'By God, I Was Made for Glory': Wallada bint al-Mustakfi and Women's Agency in Umayyad al-Andalus

Employing examples of multiple women from all levels of Andalusian society, this paper demonstrates the multiple ways that Andalusian women exerted agency through their words and actions. Poets like Wallada Bint al-Mustakfi and Muhya bint al-Tayyani relied on their quick-wittedness to carve out a space in their society, while umm-walads like Subh and Tarub exploited their connections with the ruler to bend circumstances to their will. Others like Lubna de Córdoba and Ana al-Qriqiya were able to use their intellect to put their stamp on history. in spite of all the obstacles they faced, both the contemporary and the issues relating to sources, a wide variety of Andalusian women were clearly able to shape history by exercising their agency.