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Birth:          ABT  790 
Death:          ABT  851 

Notes
a Basque leader (being "a Basque leader" suggests or implies he was a Moslem, per 
Stuart, who says this line needs further study).
d 851/852
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%8D%C3%B1igo_Arista_of_Pamplona

Íñigo Arista (Basque: Eneko "my little (love)", Arabic: ???????, Wannaqo, c. 790 – 
851 or 852) was a Basque leader, considered the first King of Pamplona.[1][a] He is 
thought to have risen to prominence after the defeat of local Frankish partisans in 
816, and his rule is usually dated from shortly after the defeat of a Carolingian army in 
824.

He is first attested by chroniclers as a rebel against the Emirate of Córdoba from 840 
until his death a decade later. Remembered as the nation's founder, he would be 
referred to as early as the 10th century by the nickname "Arista",[3] coming either 
from Basque Aritza (Haritza/Aiza, literally 'the oak', meaning 'the resilient') or Latin 
Aresta ('the considerable').[4]
Origin[edit]

The origin of Íñigo Arista is obscure. There is even disagreement regarding the name 
of his father. A charter preserved at Leyre describes him as Enneco ... filius Simeonis 
(Íñigo son of Jimeno) and another Leyre document reports the obituary of Enneco 
Garceanes, que fuit vulgariter vocas Areista (Íñigo Garcés [son of García], who is 
commonly called Arista). Many later historians have followed one or the other of these, 
but the reliability of both are questioned due to the possibility of later corruption or 
forgery.

Eleventh century chroniclers Ibn Hayyan, who calls him and his brother both ibn 
Wannaqo (Arabic: ?? ???????, Íñiguez), and Al-Udri (ibn Yannaqo) indicate that his 
father was likewise named Íñigo.[5] He is said by Rodrigo Jiménez de Rada (c. 1170–
1247) to have been count of Bigorre, or at least to have come from there, but there is 
no near-contemporary evidence of this.[6]

It has been speculated that he was kinsman of García Jiménez, who in the late 8th 
century succeeded his father Jimeno 'the Strong' in resisting Carolingian expansion 
into Vasconia. A second dynasty of Pamplona monarchs that would supplant his, the 
Jimena, are usually made to be related to him.[7]

The name of Íñigo's mother is unknown (she is sometimes called Onneca, without 
foundation) but it is known that she also married local muwallad lord Musa ibn Fortun 
ibn Qasi, by him having son Musa ibn Musa ibn Qasi.[b] This younger Musa would 
become head of the Banu Qasi, ruler of Tudela and one of the chief lords of Ebro 
Valley. Due to this relationship, Íñigo and his kin frequently acted in alliance with 
Musa ibn Musa and this relationship allowed Íñigo to extend his influence over large 
territories in the Pyrenean valleys, and was also instrumental in the rebellions that 
would lead to Pamplona breaking with the Emirate.

Rise to power[edit]

The family came to power through struggles over Frankish and Córdoban influence in 
northern Iberia. In 799, pro-Frankish assassins murdered Mutarrif ibn Musa, governor 
of Pamplona, perhaps the brother of Musa ibn Musa ibn Qasi and even of Íñigo 
himself. Ibn Hayyan reports that in 816, Abd al-Karim ibn Abd al-Wahid ibn Mugit 
launched a military campaign against the pro-Frankish "Enemy of God", Velasco the 
Gascon (Arabic: ???? ?????????, Balašk al-Yalašqi), Sahib of Pamplona (Arabic: ???? 
?????????), who had united Christian and pagan factions. They fought a three-day 
battle in which the pro-Córdoba faction routed their enemies and killed Velasco, along 
with García López, kinsman of Alfonso II of Asturias, Sancho "warrior/knight of 
Pamplona", and pagan warrior "?altan". This defeat of the pro-Frankish force appears 
to have allowed the anti-Frankish Íñigo to come to power.

