Al-Andalus & The Christian Kingdoms Unit 5-6 2º ESO Ies Profesor Máximo Trueba

2. The conquest of the Iberian Peninsula
By the early 8th century,
muslims expanded on the
Arabian Peninsula, and
controlled most of North
Africa. In 711 they crossed
the Iberian Peninsula.
Muslims conquest of
the Iberian Peninsula
was a continuation of
Islamic expansion
across the
Mediterranean region.
It was also made possible
by a civil war between
rival groups of the Visigoth
nobility. In 711, one
faction requested help
from Musa, a Muslim ruler
in North Africa.

3. The Muslim defeated
the Visigoth king
Roderic in the Battle
of Guadalete.
However the Muslim
ruler Musa and his
leading general Tariq
did not hand power
over to their Visigoth
allies.
In just a few
years they
occupied
nearly all of
the Iberian
Peninsula
Muslims never
conquered the
mountainous
regions of the
North-West.
The conquest of the Iberian Peninsula

4. Muslims called the new territory Al-Andalus, and made
Córdoba its capital. The emirate of Al-Andalus was
dependent on the Umayyad Caliphate in Damascus

5. In the mid 8th Century,
most members of the
ruling Umayyad family in
Damascus were killed
when the new Abbasid
dynasty took power.
The emirs of Córdoba
established a state on
the Iberian peninsula,
bur local leaders still held
considerable power.
Abd al-Rahman
founded the Emirate
of Córdoba in 756.
The emir of Córdoba
was independent, but
he accepted the
religious supremacy of
the caliphate.
Ummayad prince called
Abd al-Rahman
escaped to the Iberian
peninsula.
The indepent emirate of Córdoba (756-926)

6. The fragmention of Al-Andalus. THE TAIFA STATES (1031-1086)
INTRODUCTION
After the collapse of the Caliphate
of Córdoba in 1031, there was
significant ethnic and political
division in Andalusi society. Al-
Andalus split into small
independent Muslim states called
taifas.
CHARACTERISTICS
·The larger states, like Seville and
Toledo fought with each other, to take
control of the smaller taifas.
·The Christian kingdoms in the north
took advantage of the lack of unity of
Al-Andalus. They attacked the taifas
and forced their rulers to pay parias,
or tribute.
The Christian kingdoms where a growing threat to
the taifas, especially after they took Toledo in 1085.
The following year the Muslims called for help from
the Almoravids, who had established a Berber
empire in northern Africa.

7. TAIFA KINGDOM
CALIPHATE OF CÓRDOBA

8. THE ALMORAVIDS AND THE ALMOHADS (1086-1212)
Twice, Al-Andalus recieved military assistance from Berber Muslim empires
in North Africa, where a much stricter version of Islam was practised.
·The Almoravids crossed over to the
Iberian Peninsula in 1086. Request of
Muslim rulers took over most of the taifa
states. Won some victories, did not
mantain the domination of Al-Andalus for
very long, and it fragmented once again
into many small taifa states in the 1140s.
·The Almohads were the successors of the
Almoravids in North Africa, and crossed
over in 1147. They, too, conquered the
taifa states as well as resisting the
Christian kingdoms. Despite Almohad
resistance, the christian kingdom
continiued to expand in the 12th and 13th
centuries.
In early 13th century, the Christians created a large army,. They achieved a great
victory over the Almohads in the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa (1212).

9. Life in Al-andalus
Conquerors: The conquerosrs and their descendants became the
most powerful groups in theirv society.
Arabs: Were the land owning of aristrocazy, who also held political
power.
Berbers: From the North Africa, helped to conquer the Iberian
Peninsula.
As Muslims conquered they let jews and christians
practice their religion, but only if they paid taxes:
• Muladis: were christians who converted to Islam and
adopted their customs
• Mozarabs: were christians that didn’t convert to Islam.
• Jews: were merchants, artisans and scholars. They lived in
Jewish Quarters

10. 1.- Caliphate architecture. The most excepcional building
Was great Mosque of Códoba. The palace at Medina
Azahara, near Córdoba, was also a fine example of caliphate architecture.

11. 2.- Tarifa architecture. The rulers of the tarifa states built fortresses, like the
castle in Málaga. They also built palaces, such as the Aljaefería Palace in Zaragoza.

12. 3.- Almohad architecture. Buildings were fairly plain in the north African style, but they
had decorative patterns. The Giralda and the Tower of Gold in Seville were outstanding
examples pf Almohad architecture.

13. 4.- Nasrid architecture. Abundant decoration was revived. Walls were covered in plasterwork
and ceramics.
The Alhambra and the Generalife in granada are exceptional examples.

14. Activities
1.- Describe the social structure of Al-Andalus. Was it an equal
society? Explain your answer.
2.- Explain the following terms:
• Muladi:
• Mozarab:
• Medina:

15. The origins of
Christian
Spain

16. 1.1Christian survival in the north
• In Cantabria, the kingdom of Asturias was
created.
• In the Pyrenees, the Kingdom of Navarre
was established. While the Aragonese and
Catalan counties emerged further East.
•From 711, the muslims conquered most
of the Iberian Peninsula, but they never
took control of the north. In the 8th and
9th centuries, a group of small Christians
states were precursors of the later
Hispanic kingdoms:

17. 1.2 Christian survival in the north
For nearly 800 years, Al – Andalus and a series, of christian states
existed together on the Iberian Peninsula.
Al- Andalus was stronger up to the 10th century. From then on,
the Christian kings grew in power and began to take Muslim
territories.

