emirate · Iberia

Rueda de Jalón (Hudid)

1110 CE – 1131 CE (approx.) · capital Rueda de Jalón

The last refuge of the Hudid kings of Zaragoza, a castle state on the Jalón kept alive through alliance with the Christian kings.

Origins

When the Almoravids took Zaragoza in 1110, the Hudid heir Abd al-Malik Imad al-Dawla withdrew to the strong castle of Rueda de Jalón, west of the city, and continued to rule a small territory from there, relying on Alfonso I of Aragon against the Almoravids.

Rule and society

The Hudid remnant was a client principality, surviving between Almoravid Zaragoza and the advancing Kingdom of Aragon. After Abd al-Malik's death in 1130 his son Ahmad Sayf al-Dawla, known to Christians as Zafadola, negotiated with Alfonso VII of Castile.

Decline and legacy

Zafadola handed Rueda to Alfonso VII in exchange for lands near Toledo and became a Castilian vassal. He later led Andalusi revolts against the Almoravids and was killed in 1146. The castle passed to Aragon.

Lineage

Taifa of Zaragoza 1018 CE – 1110 CERueda de Jalón (Hudid)Kingdom of Castile 1065 CE – 1230 CE

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Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Rueda de Jalón (Hudid). In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/rueda-de-jalon-hudid
MLA
“Rueda de Jalón (Hudid).” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/rueda-de-jalon-hudid. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Rueda de Jalón (Hudid).” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/rueda-de-jalon-hudid.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Rueda de Jalón (Hudid)’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/rueda-de-jalon-hudid (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