Garcia Jimenez (Defender of Aledo)

Description

García Jiménez was a Castilian nobleman vassal of King Alfonso VI of Castile who in the 11th century led a series of raids against the Taifa kingdoms of al-Andalus from the strong castle of Aledo (Murcia), deep in the south of Spain. From an isolated position and far from the rest of the Castilian territories, he became strong enough put the troops of the Muslim kingdom of Murcia in check, benefiting from the different internal conflicts of the taifa, the political game of the time, and the fact that the Aledo castle was built in stone.

García Jiménez and his knights dominated Aledo from the year 1086 until six years later. However, the arrival of the Almoravid troops in 1089 initiated the siege of the Aledo Castle by the united troops of the Almoravids and those of the Taifa kingdoms of Seville, Granada, Murcia, and Almería.

The Aledo fortress would receive various sieges by Almoravid troops and the Muslim coalition and ultimately fail due to constant help from King Alfonso of Castile and their own internal tensions. However, in 1092, the Aledo fortress was determined too damaged and indefensible and thus evacuated and abandoned by the Castilians.