Al-Hakam II
الحكم المستنصر بالله
The Scholar-Caliph
Born: 915 CE
Died: 976 CE
Also known as: al-Hakam al-Mustansir bi-llah, Al-Hakam ibn Abd al-Rahman
Al-Hakam II was perhaps the greatest bibliophile ruler in history, amassing a library of over 400,000 volumes in Cordoba at a time when the largest library in Christian Europe held only 400 books. His patronage of learning made Cordoba the intellectual capital of the Western world.
Key Accomplishments
- Assembled a royal library of over 400,000 volumes, the largest in medieval Europe
- Established 27 free schools in Cordoba for the education of the poor
- Expanded the Great Mosque of Cordoba with its celebrated mihrab
- Made Cordoba the intellectual capital of the Western world
The Full Story
Al-Hakam II ascended to the Caliphate of Cordoba in 961 CE, continuing the golden age initiated by his father Abd al-Rahman III. Unlike many medieval rulers, al-Hakam was himself a genuine scholar who personally annotated manuscripts and corresponded with intellectuals across the known world. He sent agents to Baghdad, Damascus, Cairo, and Constantinople to purchase or copy rare manuscripts on every subject.
His library in Cordoba grew to an estimated 400,000 volumes, with a catalog alone running to 44 volumes. He established 27 free schools in Cordoba for the education of poor children and expanded the University of Cordoba, which attracted students from across Europe and the Islamic world. He also ordered a major expansion of the Great Mosque of Cordoba, adding the stunning mihrab and maqsura that survive today as masterpieces of Islamic art.
Al-Hakam maintained peace through diplomacy rather than war, securing treaties with the Christian kingdoms of northern Spain and maintaining stability across North Africa. He employed scholars of all faiths, including the mathematician and scribe Lubna of Cordoba. His early death in 976 CE and the subsequent rise of the strongman al-Mansur marked the beginning of the end for the Caliphate of Cordoba, but the intellectual foundations al-Hakam laid would continue to influence European thought for centuries.
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Notes
Sources
- [1]Imamuddin, S. M. Muslim Spain 711-1492 A.D. Brill, 1981.
- [2]Menocal, Maria Rosa. The Ornament of the World. Little, Brown, 2002.
- [3]al-Maqqari, Ahmad ibn Muhammad. Nafh al-Tib min Ghusn al-Andalus al-Ratib. 17th century.