emirate · Iberia

Second Taifa of Valencia

1145 CE – 1147 CE (approx.) · capital Valencia

Valencia's short independence under its qadi after the Almoravid collapse, a prelude to the rise of Ibn Mardanish, the Wolf King.

Origins

In 1145 the notables of Valencia expelled the Almoravid governor and recognised their qadi, Marwan ibn Abd al-Aziz, as ruler, part of the wave of urban revolts that ended Almoravid rule in eastern al-Andalus.

Rule and society

The regime rested on the qadi's prestige and the support of the city's elite, but it lacked troops. Real military power in the east lay with commanders such as Ibn Iyad and, after him, Muhammad ibn Mardanish, who soon pushed the qadi aside.

Decline and legacy

By 1147 Ibn Mardanish had taken control of Valencia and joined it to his realm, the Second Taifa of Murcia, which held out against the Almohads until 1172.

Few sources survive for this state; details are uncertain.

Lineage

Almoravid Empire 1040 CE – 1147 CESecond Taifa of ValenciaSecond Taifa of Murcia 1147 CE – 1172 CE

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Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Second Taifa of Valencia. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/second-taifa-of-valencia
MLA
“Second Taifa of Valencia.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/second-taifa-of-valencia. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Second Taifa of Valencia.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/second-taifa-of-valencia.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Second Taifa of Valencia’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/second-taifa-of-valencia (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