Islamic 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.
Outline
In 711 Muslim forces invaded and in seven years conquered the Iberian peninsula.
It became one of the great Muslim civilisations; reaching its summit
with the Umayyad caliphate of Cordovain the tenth century.
Muslim rule declined after that and ended in 1492 when Granada was conquered.
The heartland of Muslim rule was Southern Spain or Andulusia.
Periods
Muslim Spain was not a single period, but a succession of different rules.
*. The Dependent Emirate (711-756)
*. The Independent Emirate (756-929)
*. The Caliphate (929-1031)
*. The Almoravid Era (1031-1130)
*. Decline (1130-1492)
Audio journey
The Alhambra Palace, the finest surviving palace of Muslim Spain, is
the beginning of a historical journey in this audio feature, In the
Footsteps of Muhammad: Granada .
In order to see this content you need to have both Javascript enabled
and Flash installed. Visit BBC Webwise for full instructions
Top
Conquest
The conquest
The traditional story is that in the year 711, an oppressed Christian
chief, Julian, went to Musa ibn Nusair, the governor of North Africa,
with a plea for help against the tyrannical Visigoth ruler ofSpain,
Roderick.
Musa responded by sending the young general Tariq bin Ziyad with an
army of 7000 troops. The name Gibraltar is derived from Jabal At-Tariq
which is Arabic for 'Rock of Tariq' named after the place where the
Muslim army landed.
The story of the appeal for help is not universally accepted. There is
no doubt that Tariq invaded Spain, but the reason for it may have more
to do with the Muslim drive to enlarge their territory.
The Muslim army defeated the Visigoth army easily, and Roderick was
killed in battle.
After the first victory, the Muslims conquered most of Spain and
Portugal with little difficulty, and infact with little opposition. By
720 Spain was largely under Muslim (or Moorish,as it was called)
control.
Reasons
One reason for the rapid Muslim success was the generous surrender
termsthat they offered the people, which contrasted with the harsh
conditions imposed by the previous Visigoth rulers.
The ruling Islamic forces were made up of differentnationalities, and
many ofthe forces were converts with uncertain motivation, so the
establishment of a coherent Muslim state was not easy.
Andalusia
The heartland of Muslim rule was Southern Spain or Andulusia. The name
Andalusia comes from theterm Al-Andalus used by the Arabs, derived
from the Vandals who had been settled in the region.
Top
A Golden Age
Stability
Stability in Muslim Spain came with the establishment of the
Andalusian Umayyad dynasty, which lasted from 756 to 1031.
The credit goes to Amir Abd al-Rahman, who founded the Emirate of
Cordoba, and was able to get the various different Muslim groups who
had conquered Spain to pull together in ruling it.
The Golden Age
The Muslim period in Spain is often described asa 'golden age' of
learning where libraries, colleges, public baths were established and
literature,poetry and architecture flourished. Both Muslims and
non-Muslims made major contributions to this flowering of culture.
A Golden Age of religious tolerance?
Islamic Spain is sometimes described as a 'golden age' of religious
and ethnic tolerance and interfaith harmony between Muslims,
Christians and Jews .
Some historians believe this idea of a golden age is false and might
lead modern readers to believe, wrongly, that Muslim Spain was
tolerantby the standards of 21st century Britain.
The true position is more complicated. The distinguished historian
Bernard Lewis wrote that the status of non-Muslims in Islamic Spain
was a sortof second-class citizenshipbut he went on to say:
Second-class citizenship, though second class, is a kind of
citizenship. It involves some rights, though not all, and is surely
better than no rights at all...
...A recognized status, albeit one of inferiority to the dominant
group, which is established by law, recognized by tradition, and
confirmed by popular assent, is not to be despised.
Bernard Lewis, The Jewsof Islam, 1984
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