Reconquista

The Reconquista was the medieval Christian conquest of the Iberian peninsula from the Muslem forces, who had invaded the area in 711. After a few hundred years of warfare the Muslem controlled areas began to break into several smaller states divided by warfare. This gave the Christians the opportunity initiate the Reconquista.

Background

Information

Before the reconquest Spain had been a part of the Roman Empire. During this time period the people were introduced to Christianity. In 612, the practice of Judaism was outlawed in Spain and Jews were forced to into the Christian faith.

After the Muslims conquered most of the Spanish Peninsula, most Christians fled. The Muslim culture spread and Muslim and Jewish scholars worked together making advances in medicine, astronomy, mathematics, and others.

The Islamic Golden Ages

In 750 AD the Umayyad Dynasty was overthrown by the Abbasids. 80 Umayyad leaders had been invited to a dinner in Damascus were they were clubbed to death. The only one to escape was Abd Al-Rahman I who was 19 years old at the time. He jumped out of a window and swam across the Euphrates River before fleeing in disguise. In 755 AD he arrived in Spain and was able to gainpolitical support to establish a new Umayyad Caliphate in Spain to rival the Abbasids

The Umayyad Caliphate of Cordoba was a wealthy civilization. The Umayyads were tolerant of other faiths and also held an enlightened attitude towards women. They were who allowed to learn reading and caligraphy and become scribes

The climax of Umayyad power in Spain is in the 10th Century during the reign of Abd Al-Rahman III. Abd Al-Rahman III was a patron of the arts. He planned major building projects and expanded the Cordoba library.

The Muslim Conquest

of Spain

In 711 The muslims crossed the sea from Africa, bringing an army into Spain.

This began the final push of Muslim expansionism in the west. After landing the muslims push inward, the Spaniards could not respond quickly bacasue they had rising political tension.

Soon governors appointed by the caliph in Damascus are ruling much of Spain. The Muslims press on northwards, their armies move into Gaul, and they are confronted.

After the Muslim invasion of Iberia in 711 the Moors had conquered most of Iberia within five years. This put an end to the Christian Visigoth kingdoms. The reconquest began in 718 with the defeat of the Muslim army at Alcama

During the many years of the Reconquest, the Christian rulers of northern Spain controled a frequently arguing group of small kingdoms. Despite their dislikes for each other, they gradually became peacefull and formed into larger numbers capable of fighting the Muslims.

In 785 Gerona was captured by King Charlemagne and the Franks, followed by Barcelona in 801. This region was governed by the Courts of Barcelona, on behalf of the Franks.

After the Muslim invasion of Iberia in 711 the Moors had conquered most of Iberia within five years. This put an end to the Christian Visigoth kingdoms. The reconquest began in 718 with the defeat of the Muslim army at Alcama

In the yar 1095 Pope Urban II gave an important speech at the end of a church council in France. During which he called upon the Franks, to go to the East and fight with their Christian brothers, the Byzantines, against the attacks of the Muslims. He also wanted them to take back Jerusalem, the most sacred and city in Christianity.

Alliances were not unusual. The fighting along the frontier was halted by periods of peace. Making matters difficult was the mercenaries who fought for whoever paid the most.

In 1212 the combined Christian armies achieved a decisive victory against the Muslims at Las Navas de Tolosa in Andalucía. This was fallowed by many other small attacks on other cities. In 1236 Ferdinand III captured Córdoba and the mosque there was turned into a cathedral. When Sevilla was taken 12 years later the Christian region in the country had more than doubled.

Crusaders arrived in Portugal and were led by Afonso Henriques. By 1249, the reconquest of Portugal was complete and the Moors were banished to Granada.

The main part of the Reconquista was completed in 1249, after the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa. The last remaining Muslim state in Iberia, Granada, became a vassal state.

The Portuguese Reconquista began in 1257 with the conquest of Algarve by Afonso III resulting in the Portuguese borders being almost identical to their Present day borders.

The Christians allowed their new Muslim subjects to enjoy their own culture for a while. Muslim traders and artisans were protected because of their economic importance and their culture was often adapted by the Christians.

Works Cited

Crawford, Paul. "The Crusades." Catholic Education Resource Center. 1997. Web. Retrieved 03 Nov. 2011. from <http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/history/world/wh0018.html>.

On November 27, 1095, Pope Urban II gave an important speech at the end of a church council

in Clermont, France. In which he called upon the nobility of Western Europe, the Franks, to go

to the East and assist their allies, the Byzantines, against the attacks of the Muslim Turks. He

also apparently encouraged them to liberate Jerusalem, the most sacred and beloved city in

Christendom, from the domination of Muslims who had ruled it since taking it from the Christian

Byzantines in A.D. 638.