18. The Kingdom of Asturias
In the early 8th century, an Asturian or
Visigoth noble called Pelayo established
the Kingdom of Asturias. Pelayo and his
followers defeated the Muslims in the
Battle of Covadonga in 722. That was the
started of the Christian Reconquest of Al-
Andalus.
Over two centuries, the Kingdom of
Asturias expanded into Al- Andalus. Under
Pelayo´s successors, Oviedo became its
capital city. Alfonso III (886-910) took
advantage of conflicts in the emirate of
Cordoba to advance into the Duero river
valley.
In the 10th century, the
capital was moved to the
city of Leon, and the
kingdom became known
as the Kingdom of Leon.

19. Counties and Kingdoms of the Pyrenees
The Pyreenes formed part of the Carolingian Empire after
Carlemagne established the Hispanic March as a defensive frontire
region to defend his Empire against the Muslims. In the 9th century
the Carolingian Empire broke apart and developed 3 regions:
1. Navarre – the count
Iñigo Arista expelled
the Franquish form
Pamplona and
declared himself King
of Pamplona. That
later became kingdom
of Navarre.
2. Aragón - the
counties of
Aragon,
Sobrarbe and
Ribagorza
broke away.
In 820 Count
Aznar
Galindez rose
to power.
3. The Catalan counties – the
count Wilfredo the Hairy
won the independence
from the Franquish. They
maintained good relations
with the Caliphs of
Cordoba. The
independence consolidated
in the 10th century.

20. The christians kingdoms of Leon
and Castile
Origins
During the 11 , 12, 13 centuries, this
kingdoms were linked. They
weren´t like the modern states:
• They expanded is they conquered
new territories, but they were also
divided as a result of royal
inheritance .
• Were sometimes ruled by the
same monarchs, and sometimes
formed separate kingdoms.

21. LEON AND CASTILE
(Relationship)
•Leon was Christian Kingdom
in the 10 century and early 11
centuries. Castile was a
sparsely populated group of
countries in the east of the
kigndom .
•Castile was near the frontier
with Al-andalus so it was a
zone of comflict where
numerous castles were built.

22. Kings
•The power and
influence increased
when Fernando I
became king in 1035
•After Fernando´s I death
Leon and castile were
divided and then became
again one state.
•Fernando III inherited the kingdom
os castile in 1217, and the kingdom of
leon from his father in 1230. from
1230 onwards, the two kingo¡doms
were definitevely united under de
name of the crown od castile.

23. Importance
•Despite its complicated dinastic history,
the kingdom of castile and leon emerged
as the largezst and strongest kingdom on
the iberian peninsula in the 12th and
13th century.
• It played a key role in the reconquest
which brought it prestige and new
territories. Portugal separates from the
rest of the rest of the kingdom,
becoming independent in the mid-12th
century

24. Christian Kingdoms
Index:
1. Kingdom of Navarre
• Introduction
• Sancho III
2. Kingdom of Aragón to the
crown of Aragón
• Introduction
• Kings
3. Activities

25. INTRODUCTION
Navarre was ruled by the Jimena dinasty. Under Sancho
III, the kingdom of Navarre became the largest
Christian Power on the Peninsula.
Sancho III acquired the counties of
Aragón, Castile and part of León.

26. SANCHO III
Sancho ‘ s death in 1035
the kingdom was divided
among his sons:
Garcia Sanchez
(1035-1054),
inherited
Navarre
Fernando I
(1035-1065)
inherited
Castile.
Ramiro I
(1035-1063)
inherited
Aragón.
Gonzalo (1035-
1045) inherited
the counties of
Sobrarbe and
Ribagorza

28. THE KINGDOM OF ARAGÓN TO THE CROWN
OF ARAGÓN
Count of Barcelona, became engaged
to marry Petronilla of Aragón. This
united Aragón and the Catalan
counties, and led to the creation of
the Crown of Aragón.
Reunited the Kingdoms of Aragón
and Navarre, which remained
together untill 1134. In the 12th
century the Kingdom of Aragón
increased its territory
considerably.
In the 10th century, the county of Aragón became part of the
kingdom of Navarre.
Ramiro I Ramón Berenguer IV

38. SETTLEMENT IN THE CONQUERED TERRITORIES
REPOPULATION
DATE: 9th and 10th
PLACE: River Duero and part of
the Ebro valley
CHARACTERISTICS: In order to
attract settles, the kings granted
them privileges and charters.
PEOPLE: Free peasants
LAND DISTRIBUTION
PLACE: Catalonia
CHARACTERISTICS:
Land was given to
nobles in return for
their role in the
Reconquest. They
created large estates.
As the king advanced southwards, Christian population
settled in the new territories

39. •In some dangerous frontier
areas, the Christian kings gave
the military orders of warrior-
monks the responsibility for
conquering and defending
territories. The most powerful
were: Alcántara, Calatrava and
Santiago of Castille and
Montesa in Aragon.
Military orders of Castille:
SantiagoAlcántara Calatrava

40. Military orders of Castille:
Alcántara Calatrava Santiago
Founded in
1154
Founded
in 1158
Founded
in 1158
Alcántara Calatrava