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Rodrigo Díaz (El Cid)

Type Figure Region Iberian Peninsula Time c. 1043–1099 Also known as El Cid Campeador

A famous Castilian general and the most legendary military leader of the Reconquista.…

Timeline

  1. c. 1043–1072Vivar · Castile and LeónOf Castilian noble birth, he successively served kings such as Sancho II in battle, was famed for his bravery, received the title 'Campeador', and became an important military figure at court.
  2. 1081–1085Zaragoza · AragonExiled under suspicion from Alfonso VI, around 1081 he was hired by Muslim rulers such as Zaragoza, leading mixed forces in their wars and accumulating wealth and renown.
  3. 1086–1090Zaragoza · AragonAfter the Battle of Sagrajas in 1086 Alfonso briefly recalled the Cid, but soon banished him again out of suspicion; from 1087 to 1090 he returned to Zaragoza to serve al-Mu'tamin, resisting Christian and Almoravid pressure.
  4. 1091–1099Valencia · ValenciaHe captured Valencia in 1094 and made himself lord of the city, maintaining a unique position between the Christian and Muslim worlds; he died in 1099, and his wife Jimena continued to hold the city.

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