al-Ḥuṣām b. Ḍirār al-Kalbī , governor of al-Andalus, who arrived in that country from Ifrīḳiya in 125/743, to replace the wālī T̲h̲aʿlaba b. Salāma al-ʿĀmilī. He carried out a liberal policy, and skilfully removed from Cordova the representatives of the Syrian d̲j̲unds , who had come to Spain under the leadership of Bald̲j̲ b. Bis̲h̲r [ q.v.]. On the advice of Count Ardabast (Arṭūbās), son of the Visigothic prince Witiza, he settled these d̲j̲undīs on fiefs, requiring from them in return that they should respond to mobilization appeals that migh…

, or ḏj̲azīrat al-andalus , geographical term which, in the Islamic world up to the end of the Middle Ages, denoted the Iberian peninsula, that is, modern Spain and Portugal. (i)Toponymic significance of the term al-Andalus; (ii)Geographical survey; (iii)Outline of its historical geography; (iv) Population of al-Andalus; (v)Development; (vi) Survey of the history of al-Andalus; Appendix: The Andalus in North Africa; (vii)Islam in al-Andalus; (viii) Andalusian literature and culture; (ix) Andalusian art; (x) Spanish Arabic. (i) toponymic significance of the term al-andalus The…