▁control ▁over ▁them . ▁To ▁accomplish ▁his ▁a ims ▁he ▁introduced ▁into ▁the ▁court ▁the ▁sa q al ib ah , ▁slaves ▁of ▁East ▁European ▁origin . ▁The ▁sa q al ib ah ▁represented ▁a ▁third ▁eth nic ▁group ▁that ▁could ▁neutral ize ▁the ▁end less ▁str ife ▁between ▁his ▁subjects ▁of ▁Muslim ▁Arab ▁her itage , ▁and ▁those ▁of ▁Muslim ▁Ber ber ▁her itage . ▁ ▁Has da i ▁ibn ▁Sh ap rut , ▁a ▁Jewish ▁court ier ▁of ▁the ▁king ' s ▁court ▁who ▁served ▁as ▁financi er ▁to ▁the ▁king , ▁wrote ▁of ▁the ▁king ' s ▁reven ues ▁on ▁this ▁wise : ▁ ▁Early ▁rule ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁first ▁ 2 0 ▁years ▁of ▁his ▁rule , ▁Abd ▁al - R ah man ▁avoided ▁military ▁action ▁against ▁the ▁northern ▁Christian ▁kingdom s , ▁Ast ur ias ▁and ▁the ▁Kingdom ▁of ▁Navar re . ▁The ▁Mul adi ▁reb els ▁were ▁the ▁first ▁problem ▁he ▁confront ed . ▁Those ▁powerful ▁families ▁were ▁supported ▁by ▁I ber ians ▁who ▁were ▁open ly ▁or ▁secret ly ▁Christians ▁and ▁had ▁acted ▁with ▁the ▁reb els . ▁These ▁elements , ▁which ▁formed ▁the ▁bulk ▁of ▁the ▁population , ▁were ▁not ▁a verse ▁to ▁supporting ▁a ▁strong ▁r uler ▁who ▁would ▁protect ▁them ▁against ▁the ▁Arab ▁arist ocracy . ▁Abd ▁al - R ah man ▁moved ▁to ▁sub due ▁them ▁by ▁means ▁of ▁a ▁mer cen ary ▁army ▁that ▁included ▁Christians . ▁ ▁He ▁first ▁had ▁to ▁suppress ▁the ▁re bel ▁U mar ▁ibn ▁H af