Wallada bint al-Mustakfi was the daughter of the last Umayyad Caliph of CĂłroba, making her a princess in her own right. Her childhood was during the High Caliphate of CĂłroba and her adolescent years were under the kingdomâs power struggle. It wasnât until her father Muhammad III came to power in 1024 and ruled as Caliph of CĂłroba. As her father had no male children (and itâs speculated he had no other children besides her), she inherited his lands and used his properties to open a palace and a literary hall. In the literary hall she taught the women regardless of status the poetry and arts of love. Even some of the most great poets and intellectuals came to visit her. While Wallada was known for her great beauty with her golden hair and blue eyes, she was proud of her intelligence and culture. She was however controversial in the kingdom for refusing to wear the hijab when she went out in public, and based her fashion off the the harem women in Baghdad. Many local religious figures criticized her for refusing to obey the dress code for she was a royal woman, but numerous people like Ibn Hazm defended her honor. A Cordovan custom for poets was to finish uncompleted poems, which Wallada began to gain recognition for this skill- setting her apart in a male dominated field. Wallada began a relationship with her great love, fellow poet and nobleman Ibn ZaydĂșn during a poetry competition. Their relationship though was controversial for her was a descendant of the Banu Yahwar clan, a rival of her Umayyad clan, thus leaving them to be together in secret. Many of the poems that was preserved of Walladaâs were about Ibn ZaydĂșn and their relationship. They were disguised as letters to one another and expressed themes of love, jealousy, and wanting to reunite. One of them, was satire against him for he was said to have a male lover. Their relationship ended due to the fact it was speculated he had a black lover. Interracial relationships were a common theme in Islamic poetry. Some say he left her for a black woman that was educated in poetry by Wallada while others say he left her for a black man. The rest of Walladaâs poems were about her independence and freedom. Wallada then shortly entered a relationship with an older man and vizier named Ibn AbdĂșs who was a major political rival of ZaydĂșn. AbdĂșs had ZaydĂșnâs properties siezed and had him imprisioned, for AbdĂșs was completely enamored with Wallada. Wallada moved into the vizierâs home, while the two never married, the two stayed by each otherâs side until his death in his 80s. Wallada eventually died on March 26, 1091 at the age of 97. She died the same day the Almoravids came and conquered CĂłroba. She is remembered by one of her top students Muhja bint al-Tayyani(the daughter of a fig merchant), who Wallada had her move in, wrote kind and charming satires about her. Wallada bint al-Mustakfiâs place of burial is unknown.Â
