Battle of Alcácer do Sal (1161)
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| Battle of Alcácer do Sal (1161) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Portuguese Reconquista and Almohad wars in the Iberian Peninsula | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
| Kingdom of Portugal | Almohads | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Afonso I of Portugal |
Abu Mohammed Abdallah Ben Hafs | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| Unknown | Unknown | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
|
6,000 killed Large number of prisoners | Unknown | ||||||
The Battle of Alcácer do Sal in 1161 was an military encounter between the troops of King Afonso I of Portugal and the Almohads commanded by Abu Mohammed Abdallah Ben Hafs.
After Afonso (or ibn Errik as he was referred to in the Muslim chronicles) captured Santarém and Lisbon in 1147, he set his sights on invading south of the Tagus River into the Alentejo region. Key to entry into Alentejo was the fortress and port city of Alcácer do Sal, which served as a major commerce center and supported Muslim military operations along the Atlantic coast. Afonso first attempted to capture Alcácer do Sal in 1151, but failed. He tried again in 1154 and 1157 and failed again in both attempts. Finally in April 1158 after a 60-day siege, Afonso captured Alcácer do Sal.[1][2][3][4]
After conquering the eastern Maghreb in 1160, the Almohad caliph Abd al-Mu'min decided to intervene in the Iberian peninsula to unite the Muslim states under his authority, by force if necessary, and prevent the advance of the Christian kingdoms. At the outset, Abd al-Mu'min ordered the Wali of Granada to restore and improve the fortifications of Gibraltar. Once this work was completed, Abd al-Mu'min crossed the Strait of Gibraltar at the head of a large army of 18,000 men and settled in the city.[5][6]
Informed of the conquests of Afonso, Abd al-Mu'min sent a detachment under the command of Abu Mohammed Abdallah Ben Hafs (referred to as Benafece to the Muslims) west to recover lost territory and cities.[6]