Isma'il ibn Musa
Isma'il ibn Musa (fl. ca. 850–889) was an important and mighty Muslim lord in the Upper March (Arabic: الثغر الأعلى , aṯ-Ṯaḡr al-Aʿlà) of al-Andalus, as well as walī of Larida. He hailed from the prominent Muwallad Banu Qasi clan (Arabic: بنو قسي),[1] and was the son of Musa al-Kabir as-Saraqusti and his second wife Maymuna.
For some years, he lived in Cordova as an hostage-guest of its amir, Muhammad I, being as such the necessary pledge which guaranteed the Banu Qasi's loyalty to the Emirate of Cordova, since they were actually independent lords of the Ebro valley. In 850, he was still in Cordova. Once liberated, he joined the revolt initiated by all his brothers against Muhammad I, to the end of 870, even forming an alliance with the Kingdom of Pamplona and King Alfonso III of Asturias[1] Isma'il could seize Zaragoza and Montsó in 872. Some years later, in 882, his own nephew, Muhammad ibn Lubb (loyal to Cordova), made him prisoner,[1] but he was set free again a short time later.
Once having become walī of Larida again in 884, the Count of Barcelona Wilfred the Hairy attacked Larida so as to obstruct the fortification of its walls and of its al-qaṣabah (Arabic: القصبة): Isma'il defeated the attacking Frankish army, and pursued it as far as to the Llobregat valley.[1]