▁of ▁C ór dob a . ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁very ▁w ary ▁of ▁losing ▁control ▁and ▁kept ▁tight ▁re ins ▁in ▁his ▁family . ▁In ▁ 9 4 9 , ▁he ▁executed ▁one ▁of ▁his ▁sons ▁for ▁consp iring ▁against ▁him . ▁He ▁was ▁toler ant ▁of ▁non - Mus lim s , ▁Jews ▁and ▁Christians ▁who ▁were ▁treated ▁fairly . ▁European ▁nations ▁sent ▁em iss aries ▁such ▁as ▁from ▁Otto ▁I ▁of ▁Germany , ▁and ▁the ▁By z antine ▁em peror . ▁ ▁Personal ▁views ▁and ▁experience ▁ ▁An c est ry ▁Abd ▁al - R ah man ▁III ' s ▁mother ▁M uz na ▁was ▁a ▁Christian ▁capt ive , ▁possibly ▁from ▁the ▁Py rene an ▁region . ▁His ▁pat ernal ▁grand m other ▁On ne ca ▁Fort ú nez ▁was ▁a ▁Christian ▁prin cess ▁from ▁the ▁Kingdom ▁of ▁Pam pl ona . ▁In ▁his ▁immediate ▁ancest ry , ▁Abd ▁al - R ah man ▁III ▁was ▁Arab ▁and ▁His p ano – Bas que . ▁ ▁In ▁Modern ▁Liter ature ▁ ▁Abd ▁al - R ah man ▁has ▁a ▁prominent ▁place ▁in ▁the ▁novel ▁The ▁Long ▁Sh ips , ▁by ▁the ▁Swedish ▁writer ▁Fr ans ▁G . ▁Beng t sson . ▁He ▁and ▁the ▁society ▁of ▁his ▁real m ▁are ▁dep icted ▁from ▁the ▁point ▁of ▁view ▁of ▁Dan ish ▁Vik ings ▁who ▁are ▁captured ▁by ▁Abd ▁al - R ah man ' s ▁n avy , ▁reduced ▁to ▁sla very , ▁later ▁promoted ▁to ▁mer cen ary ▁soldiers ▁and