The Franks (Ifranja)
الإفرنجة
al-Mas'udi's Franks — fiercest of the Japhetic nations, united under one king whose capital in his day was Buwayra with some 150 towns; their early lands included Rhodes, Crete, Ifriqiya and Sicily. The king-list Bishop Urmazd of Jarunda sent al-Hakam in 328 runs from the Magian Qaludiya (converted by his wife Ghartala) through Qarla ibn Tabin down to Ludhriq ibn Qarla, reigning in 332 1.
At a glance
- Era
- Abbasid Fragmentation
- Region
- al-Andalus & Europe
- Review
- Draft Completeness 1/5 · Help complete it
Overview
According to al-Mas'udi, the Ifranja (Franks) are the most fierce of the peoples descended from Yafith, the most formidable in their awe, the widest in their rule, the most numerous in their cities, and the best ordered and most obedient to their kings. 2
As al-Mas'udi describes them
Their word is united under one king. In his time the name of their royal seat was "Buyura", a great city, and they had about a hundred and fifty cities. Before Islam their first lands were the island of Rhodes, the island of Crete, Ifriqiya and Sicily. 2
Their kings
He names their kings from a book that Ghurmaz, bishop of Jarbida, sent as a gift to al-Hakam ibn Abd al-Rahman in the year 328 AH. The first of them was Qaludiya the Magian, whose wife Gharatla supported him, and among them in the days of al-Hakam, the ruler of al-Andalus, was Qarla ibn Tabin. The last of them, up to the year 332, was Ludhariq ibn Qarla. 3
This needs a second source.
Sources
- Muruj al-Dhahab — al-Masʼudi, p. 357-359
- Muruj al-Dhahab — al-Masʼudi, p.357
- Muruj al-Dhahab — al-Masʼudi, p.359
Cite this page
islam.museum contributors. “The Franks (Ifranja)”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/group/ifranja/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Accessed 2026-10-17.