ABSTRACT
The Population of the Region of Valencia 13
In 180/796, the uncles of the newly crowned young sovereign al-f:lakam I, son of Hisham, led a revolt; it was one of these uncles, 'Abd Allah, who for a time lifted Valencia out of the obscurity that had hitherto enveloped it. After having unsuccessfully tried to raise the upper March and having even negotiated an alliance with Charlemagne at Aix-la-Chapelle, this prince established himself in the region of Valencia, where he continued his agitation for some time. In the end, al-f:lakam preferred to deal with him and finally acknowledged his uncle, who henceforth bore the surname of alBalansi ("the Valencian"), as veritable sovereign of Valencia and the Levant. Unfortunately, we know nothing more about this curious appanage given to 'Abd Allah, which he ruled until his death in 208/823-24. One can only suppose that certain Arabs amongst the prince's entourage went there to settle and perhaps founded an Arab lineage in the area.
