Reconquista: Christian Resistance, Stages, and Cultural Impact
The Reconquista: Christian Resistance and Cultural Impact
The Main Pockets of Resistance: The resistance began with the Christian Battle of Covadonga in 722. Major pockets of resistance were found in the Cantabrian area, which had a difficult climate for the Muslims. This kingdom gave rise to the Asturian-Leonese kingdom in the early 9th century. Castile became a county and, in the 11th century, a kingdom. In 1230, the king of Castile and León was always the same, which led to the Kingdom of Castile and León. The Kingdom of Portugal appeared in the 12th century. The nucleus began in the Pyrenees, in Navarre, and at the other end of what would be the Catalan Pyrenees today. In the late 13th century, the French emperor Charlemagne invaded Catalonia, incorporating it into the Frankish empire. The border regions were called Marca Hispánica. The Marca Hispánica evolved into the Catalan counties in the late 9th century. In the 12th century, the Kingdom of Aragon and the Catalan counties united as the Crown of Aragon.
Main Stages of the Reconquista
The recovery of the Iberian Peninsula by Christians started in 722 with the Battle of Covadonga and ended with the fall of the Kingdom of Granada in 1492. There were two main periods:
- Muslim rule until the disappearance of the Caliphate of Córdoba (1031).
- Christian advances (1031-1492).
Christian advances developed around the rivers: the kings of León reached the Duero in the 9th century, Alfonso of Castile reached the Tagus in the 11th century, Aragon reached the Ebro in the 12th century, Castile reached the Guadalquivir in the 13th century, and in 1492, the Catholic Monarchs ended the reign of Granada. They justified the use of violence to persecute anyone who thought differently.
Methods of Land Occupation
The conquest created the need to repopulate the territory. The defense depended on the amount of Muslim population present, and recruitment was done according to three models:
- Free Repopulation (Duero, southern Pyrenees): Performed in uninhabited areas, benefits were distributed to individuals.
- Municipal Repopulation (11th-12th centuries; Tagus, Ebro): Done by giving privileges to the municipalities or municipal charters or letters in villages.
- Starring: The conquered land was divided between nobles and the clergy (Andalusia, Extremadura). Smallholders in the north, large landowners in the southwest, and medium and small properties on the east coast.
Cultural Diversity (711-1492)
Three cultures coexisted:
- Andalusian Culture: Recovery of classical Greek culture, the concept of zero, and ornate architecture.
- Jewish Culture: Translations and medicine. Maimonides was a major Jewish intellectual.
- Christian Culture: Development of the Romance languages, developed through oral translation (by minstrels who told stories). Epic poems were spoken but not fixed in writing. Clerics were literate and made comments (glosses) and footnotes in Latin. Individual authors appeared in the 13th century, such as Gonzalo de Berceo and Alfonso X of Castile, with a sufficiently consolidated language. Educational influence appeared around the monasteries, where universities would later emerge. Two architectural styles predominated: Romanesque and Gothic.
The Late Middle Ages
Three main institutions existed:
- Monarchy: The king was chosen by God, was the most important figure, and the kingdom was the property of the king. He was the chief of the army, made laws, and provided justice. The king’s power was greater in Castile than in Aragon, but with some limitations.
- Courts (Cortes): These were estates, bringing together representatives of the three estates (nobility, clergy, and representatives of the municipalities). Their main function was to vote on subsidies. They had a legislative role and called for permanent representation (Generalitat).
- Municipalities: These were controlled by the king, more so in Castile than in Aragon. The power of the crown was greater in Castile than in Aragon.
The Late Medieval Population
The Late Middle Ages saw a demographic crisis manifested by bad harvests and plague, which caused a population decline and economic crisis.