▁of ▁O cs ón oba , ▁Y ah ya ▁ibn ▁Bak r , ▁and ▁of ▁N ieb la , ▁I bn ▁U f ay r . ▁Alc á cer ▁do ▁Sal ▁and ▁Lis bon ▁were ▁under ▁control ▁of ▁the ▁Ban u ▁D ā nis . ▁ ▁The ▁absence ▁of ▁royal ▁authority ▁enabled ▁Or do ño   II ▁to ▁easily ▁campaign ▁in ▁this ▁area , ▁his ▁main ▁objective ▁being ▁the ▁city ▁of ▁M ér ida , ▁in ▁the ▁summer ▁of ▁ 9 1 5 . ▁Abd ▁al - R ah man   III ▁did ▁not ▁send ▁an ▁army ▁and ▁only ▁several ▁local ▁Ber ber ▁j ef es ▁offered ▁some ▁resistance ▁which ▁was ▁in effect ive . ▁ ▁Ass umption ▁of ▁the ▁C ali ph ate ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁next ▁year , ▁despite ▁having ▁defeated ▁only ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁reb els , ▁ ▁Abd ▁al - R ah man   III ▁considered ▁himself ▁powerful ▁enough ▁to ▁declare ▁himself ▁C ali ph ▁of ▁C ór dob a ▁( 1 6 ▁January ▁ 9 2 9 ), ▁effectively ▁breaking ▁his ▁alleg iance ▁to , ▁and ▁t ies ▁with , ▁the ▁F at im id ▁and ▁Abb as id ▁cal i ph s . ▁ ▁The ▁cal i ph ate ▁was ▁thought ▁only ▁to ▁belong ▁to ▁the ▁Emperor ▁who ▁ruled ▁over ▁the ▁sacred ▁cities ▁of ▁Me cca ▁and ▁Med ina , ▁and ▁his ▁ancest ors ▁had ▁until ▁then ▁been ▁content ▁with ▁the ▁title ▁of ▁em ir . ▁But ▁the ▁force ▁of ▁this ▁tradition ▁had ▁weak ened ▁over ▁time