Reconquista Cultural Influence Modern Views Social Types Under

After the Muslim invasion of Iberia in 711See also: phone number 711. Events April 30 Ummayad troops led by Tariq ibn Ziyad land at Gibraltar and begin their invasion of Spain. July 19 Ummayad Moors conquer the Iberian peninsula after the Battle of Guadalete Philippicus incites a revolt against J and the Battle of GuadaleteThe Battle of Guadalete took place July 19, 711 at the Guadalete River in the extreme south of the Iberian peninsula. It represented a decisive defeat for the Visigothic king Roderic (or Rodrigo), who was killed, and a decisive victory for the Muslim forc the Moors had conquered most of Iberia within five years. The reconquest began in 718Events Pelayo established the Kingdom of Asturias in Spain. This is considered to be the beginning of the Reconquista Emperor Leo III defeats Arab forces besieging Constantinople End of Tervel's reign as monarch of Bulgaria Saint Boniface sets out for Fri with the defeat of the Muslim army at Alcama by the VisigothThe Visigoths originally Tervingi or Vesi ("the noble ones"), one of the two main branches of the Goths (of which the Ostrogothi were the other), were one of the loosely-termed " Germanic peoples" that disturbed the late Roman Empire. After the "fall" of Pelayo.

It was not until later centuries that the Christians started to see their conquests as part of a secular effort to restore the unity of the Visigothic kingdom.

The battle against Moors did not keep the Christian kingdoms from battling among themselves or allying with Islamic kings. For example, the earlier kings of Navarre were family of the Banu QasiThe Banu Qasi were a Muslim dynastic family that ruled the region of the Ebro Valley in Spain, from the 7th century to the 10th century. The family descended from the Visigothic count Cassius, hence the name "Banu Qasi", or "Sons of Cassius". It was a pat of TudelaTudela is a little town in the north of Spain. It belongs to the northern province of Navarra. Population is around 40,000. External link .. The Moorish kings often had wives or mothers born Christians. Also Christian champions like El Cid were contracted by Taifa kings to fight against their neighbours.

In the late years of Al-Andalus, Castile had the military power to conquer the remains of the kingdom of Granada, but the kings preferred to claim the tribute of the parias . The commerce of Granadan goods and the parias were a main way for the African gold to enter medieval Europe.

In the High Middle Ages, the fight against the Moors in Iberia was linked to the fight of the whole of Christendom. Military orders like the order of Santiago , Montesa and the Temple Knights were founded or called to fight in Iberia. The Popes called the knights of Europe to the Crusades in the peninsula. French, Navarrese, Castilian and Aragonese armies united in the massive battle of Las Navas de Tolosa ( 1212).

The Christians called Saint James their protector saint (today he is still the patron of Spain) under the rubric of Santiago Matamoros ("St. James the Moor-killer"). The big territories awarded to military orders and nobles were the origin of the latifundia in today's Andalusia and Extremadura.

The mixing of Christians, Muslims and Jews was later officially ended by the limpieza de sangre rules of ethnic purity of the Modern Ages .

1 Cultural influence

Real or imaginary episodes of the Reconquista are the subject of much of Mediaeval Spanish- and Catalan-language literature, such as the cantar de gesta.

2 Modern Views

Modern historical theories dispute the idea that the Reconquista was a war of Christians versus Muslims. These theories note that the Muslims had occupied the Iberian Peninsula for eight centuries, over which time they argue it would had been impossible to keep ethnic groups separated. More evidence supporting those theories is that the Spanish language itself has a high number of words of Arabic origin. Instead of the term 'Reconquista', the concept of a civil war has been proposed. This has not gained wide acceptance, however, although its supporters attribute this to sociopolitical forces.

It has also been proposed that the war left the kingdom with a deep economical crisis, which would be the reason behind expelling the Jews (who had lived in the Iberian Peninsula for over ten centuries) in order to confiscate its funds and property.

3 Social types under the Reconquista

The advances and retreats created several social types:

the Mozarabs: Descendants of Visigothic or Romanic dwellers who did not convert to Islam. Some of them migrated to the North in times of persecution.
the Muladi : Christians who converted to Islam after the invasion.
the Renegade: Christian individuals who embraced Islam and often fought against their former compatriots.
the Jewish conversos: First Jews who were forced to become Christians yet they kept on practicing Judaism and then eventually all Jews became victims of the Spanish Inquisition and were forced to leave Spain in 1492 by Ferdinand and Isabella.
the Mudejar: Muslims dwelling in land conquered by the Christians. They were usually peasants. Their characteristic architecture of adobe bricks was frequently employed in churches commissioned by the new lords. Their descendants after 1492 were called Moriscos

Currently, along the Mediterranean coast, the festivals of moros y cristianos ("Moors and Christians") recreate the fights as colourful parades with elaborate garments and lots of fireworks.

4 Modern Uses of the Term

There has also, of late, been a movement in the United States to term some pro-immigration Latino politicians as reconquistas. Largely this is used as a derogatory term, alleging that these politicians are actually part of a movement to re-conquer the United States for Mexico.

5 External Link

Timeline of the Reconquista; The University of Calgary

Spanish wars Reconquista Arab Jewish Spanish history Crusades

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