Triana raid

Triana Raid
	Part of the Portuguese Reconquista and Almohad wars in the Iberian Peninsula
	; Almohad walls of Seville
Date	May–July 1178
Location	Extremadura and Alentejo
Result	Portuguese victory
Belligerents
Kingdom of Portugal	Almohad Caliphate
Commanders and leaders
Prince Sancho of Portugal	Ibn Wazir †; Ibn Timsalit †
Strength
5,000 footmen; 2,300 cavalry	Unknown
Casualties and losses
Unknown	Heavy; Rich spoils captured

The Triana raid was an expedition carried out in 1178 under the orders of Prince Sancho of Portugal against the Almohad Caliphate in the modern territories of Extremadura and Alentejo. Sancho would achieve an astonishing victory over the Muslims. It was one of the most daring military operations conducted in the history of Portugal and allowed the prince Sancho to affirm himself as a worthy commander and heir to the throne.^[1]

Background

Portuguese ambassadors had been dispatched to Seville and a truce was established in 1173.^[2]

Once the truce with the Muslims was over, Sancho decided to launch a raid into Almohad territory.^[3]^[4] There were clear signs that the Almohads were preparing to renew the war against the Portuguese as soon as the truce expired, as in 1178 they reinforced the defences of Mértola and between 1174 and 1175 they rebuilt the walls of Beja. It was also necessary to restore the military capacity of the Portuguese forces so that they would be ready to fight as soon as the truce ended.

Troops gathered in Coimbra. They included both infantry and cavalry from the Order of Calatrava, as well as the militias of the city of Coimbra, Santarém, Lisbon, Évora and many others. Many hosts of some of the main nobles in Portugal also participated.^[1] The contingent consisted of around 5000 footmen and 2300 cavalry. It was one of the largest forces mobilized by the Portuguese yet.^[1]

Campaign

After leaving Coimbra, the Portuguese host camped at Penela.^[1] It then broke off in two, presumably to prevent the Muslims from sensing so large an assembly of troops, as well as to avoid logistical issues and then two contigents met at Golegã.^[1] From Golegã, the Portuguese crossed the Tagus into Muslim lands until they reached Évora, a Portuguese enclave surrounded by Muslim territory 150 kilometers away from the border.^[1] They are estimated to have taken four days to traverse enemy territory.^[1]

At Évora, the Portuguese awaited the arrival of reinforcements from Lisbon and Santarém.^[1] As scouts reported no Muslim reaction, the host set off to the castle of Valongo.^[1] From Valongo, they launched algaras, or small raids into the surrounding territory to capture spoils and destroy crops as the army advanced.^[1]

The Almohad regions of Beja were sacked.^[1] Marching through modern territories of Extremadura in Spain, the Portuguese crossed Sierra Morena and reached Seville in late June or early July, just two weeks after they had left Beja, yet their forces were insufficient to take the great city.^[5] They set up camp just a few kilometers to the west of Seville.^[1]

Pitched battle

The following day, an Almohad army set out from Seville to repulse the Portuguese and a pitched battle took place between them.^[1] The Portuguese battle order consisted of a vanguard, centre, a rearguard and two wings, in addition to a reserve tasked with defending the camp.^[1] Prince Sancho commanded the vanguard with 600 horsemen and 1,500 foot soldiers, while the rearguard also had 600 horsemen, though no infantry.^[1] 250 horsemen were posted in each of the wings along with 2,000 foot soldiers each.^[3] The reserve consisted of a few spearmen and crossbowmen.^[3]

The Almohad force was deep and contained light cavalry in the vanguard, along with a large number of infantry in the rearguard, with the possible presence of heavy Andalusian knights and black slave archers.^[1] The Muslims crossed the Guadalquivir, however this move left them trapped between the Portuguese and the river.^[1]

Fighting began with an exchange of projectiles and skirmishing manoeuvres by the Almohad light cavalry, but the heavy cavalry squadrons of the Portuguese vanguard advanced first against the enemy lines.^[1] The charge failed to break the Muslims and the Portuguese vanguard broke down into four or five separate groups.^[1] The vanguard was, however, rescued by the central body of the Portuguese army, as well as by the wings, which then advanced to rescue the crown prince, and shortly afterwards the Almohad and Andalusians began to flee back to Seville.^[1]^[5]

