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Rh Muẓaffar, Almanzor's son, who took his father's place, won great victories over the Christians and put down some risings. But great changes had occurred in Muslim Spain. Class feeling had taken the place of racial discord, and new sects appeared, advocating innovations in politics and religion. The people were profoundly attached to the Umayyad Caliphate and ardently desired the fall of the 'Āmirite house of Almanzor. Such was the position of affairs when Muẓaffar died (1008) and was succeeded by his brother 'Abd-ar-Raḥmān, nicknamed Sanchuelo. He was unpopular with the faḳīhs and lacked the ability of his father or brother, but he succeeded in obtaining from Hishām II what they had never extorted, his nomination as heir apparent. This brought to a head discontent in Cordova. While Sanchuelo was away on a campaign against Alfonso V of Leon, a revolution placed Mahomet II al-Mahdī on the throne, whereupon Hishām II abdicated. Seeing himself deserted, Sanchuelo sued for pardon, but on his return to Cordova he was slain (4 March 1009). Mahdī, who was bloodthirsty, and yet lacked courage, alienated both "slaves" and Berbers. When the Berbers proclaimed another Umayyad, Hishām, on Mahdī's passing off Hishām II as dead, he defeated and killed him. A chief, Zawī, however, rallied the Berbers, and the slain man's father, Sulaimān al-Musta'īn, was proclaimed Caliph. They formed an alliance with the Castilians. Mahdī was beaten at Cantich, Sulaimān entered Cordova, where the Berbers and Castilians committed every kind of excess; Hishām II returned, only to abdicate in favour of Sulaimān. Mahdī's party, on their side, made an alliance with the Catalan Counts, Raymond of Barcelona and Armengol of Urgel, and defeated Sulaimān at  'Aḳabat-al-baḳar near Cordova, which the Catalans plundered. The Slaves now turned against Mahdī, murdered him, and for the third time proclaimed Hishām II in 1010. Sancho of Castile used the opportunity to recover the fortresses captured by Almanzor. The Berber opposition continued; in 1012 they pitilessly sacked Cordova, houses and palaces were destroyed, and Sulaimān was once more proclaimed Caliph. It was a war of factions, and in 1016 the Slaves entered Cordova. They sought in vain for Hishām II. Sulaimān gave out that he was dead; but apparently he fled to Asia, where he ended his life in obscurity. The welter became more confused, till in 1025 for six months the government was in the hands of a Council of State. In 1027 the Slaves proclaimed the last of the Umayyads, Hishām III al-Mu'tadd. He too failed to satisfy expectations. A revolution broke out in December 1031; Hishām was taken prisoner. The viziers announced the abolition of the Caliphate and declared the government devolved on the Council of State.

Meanwhile in the Christian kingdoms a steady advance had been made. In 1020 Alfonso V of Leon summoned a council to his capital