Moorish Spain (711-1492)
In the Middle Ages Spain was a multi-cultural mix of the people of three great monotheistic
religions: Muslims, Christians, and Jews. Although Christians and Jews lived
under restrictions, for much of the time the three groups managed to get along
together, and to some extent, to benefit from the presence of each other. It
brought a degree of civilisation to Europe that matched the heights of the
Roman Empire and the Italian Renaissance.
The
Alhambra Palace, the finest surviving palace of
Muslim Spain, is part of a historical journey inside this photographic workshop
in Al-Andalus, following the steps of Washington Irwing and Hemingway
Key dates and events
In 711
Muslim forces invaded the south of Spain and in seven years Granada was conquered. It became
one of the great Muslim civilisations; reaching its summit with the Umayyad
caliphate of Cordova during the tenth century. Muslim power declined after that and ended in 1492 when Granada was conquered by the Catholic Monarchs, Isabel and Fernando. The
heartland of Muslim rule was Southern Spain or Andulusia.
Periods
Muslim
Spain was not a single period, but a succession of different kingdoms during eight centuries.
The Dependent Emirate (711-756)
The period
between 711 and 756 is called the dependent emirate because Muslim Spain, or
Al-Andalus, was dependent on the Umayyad caliph in Damascus. These years were
marked by continuous hostilities between the different Arab factions and
between the various social groups.
The Independent Emirate (756-929)
The period
begins with the arrival of Abd Al-Rahman I, the only survivor of the Umayyad
dynasty. He started the construction of the Mosque of Cordoba. The Moorish architecture took artistic elements of the cultures they conquered, so used Hispanorroman and Visigoths elements.
The Caliphate (929-1031)
This period
was characterized by a large expansion of trade and culture, and saw the
construction of the masterpieces of al-Andalus architecture, including the
Great Mosque of Córdoba. In January 929, Abd-ar-Rahman III proclaimed himself
Caliph. Abd-ar-Rahman III was a member of the Umayyad dynasty, who had held the
titles of Emir of Córdoba since 756.
The
Caliphate disintegrated during a civil war, the Fitna of al-Andalus, between
the descendants of the last Caliph Hisham II and the successors of his hayib
Al-Mansur. In 1031, after years of infighting, the Caliphate fractured into a
number of independent Muslim Taifa kingdoms.
Kings of Taifas (1031 – 1086)
The 39 small taifa's kingdoms generally centered around the major cities of al-Andalus, such as Toledo,
Granada, Seville, and Cordoba, and the taifa kings used the populace they ruled
over to build armies and go to war with their neighbours. This infighting among
Muslim kings would have disastrous results for Moorish Spain. The leaders of
the taifas were as diverse as the society of al-Andalus itself. In the southern
parts of the Iberian Peninsula, taifa kings came from wealthy Arab families who
had a leading role in the now-extinct caliphate. Seville, Zaragoza, and Cordoba
were ruled by such leaders.
Interestingly,
however, the infighting among the Muslim taifa kings was not based on ethnic
divisions. Instead, fighting was based on the individual desire for power among
the taifa kings to increase their own power. Using forces that were loyal to
them, these kings would raid nearby lands, conquering neighboring towns and
cities from other taifa kings. As a result of this consistent raiding, from the
emergence of the taifas in the early 1000s to 1080, the number of taifa
kingdoms declined from 30 down to 9 as the more powerful taifas conquered the
weaker ones.
The Almoravid and Almohad Periods (1086-1212)
The
Almoravid dynasty (al-Murabitun, ca. 1062–1150), a newly emerged Moorish power
in North Africa, ethnically more Berber than Arab, conquered Morocco and
founded Marrakesh as its capital in 1062. Led by Yusuf ibn Tashufin, the
Almoravids entered al-Andalus (Moorish Spain) after the fall of Toledo in 1085
in response to the taifa leaders' pleas for help in repelling the Christian
armies of northern Spain. They assumed control of al-Andalus in 1090, while
maintaining their primary seat of government in Marrakesh. In this way, the
Almoravids came to rule parts of the Sahara, Morocco, Algeria, and Spain and
controlled important ports as well as trans-Saharan trade.
In the
mid-twelfth century, the Almoravids were replaced by the Almohads
(al-Muwahhidun, 1150–1269), a new Berber dynasty from North Africa. By 1150,
the Almohads had taken Morocco as well as Sevilla, Córdoba, Badajoz, and
Almería in the Iberian Peninsula. The Almohads made Sevilla their capital in
al-Andalus, while retaining Marrakesh as their center of power in North Africa.
Following the Almohad defeat by the combined armies of Aragon and Castile at
the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa in 1212, a turning point in the peninsula's
history, al-Andalus once again fractured into tribute-paying principalities,
vulnerable to the depredations of Christian kingdoms. These principalities,
except for Nasrid-ruled Granada, soon lost their sovereignty.
Decline (Nazarí Sultanate of Granada)
1212-1492
After the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa the Almohads were defeated. The last
Muslim Kingdom was Granada, until it was conquered by the Catholic Monarchs. Internal
rebellions in 1144 and 1145 further shattered Islamic unity, and despite
intermittent military successes, Islam's domination of Spain was ended for
good.
The Muslims
finally lost all power in Spain in 1492. By 1502 the Christian rulers issued an
order requiring all Muslims to convert to Christianity, and when this didn't
work, they imposed restrictions on the remaining Spanish Muslims.
