The Rich History of Al-Andalus: Islamic Spain's Golden Age

The Era of Al-Andalus

The Origins of Al-Andalus

In 711, an army of Berbers and Arabs crossed the strait separating Europe and Africa. The general of this army was named Tariq ibn Ziyad. Since then, the place where he landed has been called Gibraltar (from 'Jabal Tariq' or Mount Tariq).

Only one major battle, the Battle of Guadalete, was enough to defeat the Visigothic king, Roderic, and the peninsula offered little further resistance. Within three years, it became a dependent province under the Caliph of Damascus.

The history of Al-Andalus spanned eight centuries, concluding in 1492 when the Christian Reconquista captured Granada, the last Muslim kingdom in Spain. However, it wasn't until 1609 that the last Moriscos (Muslims who remained in Christian territory after the conquest, often forced to convert to Christianity) were expelled.

The Emirate and Caliphate of Al-Andalus

The Muslims established their capital at Córdoba, which became the political center of Al-Andalus.

• This initial period is known as the Dependent Emirate.
• In the mid-eighth century, the Umayyad prince Abd al-Rahman I fled Damascus and sought refuge on the Iberian Peninsula, where he was proclaimed Emir. Thus, Al-Andalus became the first Independent Emirate.
• The Caliphate period began when Abd al-Rahman III (a descendant of Abd al-Rahman I) proclaimed himself Caliph in 929. This title signified that he had no political or religious superior. His son, Al-Hakam II, was renowned for his vast library and profound love of culture.

The Decline and End of the Caliphate

Despite the splendor of Córdoba, tensions between different clans (Arab, Berber, and Hispano-Romans who had converted to Islam, known as Muwalladun) frequently caused civil strife.

At the end of the tenth century, the weakness of the Caliphs in the government led to the rise of the military leader of the Caliphate, Almanzor. Under his command, military campaigns peaked: the razzias (military attacks into enemy territory primarily to wreak havoc, acquire loot, and capture slaves, rather than for territorial conquest). His campaigns reached as far as Santiago de Compostela and Barcelona.

Taifa Kingdoms and North African Empires

During the eleventh and twelfth centuries, Al-Andalus experienced periods of disintegration (Taifa kingdoms) and subsequent reunification under North African empires:

• Civil wars fragmented Al-Andalus into numerous Taifa kingdoms. Capitals such as Seville, Valencia, Dénia, Zaragoza, and Toledo experienced periods of significant cultural brilliance, but also military weakness.
• The Almoravids were a warlike Berber tribe who had formed an empire in Morocco. The Almoravid Sultan crossed the Strait of Gibraltar in 1086 to defend the Taifa kingdoms. After halting the Christian advance, they annexed the territories of Al-Andalus to their empire.
• In the twelfth century, the Almoravid empire collapsed in North Africa, replaced by the Almohads. Consequently, Al-Andalus began to fragment into new Taifa kingdoms once more.
• The Almohads, having conquered Morocco, arrived on the Iberian Peninsula in 1146. Within a few years, they unified Al-Andalus under their empire, establishing Seville as its capital in Spain.