Transcript Islamic Spain 711-1492

ISLAMIC SPAIN 711-1492
IBWorld History
BRAINSTORMING ACTIVITY…

Without looking up information of utilizing your
devices, discuss the following in your groups-
1. What is your understanding of the Islam?
 2. How is Islam similar or dissimilar to
Christianity?

RELIGION AROUND THE WORLD, 2016
WHAT IS ISLAM?
Religion based on the
Qur’an (holy book)
 And the sayings of the
Prophet Muhammad
(570-632)

WHAT IS ISLAM?
According to tradition,
the angel Gabriel
appeared to him while
in meditation
 Angel Gabriel gave
him a message to
convey to the people of
Mecca (who were
polytheistic)

WHAT IS ISLAM?
Muhammad’s
message: A call to all
Arabs to worship the
one true God (the god
of Abraham)
 Allah

THE QUR’AN
Holy book of Islam
 Muhammad continued
to recite his
revelations for the
rest of his life
 Written down as the
Qur’an (means
“recitation”
 Muhammad seen as
“prophet of God”

ISLAMIC IN THE CONTEXT OF RELIGION
Shares some of the
beliefs of Judaism and
Christianity
 Revere Jesus Christ
as a prophet, but not
son of God
 Muhammad seen as
last in a line of
prophets that include
Abraham, Moses,
David (Important in
Jewish tradition)

JUDAISM, CHRISTIANITY AND ISLAM
ISLAM MEANS “SUBMISSION”
By performing acts of
faith ( pillars of Islam)
 Muslims (those who
submit to God
demonstrate
obedience to God.

5 PILLARS OF ISLAM
1. Faith -Only 1 God, Muhammad is his prophet
 2. Prayer -Must state this belief in prayer 5
times a day
 3. Must Fast during Ramadan (9th month of the
Muslim calendar)
 4. Must donate Alms to needy
 5. Must make Pilgrimage to Mecca at least once
in their lives

MUHAMMAD’S DEATH AND SUCCESSION
CRISIS
Muhammad died in
632
 Father in Law Abu
Bakr became the first
Caliph, or successor
 The Islamic
Government which
combined religious
and political
responsibilities was
called the caliphate

MUHAMMAD’S DEATH AND SUCCESSION
CRISIS
Minority group
opposed Abu Bakr
 Group believed
Muhammad’s son in
law and cousin Ali
should rule

DIVISION IN ISLAM

Shi’ites – Believed
Ali to be successor.
Only direct
descendents of
Muhammad should
rule
Sunnis – Believed in
a amore flexible
theory of succession
 Entered into a civil
war

THE UMAYYAD FAMILY…
Arranged Ali’s
assassination and
took control of the
caliphate
 They established a
ruling dynasty that
lasted until 750
 Territorial expansion

THE MUSLIM TAKE OVER OF SPAIN
In 711, Umayyads
invaded Spain and
overthrew the
Visigothic kingdom
 By 716, Muslims had
conquered most of
Spain (with the
exception of the
Northern territories)

AL- ANDALUS
Islamic Spain was
referred to as
 al-Andalus (7111492)
 The capital:
Cordoba

RELIGIOUS DIVERSITY IN AL-ANDALUS
Christians and Jews
“People of the Book”
could practice religion
as long as they paid
special tax
 Religious diversity in
al-Andalus allowed
“convivencia” (living
together/sharing the
space)

RELIGIOUS DIVERSITY IN AL-ANDALUS
Most Christians did
not convert to Islam
 However, many
adopted Muslim
customs and learned
Arabic
 Mozarabs

HISPANIC-MOZARABIC RITE MASS
CELEBRATED IN THE VATICAN FOR THE 4TH
TIME IN HISTORY


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnroEPrmwt
A
Rome Reports, 2015
JEWISH COMMUNITIES IN MUSLIM SPAIN
Jewish communities
began to form in 2nd
century CE
 Jewish communities
in Iberia maintained a
continuous existence
and developed a rich
culture
 Spanish Jews are
known as “Sephardic”

JEWISH COMMUNITIES IN MUSLIM SPAIN
Era of Muslim rule
considered “Golden
Age” for Sephardic
Jews
 Contributed to
intellectual life (many
were scholars,
physicians, scientists)
 Contributed to the
economy (merchants,
business, bankers

SEPHARDIC JEWS ALSO ADOPTED ISLAMIC
CULTURAL PRACTICES

Ex: Before entering a synagogue, Jews washed
their hands and feet ( a Muslim tradition)
CHRISTIANS AND JEWS
Absorbed or adopted elements of Islamic culture
 Distinctive features of housing design, cuisine,
dress, and language (Arabic)
 “one culture, three religions”

