| Conflict: | Battle of Badajoz (1134) |
| Partof: | the Reconquista |
| Date: | March 1134 |
| Place: | Badajoz |
| Result: | Almoravid victory |
| Combatant1: | Almoravid dynasty |
| Combatant2: | Kingdom of Castile |
| Commander1: | Tashfin ibn Ali |
| Commander2: | Unknown |
| Strength1: | Unknown |
| Strength2: | Thousands |
| Casualties1: | Unknown |
| Casualties2: | Few survived |
The Battle of Badajoz was a military engagement between the Almoravids and the raiding party from Castile. The Castilians were soundly defeated.
The nobles of Salamanca, motivated by the victory of Rodrigo González de Lara over the Almoravids at the battle of al-Sharafe, made the decision to raid the area around Badajoz.[1] They raised a sizable army with thousands of soldiers, including champions from Castile. As soon as they arrived, they started destroying everything, carrying out massacres, and capturing livestock and people.[2] [3] [4] When Tasfin bin Ali, the governor of Cordoba, learned of the raid, he organized his army to confront them.[5] [6] [7]
After leaving Seville, Tashfin sent his scouts to find the enemy and pursued them; they eventually met the Castilians east of Badajoz, close to the Sagrajas hills, where Tashfin's grandfather had defeated the Castilians. Tashfin started organizing his troops; he had Zenata berbers in the front, Andalusian forces on the flanks, and Almoravid troops in the center.[8] [9]
Many of the nobility made the decision to flee the battlefield the night before the fight. The fight started early the following day. Following a fierce battle, the Castilians were soundly defeated. Only a small number of the Castilians survived the massacre.[10] The Almoravids took control of the Castilian camp, liberated the prisoners, and took the previously taken loot.[11] [12] March 1134 was the month of the battle.[13]
Tashfin returned to Cordoba victorious, then to Granada, where he was well received.[14] [15] The Castilians attempted to raid Badajoz in October and June 1136, but both were defeated.[16]