"The Crusades: The War for the Holy Land by Thomas Asbridge and Holy Warriors: A Modern History of the Crusades by Jonathan Phillips « Byzantine Blog." Byzantine Blog. 10 Jan. 2010. Web. Retrieved 31 Oct. 2011. from <http://mybyzantine.wordpress.com/2010/01/10/the-crusades-the-war-for-the-holy-land-by-thomas-asbridge-and-holy-warriors-a-modern-history-of-the-crusades-by-jonathan-phillips/>.

The image shown here is simply stunning. It really decrypts the over tone of the conflict well,

this source does not hold necessary information.

"End of Europe's Middle Ages - The Reconquista." Home | University of Calgary. 1998. Web. Retrieved 27 Oct. 2011. from <http://www.ucalgary.ca/applied_history/tutor/endmiddle/bluedot/recon.html>.

The Reconquista refers to the Christian conquest of the Iberian peninsula from the Muslem

forces, who had invaded the area in 711. After 1000 A.D, the Muslem caliphate of Cordoba

began to break into several smaller states divided by warfare. This provided the opportunity for

Christian forces to initiate the Reconquista, led by the Kingdom of Castile which captured the

important Moslem city of Toledo in 1085.

"European Voyages of Exploration: Reconquista Timeline." Home | University of Calgary. 1997. Web. Retrieved 26 Oct. 2011. from <http://www.ucalgary.ca/applied_history/tutor/eurvoya/timeline.html>.

The Reconquista lasted from 711 to 1492. During which time the muslims entered from the south

and moved upwards to Northern Spain. A crusade was formed to take back Spain and kick the

muslims out.

"HISTORY OF SPAIN." HistoryWorld - History and Timelines. 2011. Web.Retrieved 29 Oct. 2011. from <http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp?ParagraphID=ebv>.

The reconquest of Spain had been a dream for the Christians ever since the Muslim conquest in

the early 8th century, when Christian Visigoths were rapidly confined to the tiny kingdom of

Asturias in the north. The Reconquista becomes an ideal a landmark of medieval Spanish

chivalry.

"Islamic Spain and the Reconquista." Historical Atlas of the Mediterranean. 2011. Web. Retrieved 27 Oct. 2011. from <http://explorethemed.com/reconquista.asp?c=1>.

The Iberian Peninsula had been one of the wealthiest parts of the vanquished Roman Empire

until it was overrun by Germanic tribes in the 5th Century AD. The Germanic tribe that came to

dominate Iberia was the Visigoths, but their reign would be short. In 711 AD, the Arabs began an

invasion of Iberia under the leadership of Tariq Ibn Ziyad. Tariq landed at Gibraltar (in fact

Gibraltar is a corruption of the Arabic 'Gibr Tariq': the rock of Tariq) and conquered virtually the

entire peninsula in a 7 year campaign. The Arabs called Iberia "Al-Andalus", which is the origin

of the name of the modern Spanish province of Andalucia. Al-Andalus became the westernmost

part of the immense Islamic Empire ruled by the Umayyad Caliphs from Damascus in Syria.

"Middle Ages, Christian Reconquista In Spain." World History International: World History Essays From Prehistory To The Present. 1998. Web. Retrieved 25 Oct. 2011. from <http://history-world.org/midreconquista.htm>.

The unification of Spain was by a different route than that of France or England. The customary

rivalry between the feudal aristocracy and the royal authority was complicated by another

significant element – a religious crusade. National unification required the ejection of the

Muslims, with their foreign religion and culture. Unity also called for the consolidation of

several distinct Christian states.

"Reconquista Española - YouTube." YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. 10 Jan. 2008. Web. Retrieved 31 Oct. 2011. from <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ci2jTnI2qqk>.

It took more than 700 years but satisfaction was finally guaranteed. The Spanish crusade was

completed successfully and the Muslims had fleed the region resulting in a dominant

Christian region.

"Spanish Reconquest." Spain Travel Guide - The Definitive Guide to Travel in Spain. 1998. Web. Retrieved 01 Oct. 2011. from <http://www.spanish-fiestas.com/history/reconquest.htm>.

If the Muslim conquest of Spain can be traced back to 711, there is a good claim that the

Christian reconquest of the peninsula started just 11 years later with a small but symbolic victory

over the Moors at Covadonga. This picturesque town in the heart of what is now the hiking and

climbing region of Asturias – a gateway into Los Picos de Europa but a fascinating and beautiful

place to visit in its own right - contains the tomb of Pelayo, one of the foremost heroes of the

Reconquest, or Reconquista.

The Christian

Reconquest

The Spanish

Crusades (Reconquista)

The Reconquista was a time period of almost 800 years in the Middle Ages during which several Christian kingdoms succeeded in retaking the Muslim-controlled areas of the Iberian Peninsula.

Outcome

Annotated Bibliography