insisted that he swear that he had no hand in the death of his brother and that El Cid officiate at his coronation, creating animosity between Alfonso and El Cid. Alfonso was crowned at Santa Gadea before the assembled nobility. In 1079, Alfonso sent El Cid to collect tribute from the Moorish king of Seville. During the mission, El Cid became involved in a conflict between Garcia Ordonez, who was aiding the king of Granada on his invasion of the kingdom of Seveille. El Cid defeated the markedly superior Granadine army at Cabra, near Seville and captured Garcia Ordonez. With this act, El Cid added Garcia Ordonez to his list of enemies in the court of Alfonso leading to a decline of El Cid's Royal favor. In 1081, he led an unauthorized military raid into the Moorish kingdom of Toledo, which was under Alfonso's protection.With this act, Alfonso banished El Cid from his kingdom in 1081. Sarmental door leading into the monastery where lies El Cid's tomb El Cid then became a mercenery, which spawned the romantic stories of his life by making him the champion of Christian Spain against the Moorish invaders. During this time, El Cid offered his services and the services of his followers, to any petty ruler, often fighting for his own account and warring indifferently against Christians and Moors but always with distinguished success, rising to great power and influence. El Cid's Sword El Cid offered his services to the Muslim dynasty ruling Saragossa in northeastern Spain, with whom he had first made contact in 1065. The Muslim king, al-Mu'tamin welcomed El Cid, whose reputation as a prestigious warrior superceded his visit. El Cid loyally served al-Mu'tamin as well as his successor al-Musta'in II for nearly a decade. Through his experiences, he gained great insight into the Hispano-Arabic politcs as well as Islamic law and custom, which would later aid him in capturing Valencia. He steadily added to his reputation as a general who had never been defeated in battle. In 1082, he decisively defeated the Moorish king of Lerida as well as his Christian allies, who included the count of Barcelona. In 1084, he defeated King Sancho Ramirez of Aragon, along with a lare Christian army. For this he was richly rewarded by his Muslim employers. The great Almaravid invasion of Spain from North Africa began in 1086. Alfosno VI was defeated twice by the invaders at Sagrajas on the 23d of October 1086. Desperately pressed by Yusuf, founder of Morocco, Alfonso sought the help of El Cid, who hastened to the latter's support. El Cid, due to a miscommunication, failed to join the king, who, listening to El Cid's enemies, confiscated El Cid's possessions, imprisoned his wife and children and again banished him. El Cid returned to his mercenary military operations, disgraced and plundered. Hearing that the Moors had captured Valencia and driven away the Christians from the city, El Cid determined to capture the city and make himself lord of Valencia. It was necessary for him to first eliminate the influence of the counts of Barcelona. This was done when Berenger Ramon II was defeated at Tebar, near Teruel in 1090. In the next years, El Cid tightened his control of Valencia and its ruler, al-Qadir, now his tributary. In October of 1092, an internal revolt in Valencia led to the death of al-Qadir. El Cid moved into Valencia, besieging the city and after almost two years of siege, the city surrendered in May of 1094. El Cid made a pact with Ibn Jahhaf, chief magistrate of the city in order to aid his takeover. He later arrested Ibn Jahhaf, ordering him to be burnt alive. El Cid then served the city as chief magistrate of the Muslims as well as the Christians. Technically, he ruled the city for Alfonso VI, though in actuality he was an independent ruler in all but name only. The city's chief mosque was Christianized in 1096 and a French bishop, Jerome, was appointed to the new see. A considerable number of Christians moved into the city. He spent the remainder of his life there. His daughter, Christina married to the Infante of Navarre (Aragon, prince of Aragon) and his daughter, Maria, married Ramon Berenguer III, count of Barcelona, testifying to El Cid's rise of importance in the region. Following his death 10 July 1099 in Valencia, his remains were transferred to the monastery of San Pedro de Cardena near Burgos in Castile. Soon after El Cid's death, Valencia was besieged by the Almoravids. Judging the city to be indefensible without stationing a permanent garrison in the city, Alfonso evacuated the city and ordered it to be burned. In 1102, the Almoravids occupied Valencia, which would remain in the hands of the Moslims until 1238. The life of El Cid was recorded in an epic poem, the author of which is unknown. The poem was probably written sometime in the twelfth or thirteenth century. The story of El Cid was later written in the seventeenth century by Guillen de Castro in a work entitled, "Las Mocedades del Cid." Still later, Cornelle based his brilliant tragedy, "Le Cid" upon the life of El Cid.
	References 1. El Cid. New Advent. Catholic Encyclopedia. Internet. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03769a.htm 2. El Cid.Dr. Barbara E. Kurtz, Professor of Spanish, Illinois State University. Internet. http://lilt.ilstu.edu/bekurtz/elcid.htm