Although the city was situated on the left bank of the river, the Triana suburbs were on the right bank and were connected by a pontoon bridge near the Torre del Oro.^[5] The suburbs were sacked and rich spoils captured.^[1]^[5] Almohad galleys found beached at that location were also neutralized.^[1]

The journey back

While on their way back to Coimbra, the Portuguese host sacked Gibraleón and Niebla.^[1] The Guadiana was crossed near Mértola, at the Vale das Azenhas and the Portuguese reached Beja probably between 9 and 24 of July.^[1] There they received information that the Almohad garrisons of Beja and Serpa, commanded by Ibn Timsalit and Ibn Wazir respectively, were out on a raid of their own against the Portuguese-held region of Alcácer do Sal, which the Portuguese had conquered in 1158.^[1]

From Beja, a Portuguese contingent of 1400 light cavalrymen managed to link up with the garrison of Alcácer do Sal and together they defeated the Almohad forces coming from Beja and Serpa led by the qaids Ibn Wazir and Ibn Timsalit, who both died in the battle.^[1]

Aftermath

Retaliation for Sancho's bold "Triana Raid", as it was later called, came soon. The Muslims invaded Portugal again in 1179. They besieged the city of Abrantes, but were unsuccessful in capturing it.^[4] A Muslim fleet also attacked the outskirts of Lisbon.^[4]

Portugal gained recognition as an independent kingdom in 1179 through the Papal decree Manifestis Probatum, marking a significant moment in Portuguese history attributed to King Afonso I for his efforts in fighting the Muslims.

In 1182 and 1183 a new Portuguese campaign against the Muslims was launched. Formed by local militias from Lisbon and Santarém, they sacked Ajarafe, a land of villages and olive orchards to the west of Seville. They took numerous captives.^[6]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s ^t ^u ^v ^w ^x ^y ^z Miguel Gomes Martins: De Ourique a Aljubarrota - A Guerra Na Idade Média, A Esfera dos Livros, 2011, pp. 105-124.
^ Lusitania Sacra - 2a Série - Tomo 25 (2012) (in Portuguese). CEHR-UCP. p. 304. ISBN 978-972-8361-48-8.
^ ^a ^b ^c Jensen, Kurt Villads (2016-10-14). Crusading at the Edges of Europe: Denmark and Portugal c.1000 – c.1250. Taylor & Francis. p. 151. ISBN 978-1-317-15670-3.
^ ^a ^b ^c H. V. Livermore (1947). A History Of Portugal. p. 87.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d McMurdo, Edward (1888). The History of Portugal: From the Commencement of the Monarchy to the Reign of Alfonso III. S. Low, Marston, Searle, & Rivington. p. 229.
^ Kennedy, Hugh (2014-06-11). Muslim Spain and Portugal: A Political History of al-Andalus. Routledge. p. 234. ISBN 978-1-317-87041-8.

[:0-1] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s ^t ^u ^v ^w ^x ^y ^z Miguel Gomes Martins: De Ourique a Aljubarrota - A Guerra Na Idade Média, A Esfera dos Livros, 2011, pp. 105-124.

[2] Lusitania Sacra - 2a Série - Tomo 25 (2012) (in Portuguese). CEHR-UCP. p. 304. ISBN 978-972-8361-48-8.

[:3-3] Jensen, Kurt Villads (2016-10-14). Crusading at the Edges of Europe: Denmark and Portugal c.1000 – c.1250. Taylor & Francis. p. 151. ISBN 978-1-317-15670-3.

[:1-4] H. V. Livermore (1947). A History Of Portugal. p. 87.

[:2-5] McMurdo, Edward (1888). The History of Portugal: From the Commencement of the Monarchy to the Reign of Alfonso III. S. Low, Marston, Searle, & Rivington. p. 229.

[6] Kennedy, Hugh (2014-06-11). Muslim Spain and Portugal: A Political History of al-Andalus. Routledge. p. 234. ISBN 978-1-317-87041-8.

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