In 820, Íñigo is said to have intervened in the County of Aragon, ejecting a Frankish 
vassal, count Aznar I Galíndez, in favor of García el Malo (the Mean), who would 
become Íñigo's son-in-law. In 824, a Carolingian force led by counts Aeblus and Aznar 
Sánchez made an expedition against Pamplona, but were defeated in the second 
Battle of Roncesvalles.[9]

Traditionally, this battle is portrayed as resulting in the crowning of Íñigo as "King of 
Pamplona", but there is no direct evidence of his involvement in the battle or his 
crowning thereafter, and he is referred to by Arabic chroniclers with the same title as 
given Velasco, "Lord of Pamplona". His realm would continually play Muslim and 
Christian against themselves and each other to maintain independence against the 
outside powers.

Rebellion and death[edit]

In 840 Íñigo's lands were attacked by Abd Allah ibn Kulayb, wali of Zaragoza, leading 
his half-brother, Musa ibn Musa into rebellion.[10] Íñigo's son García acted as regent, 
in concert with Íñigo's warrior brother Fortún Íñiguez (Arabic: ????? ?? ???????, 
Fortun ibn Wannaqo), who was also half-brother of Musa, and they joined Musa in an 
uprising against the Emirate of Córdoba. Abd-ar-Rahman II, emir of Córdoba, launched 
reprisal campaigns in the succeeding years.

In a 843 battle, Fortún Íñiguez was killed, and Musa unhorsed and forced to escape 
on foot, while Íñigo and his son Galindo escaped with wounds and several nobleman, 
most notably Velasco Garcés, defected to Abd-ar-Rahman. The subsequent year, 
Íñigo's own son, Galindo Íñiguez and Musa's son Lubb ibn Musa went over to 
Córdoba, and Musa was forced to submit. Following a brief campaign in 845, a general 
peace was achieved. In 850, Musa again rose in open rebellion, supported by 
Pamplona,[10] and envoys of Induo (thought to be Íñigo) and Mitio,[c] "Dukes of the 
Navarrese", were received at the French court.

Íñigo died in the Muslim year 237 A.H., which is late 851 or early 852, and was 
succeeded by his son García Íñiguez who was already governing the kingdom during 
his father's long illness prior to his death.[9][d]

Leyre, major monastery of Navarre[edit]

During the lifetime of Íñigo, the existence of several monasteries is attested across 
Navarre, when the Cordovan priest Eulogius had to stay in the area (848). In a letter 
written to Wiliesind, not only does Eulogius reveal that the Basque leader was a 
christicola princeps but he provides the names of three monasteries not far from 
Pamplona: Siresa, St. Zacharias and Leyre.

The iconic monastery of Leyre, founded in the 9th century[11] and claimed later to be 
founded by the king of Pamplona, was fostered by granting lands and estates to it. A 
document in the archives of the monastery shows that in 842, Íñigo bestowed the 
town and lands of Yesa on Leyre ("Ego rex Eneco concedo..."), although the 
authenticity of the document recording this grant is disputed. Íñigo himself is reported 
to have been buried in the monastery after his death in 851/852.

Lineage and family links[edit]

The name of the wife (or wives) of Íñigo is not reported in contemporary records, 
although sources from centuries later assign her the name of Toda or Onneca.[12] 
There is also scholarly debate regarding her derivation, some hypothesizing that she 
was daughter of Velasco, lord of Pamplona (killed 816), and others making her 
kinswoman of Aznar I Galíndez.[e] He was father of the following known children:
Assona Íñiguez, who married her father's half-brother, Musa ibn Musa ibn Fortun ibn 
Qasi, lord of Tudela and Huesca
García Íñiguez, regent and then Íñigo's successor as 'king'.
Galindo Íñiguez, fled to Córdoba where he was friend of Eulogius of Córdoba. The 
Musa ibn Galind, Amil of Huesca in 860, assassinated in 870, was apparently his son.
[13]
a daughter who married Count García el Malo (the Mean) of Aragón.[9]
The dynasty founded by Íñigo reigned for about 80 years, being supplanted by a rival 
dynasty in 905. However, due to intermarriages, subsequent kings of Navarre 
descended from Íñigo, and some accounts even wrongly showed them to descend 
from Íñigo in the direct male line. He is remembered as the founder of the nation of 
Navarre.

Parents
JIMINEZ Inigo (ABT  765 - )
----- ----- ()

Siblings
INIGUEZ ARISTA Inigo (ABT  790 - ABT  851)

Marriage To ____ Oneca ()
    m.  

Notes


Children by ____ Oneca 
INIGUEZ Garcia I (ABT  805 -  882)

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