ECONOMY AND COMMERCE IN ALANDALUS












Continued to harvest:
wheat
Olives
grapes
Muslims brought in new
crops:
Citrus
Fig
Almond
Sugar Cane
Rice
Saffron
Updated irrigation
systems
ECONOMY AND COMMERCE IN ALANDALUS
Production of goods:
 1. metal mining
 2. metal works
industry – weapons,
fine gold jewelry, coins
 3. leather goods
 4. Textile Weaving –
wool, cloth, linen, silk
 5. Paper Industry (
introduced by
Muslims)

LARGE CITIES
Cordoba (largest)over 100,000
inhabitants
 Zaragoza, Toledo,
Seville, Granada,
Malaga, between
15,000 and 40,000
people

CORDOBA
Islamic Spain
amongst the most
dynamic places in
Europe between the
8th -11th centuries
 Cordoba the capital of
Islamic Spain
 The focal point of alAndalus

CORDOBA AS DESCRIBED BY A 10TH
CENTURY GERMAN NUN

“The majesty and adornment of the world ,
the wondrous capital…radiating in
affluence of all earthly blessings”
INTELLECTUAL MOVEMENTS IN CORDOBA
A center of learning
for Muslim and
Jewish scholars
 Legacy of poets,
scientists, physicians,
astronomers, and
architects
 70 libraries in the city
 The Caliph’s library
housed 400,000
volumes!

ARCHITECTURAL CENTERPIECE OF
CORDOBA -MADINAT AS-ZAHRA




A 400 room palace that
Abd al-Rahman III built
for his concubine Zahra
(10th century)
Adorned with marble,
semiprecious stones
Took 20 years to build!
Housed 13,000
household servants in
addition to diplomats
and courtiers

https://www.youtube.co
m/watch?v=nbNUoRGFmg
THE “MODERN” CITY OF CORDOBA
Streets were paved
and illuminated at
night
 Wealthy homes had
indoor plumbing
 700 Mosques, 3,000
public baths, 5,000
silk looms, 70 libraries
 Ethnically mixed
population of more
than 100,000 people

GREAT MOSQUE OF CORDOBA
Islam prohibited the
depiction of the
human body
 So mosques were
embellished with
geometrical forms and
quotations from the
Qur’an
 https://www.youtube.c
om/watch?v=7YvNMD
y_h3g

WOMEN IN THE THREE FAITHS
Judaism, Christianity,
and Islam honored
women in certain
ways
 but were also
patriarchal (which
means women’s rights
and freedoms were
restricted)

MUSLIM WOMEN’S ACTIVITIES WERE LEGALLY
RESTRICTED
1. Couldn’t take boat
trips with men
 2. Were forbidden to
wash clothes outside
 3. Banned from sitting
on the river shore in
the summer
 4. Generally confined
to the household

LEGAL PRIVILEGES AND PROTECTIONS
FOR MUSLIM WOMEN IN AL- ANDALUS
1. protections against
violence and theft
 2. the right to own
and inherit property
 3. to buy and sell
goods
 4. to seek employment
and take part in
commercial
enterprise.


(dawson, 2014)
WIVES IN AL-ANDALUS
Muslim culture
permitted men to have
up to 4 wives (symbol
of status)
 But did not permit
women to have
multiple husbands
 Practice not as
common in al-Andalus

MARRIAGE IN MUSLIM SPAIN
Evidence that
interfaith marriage
between Muslims and
Christians occurred
and was tolerated in
Al-Andalus (although
not at all a common
practice elsewhere )
 Christian women
could gain privileges
bay marrying Islamic
men


(dawson, 2014)
POETRY IN ISLAMIC SPAIN

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
http://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/Halsall/source/m
oorishpoetry.asp
Individually read through the selections
Choose 1 poem to discuss as a group
* What is the poem about? Meaning?
Symbolism?
* Thoughts about the poem?
* Values?
* Limitations?
THE EMERGENCE OF THE
NORTHERN CHRISTIAN
KINGDOMS
IBWH
NORTHERN CHRISTIAN KINGDOMS
Mountainous regions
in the north were not
conquered by Muslims
 Isolated, poor,
sparsely populated
 Islamic leaders did
not see northern
Christian kingdoms as
a threat

THE VISIGOTH KING PELAYO
First leader of
Christian resistance
to the Muslim
conquest
 Founded the
Christian Kingdom of
Asturias
 Defeated Muslim
army around 718-722
at the Battle of
Covadonga
(Asturias, Spain)

THE SITE OF THE BATTLE OF COVADONGA
Became a pilgrimage
site
 King Pelayo his wife
and sister are buried
there
 Chapel dedicated to
“Our Lady of the
Battle”

SHRINE AT COVADONGA
ALFONSO I (739-757)
Alfonso I became the
next King (Pelayo’s
son in law)
 Relied heavily on the
clergy for political
support as opposed to
nobles

ALFONSO I “THE CATHOLIC” (739-757)
Alfonso I granted land
to the clergy (church)
in exchange for
political support
 Built churches,
cathedrals,
monasteries enhanced
the power and
visibility of the church

