Abbadids [key], Arab dynasty in Spain that ruled Seville from 1023 to 1091. Taking advantage of the disintegration of the caliphate of Córdoba, the cadi [judge-governor] of Seville seized power and became (1023) king of the newly founded state as Abbad I. His son, who succeeded him in 1042 as Abbad II, made Seville the most powerful kingdom in S Spain. He was noted for his cruelty. He was succeeded in 1069 by his son, Abbad III (al-Mutamid), a poet and a great patron of the arts, but an inept ruler. Seeking military support against Alfonso VI of León and Castile, Abbad called in the Almoravids from Morocco. They defeated Alfonso in 1086 but deposed (1091) Abbad, who died in exile.
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