▁in ▁the ▁north western ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁I ber ian ▁pen ins ula . ▁There , ▁from ▁among ▁the ▁dispos s essed ▁of ▁the ▁south , ▁Pel ag ius ▁rec ru ited ▁his ▁band ▁of ▁f igh ters . ▁His ▁first ▁acts ▁were ▁to ▁refuse ▁to ▁pay ▁the ▁J iz ya ▁( tax ▁on ▁non - Mus lim s ) ▁to ▁the ▁Muslim s ▁any ▁longer ▁and ▁to ▁assault ▁the ▁small ▁Um ay y ad ▁g arr isons ▁that ▁had ▁been ▁station ed ▁in ▁the ▁area . ▁Event ually , ▁he ▁managed ▁to ▁exp el ▁a ▁provincial ▁governor ▁named ▁Mun u za ▁from ▁Ast ur ias . ▁He ▁held ▁the ▁territory ▁against ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁attempts ▁to ▁re - est ab lish ▁Muslim ▁control , ▁and ▁soon ▁founded ▁the ▁Kingdom ▁of ▁Ast ur ias , ▁which ▁became ▁a ▁Christian ▁strong hold ▁against ▁further ▁Muslim ▁expansion . ▁ ▁For ▁the ▁first ▁few ▁years , ▁this ▁re bell ion ▁pos ed ▁no ▁threat ▁to ▁the ▁new ▁master s ▁of ▁His p ania , ▁whose ▁seat ▁of ▁power ▁had ▁been ▁established ▁at ▁C ór dob a . ▁Con sequently , ▁there ▁was ▁only ▁a ▁minor ▁per fun ct ory ▁reaction . ▁Pel ag ius ▁was ▁not ▁always ▁able ▁to ▁keep ▁the ▁Muslim s ▁out ▁of ▁Ast ur ias ▁but ▁neither ▁could ▁they ▁defeat ▁him , ▁and ▁as ▁soon ▁as ▁the ▁Mo ors ▁left , ▁he ▁would ▁always ▁re - est ab lish ▁control . ▁Islam ic ▁forces ▁were ▁focused ▁on ▁ra iding ▁Nar bon ne ▁and