Al-Andalus: Political Developments & Muslim Conquest of Spain
Al-Andalus: Political Developments
Muslim Conquest of the Iberian Peninsula
Process of Military Occupation
The civil war within the Visigothic state led the group defending the rights of Akhila, son of Witiza, to seek the support of the Berbers in 711. The Berbers accepted the invitation, and the conquest unfolded in stages:
- Military Control: In 711, Musa’s lieutenant, Tariq, became governor of Ifriquiya (North Africa) and entered Spain. He defeated the Visigoth King Rodrigo at the Battle of Guadalete, where Rodrigo was abandoned by the Vitizans at the beginning of the battle.
- Contact with the Native Population: Interaction with the native population took three forms: military engagement, capitulation, or agreement. All three resulted in the subjugation of the Hispano-Romans. The latter two were the most common due to the need for manpower to exploit resources.
- Settlement: The Arabs settled in the valleys of the Guadalquivir and Ebro, where they lived off political offices and rents from their lands. The Berbers chose the plateau and mountain flanks for grazing and maintained their traditional way of life.
Damascus Dependent Emirate (711-756)
Al-Andalus was a province of the Umayyad Caliphate, ruled by Arab governors linked to Kairouan in North Africa.
Domestic Policy:
Civil wars between the two main Arab tribes and against the Kharijite Berbers were prominent.
External Politics:
Muslim expansion into France was halted in 732 when Abd-Al Rahman Al Ghafiqi was defeated by Charles Martel at the Battle of Tours in southern Gaul.
Baghdad Dependent Emirate (756-912)
Abd-al-Rahman I, a member of the Umayyad dynasty, established an independent emirate in al-Andalus with the help of the Yemeni Arabs after winning the Battle of Musarah. However, complete unification remained elusive.
The Caliphate of Cordoba (912-1031)
Abd-al-Rahman III (912-961):
He quelled the Muladi uprising led by Omar ibn Hafsun, who sought to establish an independent emirate in Bobastro. Abd-al-Rahman III then proclaimed himself Caliph in 929, after conquering Bobastro. He decided to reject the religious authority of the Abbasid Caliphate in Baghdad and became an absolute monarch by divine right.
Al-Hakam II (961-976):
Less energetic than his father and more interested in the arts and literature.
Hisham II (976-1009):
Ruled under the regency of Almanzor (976-1002). Almanzor, viewed as a usurper by the faqihs (religious scholars), sought to enhance his image through jihad. He exploited Christian fears of the supposed end of the world in the year 1000 to conduct raids. In 981, after sacking Zamora, he earned the nickname “The Victorious by Allah.”
The Disintegration of the Caliphate (1009-1031):
A period of enormous confusion and conflict, the Berbers and Slavs enrichment led them to demand greater political participation against the Arabs, we were facing each other.
FIRST Taifa Kingdom (1031-1090)
The caliphate was divided into 26 taifas, Berbers, Slavs and Andalusians. The most important: Valencia, Granada, Badajoz, Toledo,
Murcia and Zaragoza. In Seville Abbadid got more poderoso.La form the kingdom main feature of the period is the establishment of the pariahs system. The importance of the tribute was such that Christians fight each other by a single rogue taifa, payment Muslims forced to lower its currency and raise your taxes causing a decrease in the activities and economic and popular revolts, to quell had to appeal to Christians and pay new pariahs.
Almoravid rule 1090-1145
The Almoravids was a federation of tribes that ruled the Sahara Berbers in North África.La suspension of outcasts and gold that came from Senegal, helped to strengthen its economy. But they had many enemies both within and outside the peninsula.
Taif SECOND QUEEN 1145-1175
Popular discontent led to the uprisings of 1144-5 throughout Al-Andalus, replacing fittings Almoravids called for a Second Taifa kings confronted each other and with the Christians so that some requested help from the Almohad winners of the Almoravids in the North Africa.
The Almohades 1175-1231
The Almohad was a federation of tribes of the Atlas Berbers, who ruled North Africa were orthodox extremes.
Taif third queen 1231-1238
In 1224 some governors declared themselves independent, the rest did the lords and formed the Third Hispano Taifa.
THE Nazari Kingdom of Granada 1238-1492
The kingdom was created in 1238 by Mohammed I, which benefited from the death of Ibn Hud to expand and Castilla had supported the conquest of Cordoba in 1236, was established in 1246 after the Castilian conquest of Granada-Jaén recognized when the vassal Castile and supports them in the conquest of Seville in 1248. The downfall of this kingdom is caused by the ongoing civil war in the fifteenth century, highlights the wars and interventions Abencerrajes Castilian.