ALFONSO I “THE CATHOLIC” (739-757)
The language of
resistance then
became associated
with the notion of
war against Muslims
as a “religious duty”
 In order to motivate
men to fight

ALFONSO II “THE CHASTE” (791-842)
Successfully repelled 3
attacks by Muslim
forces
 During his reign, local
citizens discovered the
sepulcher and
remains of who they
believed to be St.
James (Santiago)
 He built 1st church of
Santiago

ST. JAMES NARRATIVE





1 of 12 apostles
Santiago’s mission: to
convert people in Spain
to Christianity
Virgin Mary appeared to
him when he got
frustrated and gave him
motivation to continue
St. James will
eventually become
patron Saint of Spain
(see book 57-58)
THE IMPORTANCE OF ST. JAMES IN THIS
CONTEXT

A hermit discovered
the alleged remains of
St. James in a “field
of burning stars”
Compostela (from
Latin Campus Stellae,
or Field of burning
stars)
PILGRIMAGE SITE – SANTIAGO DE
COMPOSTELA
brought Christians
from various parts of
Europe to Northern
Spanish kingdoms
 This brought new
economic
opportunities as
roads, buildings,
churches, businesses
were built of
accommodate pilgrims
along route

THE CREATION OF THE NORTHERN
BORDERLAND IDENTITY
St. James became the
“defender of
Christians” in
Northern Spain
 Due to a narrative
that circulated in the
9th century that stated
that during a battle
against Muslims, St.
James appeared and
helped the Christians

THE WAY OF ST. JAMES
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qU4zc0MFK
MI
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXZww7pl8T
k
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?annotation_id=a
nnotation_824172625&feature=iv&index=20&list
=PL_xnDE04X2McG2AisEmEQ4Vzo_CBaUNwQ
&src_vid=FXZww7pl8Tk&v=_argt843LUE#t=7s

THE CAMINO DE SANTIAGO TODAY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dcrzJOwdHI
DURING THE 11TH CENTURY…
Succession disputes led to the murder of several
Caliphs
 The caliphate of Cordoba splintered off into small
states
 Disunity in Muslim Spain provided opportunity
for northern Christian states

SANCHO III “THE GREAT” OR “EL MAYOR”
(RULED 1000-1035)
King of Navarre
 Amassed power
created largest
Spanish Christian
Kingdom since the
time of the Visigoths
 Promoted pilgrim
traffic from France to
Santiago de
Compostela

THE KINGDOM OF NAVARRE UNDER
SANCHO III’S RULE
1. Extended authority
into Cantabria
 2. Joined Castile to
Navarre
 3. Seized territory
from Leon
 4. Gained control of
the region of Aragon
and Catalonia
 Called himself “ the
king of all the
kingdoms of Spain”

AFTER SANCHO III’S DEATH IN 1035…
Divided territory amongst 3 sons:
 Named 3 eldest sons “kings”
 1. Garcia, King of Navarre
 2. Fernando, King of Castile
 3. Ramiro, King of Aragon
 *Fernando killed his brother Garcia and
ended up with both the territory of Navarre
and Castile!

FERNANDO I (R. 1035-1065)
Exerted control over
Muslim towns in the
west ( what is today
Portugal)
 Forced Muslim rulers
in Toledo, Seville,
Zaragosa to pay him
tribute
 Kingdom of Castile &
Navarre became the
most powerful
Christian state by the
time he died

ALFONSO VI OF CASTILE (R.1065-1109)




With help from French
Knights, Alfonso
launched the Spanish
Reconquest ( la
reconquista)
Military campaign
aimed at territorial
expansion
Greatest Prize:
captured the Muslim
city of Toledo in 1085
Loss of Toledo shocked
Muslim states in Spain
THE CHRONICLE OF EL CID (11TH
CENTURY)
Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar
“el Cid”
• The Poem of the Cid
recounts fictionalized
adventures of the
Spanish Knight
• He exemplifies the
“ideal” man/hero
• Even Muslims respect
him in the poem– and
describe him as fair
and just


http://www.vlib.us/me
dieval/lectures/el_cid.
html
MEDIEVAL TIMES SHOW IS BASED ON
11TH CENTURY SPAIN

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxzneJbxBSA
CHRISTIAN KINGDOMS UNITED TO DEFEAT
MUSLIMS IN 1212
Within 2 generations, most Spanish Muslim
cities fell to Christian armies
 Cordoba fell in 1236
 A few Remnants of Muslim power hung on to
territory until 1492…
 During the reign of Isabella and Ferdinand

THE GREAT MOSQUE OF CORDOBA

Was transformed into a Christian (Catholic)
Cathedral after the fall of Cordoba in1236
THE CHANGING MAP OF SPAIN – 900,
1212, 1491
THE CHANGING MAP OF SPAIN 1491