Goth-Iberia (Yarmuk)

The Kingdom of Goth-Iberia, the largest of the Visigothic successor kingdoms, was also the shortest lived, lasting from 968 to 1036. Situated in the centre of Spain, around the former Roman city of Toletum, it was the first in the path of the Frankish advance of 1035. It was formally dismembered by an administrative edict from Frankish emperor Charles the Agressor and given over to a Frankish Marcher Lord by the name of William of Tournai, who's family ruled the lordship for many years to come.

Creation of the Kigdoms
After a series of minor civil disobediences that characterised the last century of Visigothic reign in Spain, the last king, Theodoric VI (the Simple) died in 968, with not an heir to put to his name. The junior branches of the Visigothic monarchy were too weak to sustain their own claims to the kingdom - and consequently it was the most powerful warlords in the land who made the resulting carve up. Goth-Iberia, the largest of these lands, fell respectively to the most powerful candidate, Odemir, who used the forces at his disposal to quickly quell any signs of opposition (which he did successfully, with the exception of the Basques, who were too small and insignificant to be of any consequence. This done, Odemir then set about the strengthening of his nations reputation abroad.

Wars in Spain
His heavy hand was first to fall on Valencia, the northern most point of his rivals territory in Andaulasia, where the Lord of Andaulasia, Roderic, had been causing trouble. Odemir's army was sent down south, where it caught Roderic wrongfooted at the battle of Rio Valentinia. Roderic was slain on the field and Valencia and all of the lands around it (including the Balearic Islands, which later rebelled against Odemir's oppression).