The Arab Conquest
711 		Taifa Kingdoms
1031-1264






Umayyad Spain, 755-1031



In 755, the UMAYYAD DYNASTY was ousted in Damascus, replaced by the ABBASID DYNASTY which resided in Baghdad. The last Umayyad prince, ABD AR-RAHMAN fled to Spain where he could take control of the peninsula. Now Muslim Spain was independent from the Abbasid Caliphate - the Umayyad EMIRATE OF CORDOBA. Ruling for 33 years, unlike his many predecessors as governors of Spain, Abd ar-Rahman was able to gradually extend his authority over a populace tending to rebel against any infriction of their status. The situation was volatile, as rebellions were frequent, the loyalty of governors of towns often came with considerable autonomy of the latter.

Frankish King Charlemagne took advantage of the situation and, in a number of campaigns, established the SPANISH MARCH, a stretch of christian-held land on the southern slopes of the Pyrenees mountains. Although the Franks soon were to lose control over it, it remained an area difficult for the Caliphate to control. The COUNTY OF BARCELONA became the nucleus of Catalonia. The christian Kingdom of Asturias also expanded at the expense of the Caliphate of Cordoba. Yet the christian fringe statelets of the north did not (yet) pose a serious threat. They controlled remote mountainous regions, while the economic centers of the peninsula were all located within the Caliphate.
Spain prospered under Arab rule. The Arabs improved on irrigation and introduced rice, oranges, dates, figs. as well as the Arab horses. Spanish cities became centers of Arab science. 9th century Cordoba was the most sophisticated city of western Europe, with fountains, paved and lighted streets. In comparison, the cities of the Frankish Kingdom and of England were large muddy, stinky villages. A Viking attack on Sevilla in 844 was defeated.

During the 9th century, the territory north of the Duero river was lost to Asturias. More harming than the loss of land was another effect of christian raids : christian princes repopulated conquered areas with MOZARABS, christians who used to live under Muslim rule.

Warfare between the Caliphate and the christian statelets of the north continued throughout the 10th century. The borders did not change much, though. In 929 Emir Abd ar-Rahman III. took on the title CALIPH, openly challenging the Abbasid Caliph residing in Damascus.
When Caliph Hakam II. died in 976, his son and successor HISHAM II. was still a minor. In his name, AL MANSUR ruled. After eliminating all rivals, he reestablished the Caliphate as the dominant force on the peninsula, sacking SANTIAGE DE COMPOSTELA in 997 and forcing the Kingdom of Leon into submission. Leonese soldiers now had to fight alongside Cordovans against the Navarrese and Catalonians.
Al Mansur died in 1002. Under his descendants, the Caliphate declined. Leon switched sides again, and the christian kingdoms took the initiative again.


List of Emirs, since 929 Caliphs of Cordoba, 755-1031
756-788
788-796
796-822
822-852
852-886
886-888
888-912
912-961
961-976
976-1009
1009
1009-1010
1010-1013
1013-1016
1016-1023
1023-1024
1027-1031 		Abd ar-Rahman I
Hisham I.
Hakam I.
Abd ar-Rahman II.
Muhammad I.
Mundhir
Abdallah
Abd ar-Rahman III.
Hakam II.
Hisham II.
Muhammad II.
Suleyman
Muhammad II. (2nd time)
Hisham II. (2nd time)
Suleyman (2nd time)
Abd ar-Rahman IV.
Abd ar-Rahman V.
Hisham III.





EXTERNAL
FILES 		Andalucia, article from the Encyclopedia of the Orient
Muslim Spain, from SiSpain
Andalusia, from Muslims Online, many subfiles
Islamic and Christian Spain in the Early Middle Ages, by Thomas F. Glick, from LIBRO
DOCUMENTS
REFERENCE Hugh Kennedy, Muslim Spain and Portugal, A Political History of al-Andalus, Harlow : Pearson 1996, 342 pp.; KMLA Lib.Sign. 946.02 K35m



This page is part of World History at KMLA
First posted in 2000, last revised on November 9th 2004

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