Fitna of al - Andalus The Fitna of al - Andalus ( 1009 – 1031 ) was a period of instability and civil war that preceded the ultimate collapse of the Caliphate of Córdoba . It began in the year 1009 with a coup d ' état which led to the assassination of Abd al - Rahman Sanchuelo , the son of Almanzor , the deposition of the Caliph Hisham II al - Hakam , and the rise to power of Muhammad II of Córdoba , great - grandson of Abd - ar - Rahman III . The conflict would eventually divide all of Al - Andalus into a series of Taifa Kingdoms . The Fitna finally ended with the definitive abolition of the Cordoban Caliphate in 1031 , although various successor kingdoms would continue to claim the caliphate for themselves . In addition to the political turmoil , large purges were also carried out by Almanzor throughout his territories . The added pressures of financial collapse were present due to the large tax burden placed on the populace to finance the continuous war . Throughout the conflict , various Muslim kingdoms were aided by the Christian kingdoms to the north , both in an official capacity and by mercenary Christian soldiers . Cordoba and its suburbs were repeatedly looted during the war , completely destroying many iconic monuments such as the Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos and the Medina Azahara . The capital was temporarily moved to Málaga . In a little less than twenty years , 10 different caliphates emerged as successor states to the Caliphate of Cordoba ( amongst them was a restored kingdom under Hisham II ) . Three of these successor kingdoms formed a dynastic succession line known as the Hammudid Dynasty . Causes . Up until the death of Al - Hakam II in the year 976 , the Caliphate of Córdoba was a powerful state , both respected and feared by the Christian kingdoms to the north . After his death , his son , Hisham II al - Hakam was still a child . As a result , the vizier , Almanzor was able to easily manoeuver and seize power , usurping the Umayyad Caliphate claim and turning the Caliph into a mere puppet . The strength of the Caliphate lay in the unity of different Muslim groups , following the terrible civil wars that had drained the Emirate . To be assured in the conservation of his power , Almanzor favored the Berbers over the other groups . Similar accommodation in the pecking order was transferred to Almanzor ' s son Abd al - Malik al - Muzaffar when he succeeded his father to the throne . To exacerbate the situation , government security was further undermined by various plots as rival groups vied for power . Abd al - Malik died in 1008 , leaving his brother , Abd al - Rahman Sanchuelo in power . Sanchuelo was able to convince Hisham II to name him the rightful heir to the Caliphate . This marked the last straw for the remaining Umayyad members who proceeded to launch a full scale coup d ' état and revolt against the state . Civil war . Taking advantage of the absence of Sanchuelo , who had left to fight against the forces of Alfonso V of León , the Umayyad Caliphate leader , Muhammad II of Córdoba dethroned his cousin , the Caliph Hisham II al - Hakam in 1009 . Sanchuelo returned quickly to Cordoba but the morale of his Berber army was low due to the lengthy campaign and a majority of his army deserted him . As a result he fell prisoner to Muhammad II and was executed a short while later . Following this episode , Muhammad II ' s power and influence rose quickly giving rise to the creation of a new opposition block and pitting him against another Umayyad group led by Sulayman ibn al - Hakam . Supported by the Berbers , Sulayman was able to capture Muhammad II and became the Caliph in 1009 . This chain of events , in turn , incited the Hammudid Dynasty , a powerful family from Ceuta and Algeciras to proclaim themselves the rightful Caliphs and march on the city of Cordoba . They were there able to dethrone Sulaiman and held onto power until the year 1023 . A new Umayyad claimant , Abd ar - Rahman V became the next Caliph in 1023 . Unfortunately for Abd ar - Rahman V , the discontent generated by the establishment of a new tax to fill empty coffers caused a new revolution and his eventual fall , as the measure devastated the population . Three further Caliphs , two Umayyad and one Hammudi succeeded the throne respectively until the year 1031 , when the Cordoban elite abolished the caliphate and established an independent state . Nevertheless , various other new pretenders from different taifas continued to pursue the claim to the caliphate . Consequences . This period of chaos , initiated by the Hammudid Dynasty , led to the fragmentation of the caliphate and the establishment of the first independent Taifa kingdoms . It is important to note that the Christian kingdoms to the north , were generally supportive of the havoc that wracked the Andalusian world , often lending soldiers to both sides and helping to aid an air of instability . The period that followed was not a peaceful one . After the fragmentation of the caliphate , the individual taifas would fight amongst each other . The Christian kingdoms , seeing this fragmentation and opportunity to grab land , intensified the ongoing Reconquista . It was not until this direct threat to Muslim control in the Iberian Peninsula that the Almoravid dynasty finally came to Iberia to reunify Al - Andalus .