Abd al-Malik ibn Katan al-Fihri

Abd al-Malik ibn Katan al-Fihri was an Arab governor of Al-Andalus during two periods from 732 to 734 and from 740 to 742.

Abd al-Malik was a very wealthy member of a noble Arab family. Spurred by critics who lashed out at his lack of military victories, he led an expedition north to Pamplona, where a Frankish or Aquitanian party had taken over after the Battle of Poitiers. Despite his failure to capture the Basque fortress, he left troops to invest it, and decided to continue his way north across the Pyrenees, where he engaged the Basques in skirmishes and was eventually overcome, but managed to escape back to Al-Andalus.

After being deposed and incarcerated by his successor Uqba ibn al-Hajjaj or possibly the governor of Ifriqiya ("was bound in chains"), he made his way back to prominence in 740, when he was appointed wali (governor) of Al-Andalus again after the former´s natural death. This time he had to deal with serious Berber rebellion in North Africa, expanded now to Iberia too. The governor saw no option but to take the Syrian troops commanded by his adversary Balj ibn Bishr al-Qushayri as ally to quash the rebellion, so putting down the uprisings.

However, ultimately Balj ibn Bishr had him arrested in Cordova for former grievances, put him to a horrible death in 742, and had him crucified on the outskirts of the city flanked by a similarly killed pig and dog on either side.^[1]

Notes

1. Collins, Roger (1983). Early Medieval Spain. New York: St. Martin's Press. p. 168. ISBN 0-312-22464-8.