Editing Abbadid dynasty (section)

===Abbad II al-Mu'tadid (ruled 1042–1069)===
{{main|Abbad II al-Mu'tadid}}
[[Abbad II al-Mu'tadid]] (1042–1069),<ref name=EB/> the son and successor of Abu al-Qasim, became one of the most remarkable figures in [[Al-Andalus|Iberian Muslim]] history. He had a striking resemblance to the Italian princes of the later [[Middle Ages]] and the early [[Renaissance]], of the stamp of [[Filippo Maria Visconti]].<ref name="EB1911"/>

Abbad wrote [[poetry]] and loved literature; he also appears as a poisoner, a drinker of wine, a sceptic, and a man treacherous to the utmost degree. Though he waged war all through his reign, he himself very rarely appeared in the field, but directed the generals, whom he never trusted, from his "lair" in the fortified palace, the [[Alcázar]] of [[Seville, Spain|Seville]]. He killed with his own hand one of his sons who had rebelled against him. In 1053, he tricked a number of his enemies, the Berber chiefs of southern al-Andalus, into visiting him, and got rid of them by smothering them in the hot room of a [[Turkish bath|bath]].<ref name="EB1911"/> He then seized their kingdoms of [[Taifa of Arcos|Arcos]], [[Taifa of Morón|Moron]], and [[Taifa of Ronda|Ronda]].<ref name=EB/> He also forcibly annexed the kingdoms of [[Taifa of Mértola|Mertola]], [[Taifa of Niebla|Niebla]], [[Taifa of Saltés and Huelva|Huelva and Saltes]], [[Taifa of Santa Maria do Algarve|Santa Maria do Algarve]], and [[Taifa of Silves|Silves]].<ref name=EB>{{harvnb|Hoiberg|2010|p=8}}</ref>

He habitually preserved the skulls of the enemies he had killed—those of the meaner men to be used as flower-pots, while those of the princes were kept in special chests. He devoted his reign mainly to extending his power at the expense of his smaller neighbours, and in conflicts with his chief rival the king of Granada. These incessant wars weakened the Muslims, to the great advantage of the rising power of the [[Christians|Christian]] kings of [[Kingdom of León|León]] and [[Kingdom of Castile|Castile]], but they gave the kingdom of Seville a certain superiority over the other little states. After 1063 he was assailed by [[Fernando El Magno]] of [[Castile and León]], who marched to the gates of Seville, and forced him to pay tribute.<ref name="EB1911"/> This fealty was so complete, for the remaining two years of Fernando's reign, that Abbad even surrendered the remains of [[Isidore of Seville|St. Isidore]].<ref>{{harvnb|Barton|2004|p=47}}</ref>