Christian Kingdoms Formed in Northern Iberia (7th-9th Centuries)

Christian Resistance

• New Christian kingdoms formed in the north of the peninsula between the seventh and ninth centuries.
• Cordillera Cantábrica: Reino de Asturias-León.
• Pyrenees: Kingdom of Navarre, Aragon, and Catalan Counties.

The Formation of the Kingdom of Asturias-León

In 718, refugees from the Visigoths in the Cantabrian Mountains established the Kingdom of Asturias. Don Pelayo was chosen as king and confronted the Muslims in the Battle of Covadonga (722). The court was initially established in Oviedo. The kingdom eventually covered territory from Galicia to Álava. In the ninth century, many cities like Burgos and Zamora were incorporated. The kingdom's expansion peaked during the reign of Alfonso III.

Nacimiento de Castilla

Castile was initially a defense zone against Muslims advancing from the Ebro Valley. It was divided into counties that were united under the authority of Count Fernán González. In the 10th century, the power of the Counts of Castile and the kings of Navarre increased. In 1035, Castile became its own kingdom.

Marca Hispánica

The Carolingian Pyrenean region was part of the empire. Charlemagne founded the Hispanic March, a territory divided into counties to protect against the advance of the Muslim empire. In the ninth century, the Carolingian empire divided, and these regions became independent: Navarre, Aragon, and the Catalan Counties.

Growth of the Kingdom of Navarre

Count Íñigo Arista's troops expelled the Franks from Pamplona, marking the origin of the Kingdom of Pamplona, later called the Kingdom of Navarre. Its greatest importance was during the reign of Sancho III, who became the most powerful Christian king on the peninsula.

Aragon Counties

The family of Count Galindo Aznar achieved independence for the County of Aragon. In 922, it fell under the dominion of Navarre, only to become independent again following the death of Sancho III in 1035.

The Catalan Counties

In 874, Wilfred the Hairy united the Catalan counties. The governors gained autonomy from the Frankish kings and passed their authority to their descendants. They maintained good relations and a period of peace with the Caliph of Córdoba.

Territorial Organization of the Christians

The king held the foremost authority, making political decisions and leading the army. His court was itinerant in the Kingdom of Asturias-León. A network of fortresses was built to defend the territory. There was no standing army; warriors were linked by the bond of vassalage. Conquered territories were populated with free peasants.

Conquest of the Tagus and Ebro Valleys

In 1031, the Caliphate of Córdoba dissolved, and Al-Andalus was divided into Taifa kingdoms. The Christian kingdoms took advantage of this weakness to expand into the Muslim Taifa kingdoms, often receiving tribute payments (parias). Portugal and Castile reached beyond the Tagus River. In the east, Aragon conquered Saragossa and Teruel, while Catalonia extended to Tortosa.

Conquista of the Guadalquivir Valley, León, and the Balearic Islands

Following the Muslim defeat in 1212 at the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa:

• Portugal conquered the Algarve.
• Castile seized Andalusia and expanded towards Valencia.