Almanzor Abu Aamir Muhammad ibn Abdullah ibn Abi Aamir , al - Hajib al - Mansur ( ) ( c . 938 – August 8 , 1002 ) , better known as Almanzor , was the " de facto " ruler of Muslim al - Andalus in the late 10th to early 11th centuries . His rule marked the peak of power for Moorish Iberia . Origins . He was born Muhammad Ibn Abi Aamir , into a noble Arab family from the area of Torrox . He arrived at the Court of Córdoba as a student studying law and literature . He became manager of the estates of Prince Hisham II . In a few years he schemed his way from this humble position to considerable heights of influence , eliminating his political rivals in the process . Caliph Al - Hakam II died in 976 and Ibn Abi Amir was instrumental in securing the succession of the young Hisham II , aged twelve , to the throne . Almanzor had a great influence over Subh , ruler as mother of the young Hisham II . Two years later he became Hajib ( a title similar to that of Grand Vizier in the Muslim East ) , or Chancellor . During the following three years he consolidated his power with the building of his new palace on the outskirts of Córdoba , al - Madina az - Zahira , while at the same time completely isolating the young Caliph , who became a virtual prisoner in Medina Azahara . Following Al - Hakam II ' s death , Al - Mansur had Hakam ' s library of " ancient science " books destroyed . War Campaigns . In 981 , upon his return to Córdoba from the Battle of Torrevicente , in which he crushed his last remaining rival ( and father - in - law , Ghalib Al - Nasiri ) , he assumed the title of Al - Mansur bi - llah , " Victorious by Grace of God " . In Christian Europe he was referred to as " Almanzor " . Almanzor ' s hold on power within Al - Andalus was now absolute . Purportedly in order to conceal his usurpation of the Caliph ' s authority , Almanzor dedicated himself to annual military invasions of the Christian states of the peninsula . He organized and took part in 57 campaigns , and was victorious in all of them . To wage warfare on this scale against the Christian states , he brought in many Berber mercenaries , which upset the political order over time . Although Almanzor mainly fought against León and the Castile , he also sacked Barcelona in 985 , Leon in 988 and Santiago de Compostela in Galicia in 997 , taking the cathedral bells to serve as lanterns for the Great Mosque of Cordoba . Almanzor knew the magnitude of the devotion to Saint James ' sepulcher , and ordered his generals to protect the tomb and all sacred objects that they encountered . Almanzor also waged several campaigns against the Kingdom of Navarra , including his longest , in which he defeated a Castilian army at the Battle of Cervera . He married Abda , daughter of Sancho Garcés king of Navarra , who bore him a son by the name of Abd al - Rahman . He was commonly known as Sanchuelo ( " Little Sancho " , in Arabic : " Shanjoul " ) . Consequences . The consequence of his victories in the north was to prompt the Christian rulers of the Peninsula into an alliance against him ( c . 1000 ) . He was succeeded by his son Abd al - Malik al - Muzaffar , who continued to rule Al - Andalus as " Hajib " until his death in 1008 . After Abd al - Malik , his ambitious half brother Abd al - Rahman Sanchuelo took over . He however tried to take the Caliphate for himself from Hisham as al - Mansur had effectively made the caliph a figurehead ruler . This plunged the country into a civil war . The Caliphate disintegrated into rival " Taifa " kingdoms . This proved disastrous for Muslim Iberia as , being divided , the Christian Kingdoms were able to conquer the Taifas one by one . Almanzor peak in central Spain is named after him . In fiction . ' Almanzor ' is a major character in the thoroughly researched , but extremely anachronistic , historical novel " The Long Ships ( Red Orm ) " by the Swedish author Frans Gunnar Bengtsson . Three chapters of the book take place in Muslim Iberia under Almanzor ' s rule , depicted from the point of view of Scanian Vikings who are captured by Moors while on a raid into Iberia , serving as galley slaves . Later they become mercenaries in Almanzor ' s bodyguard and finally manage to escape back to Denmark after participating in the conquest and sacking of Santiago de Compostella . In the book Almanzor is represented as being driven to his ceaseless harrying of the infidel out of guilt for having imprisoned his religious superior ; the young Caliph . Almanzor is the main character in the Syrian drama series Rabee ' Qurtuba ( ) , which translates as Cordoban Spring . This Arabic - language series follows Almanzor ' s life story from beginning to end , although it is anachronistic in parts .