Yahya the Usurper (1064-) was the Emir of the Dhunnunid Emirate from 9 August 1080, succeeding Emir Ahmad of Hudid Emirate.
Biography[]
Yahya was born in 1064 to the Dhunnunids, a dynasty of Sunni Muslim Andalusians. After the fall of the original Dhunnunids, Yayha fled into exile at the court of King Alfonso VI of Castile. Alfonso, a crusader king, failed in his attempts to get Yahya to convert to Christianity, having made him Master of the Horse of Castile and sent him a monetary gift. However, he saw use in him during his rivalry with Emir Ahmad of Hudid Emirate, whom he despised. On 9 August 1080, Yahya was installed as the Emir of the new Dhunnunid Emirate after Alfonso forced Ahmad to surrender following a series of sieges in northern Spain, and Yahya was very friendly with the Christian kingdoms despite being a Moor and a Muslim.