ISLAM AND

AL-ANDALUS
1.1 The expansion

of the Islam

7th:
VS the Byzantine Empire

Conquered Syria, Egypt and part of

the Persian Empire.

8th:
Reached the Indus River.
Conquered the Berber tribe and
most of the Iberian Peninsula
Battle of Poitiers

9th:
Conquered Nubia and Palermo
Battle of Poitiers (732)
 1.2 the Caliphate

The Orthodox Caliphate

The first 4 caliphs were people close to Muhammed. Division:
a) The Shia: the caliph should be a direct descendent
from Muhammad.
b) The Sunnis: stressed the importance of the sunnah and the caliph
should be chosen from the most devout believers.

The Umayyad Caliphate

Family of the Umayyads
Capital in Damascus.
Great expansion: Iberian Peninsula and other regions.

The Abbasid Caliphate

The Abbasid Family (but one Umayyad fled to Spain)
Capital in Baghdad

The Otoman Caliphate

Turkish families
In 1453 conquered Constantinople
The fall of Constantinople (1453)
1.3 Cultural and economic splendor

Arabic was the official language

Religious tolerance
Muslims enjoyed economic benefits which
favourised the islamisation of the population.
New cities: Samarkand, Cairo, Córdoba...
Schools, libraries and centres for translators
Islamic art
 2. the establishment of Al-Andalus

Crisis in the Visigothic monarchy: Achila vs Rodric

In 711 an army of Berebers and Arabs commanded by
Tarik and Muza landed the Iberian Peninsula
Battle of Guadalete
Conquered the rest of the Peninsula: Al-Andalus
Visigothic nobles: pacts of submission
Islam was the official religion:
-Mulades: hispano-visigoths converted to Islam
-Mozarabs: hispano-visigoths who are christians and live in
muslim territory
-Others went to the north (Christian Kingdoms). Tried to recover
the Peninsula: The Reconquista
 2.1 the history of Al-Andalus

Almost 800 years

The territory was diminished by the militar campaigns
of the Christians
Rivalry and clashes between the muslims

Dependent Emirate (718-756)

An Emir. Dependent on the Umayyad Caliphate
Capital in Córdoba

Independent emirate (756-929)

One Umayyad escapes from the Abbasids: Abd-al-Rahman I
Self emir. Independent of Baghdad (political)

Córdoba Caliphate (929-1031)

The emir Abd-al-Rahman III proclaimed himself caliph
Political and religious independence
The maximum splendor of Al-Andalus
Don Pelayo starts the Reconquista
GOLDEN AGE OF THE CALIPHATE OF CÓRDOBA

Particularly during the reigns of Abd-al-Rahman III, Al-Hakam II

and Hisham II.
Stopped the expansion of the Christian kingdoms
Expeditions organized by Al-Mansur
Economic prosperity:
-Trade between the Middle East, North Africa and Christian Europe.
-Taxes on agricultural production and commercial traffic

Large bureaucracy and army.

 2.1 the history of Al-Andalus (II)

Taifa Kingdoms (1031-1248)

Al-Andalus was split into 25 taifa kingdoms
The Christians kingdoms took advantage
In 1086, the Muslims asked the Almoravis for help and then
Almohads in the 12th century

The Nasrid Kingdom (1248-1492)

Almohads arrived on the Peninsula and ruled islamic territories. The
Christians defeated the Almohads
Only the Nasrid Kingdom of Granada was still Islamic. In 1492 was
conquered by the Catholic Monarchs
 economy

Agriculture
Hardly any agriculture on the Arabian Peninsula, but it was important in
other Islamic territories
Invents: water-wheels (to obtain water), irrigation channels (to
transport the water to cultivated areas)

Craftwork
In the cities. Tanning of hides and making of tapestries

Trade
Socos (markets)
Coins: dinar, dirham, fals
Routes: Silk Road (trade route linking eastern Asia with eastern
Mediterranean). Silk, precious stones and spices...
 SOCIETY

Aristocracy
People linked to the caliph and the emirs
A lot of political and economic power
Most of them were of Arabic origin

Free people
Government officials, traders, small rural landowners, artisans, etc.
They included Muslims, Christians and Jews.
Christians and Jews were allowed to practice their religion and keep
their properties in exchange for paying a special tax

Slaves
Prisoners of war or had been bought in different places.
Worked in agriculture, in the mines, as domestics servants, etc.
 SOCIETY (ii)
Muslims
Arabs: a minority and the most important social group.
Berber: they lived mainly from livestock farming.
Muladies: Christians who converted to Islam.

Non-Muslims
They can practise their religion if they paid special taxes, but they
cannot did it in public (only at their special neighbourhood,
where all people practise the same religion) and cannot hold
political offices.
Christians: Mozarabs
Jews: they lived mainly through trade, craftwork and finance.
 tHE CITIES

Urban society. Important cities: Damascus, Baghdad, Samarra,

Cairo, Fez and Córdoba

The Alcazaba
Walled area on high ground and was easy to defend.
Inside the alcazaba were the Alcázar, the administrative and
government buildings, and the garrison (soldiers)

The Medina (city)

Surrounded by walls. Here is the main mosque and the madrasa (Muslim college).
Markets, workshops, shops, storehouses, public baths, hospitals.

Neighbourhoods
Narrow, irregular streets. Houses could have one or more floors. Rooms were built
around a courtyard. There weren't many windows and these were covered with lattice.
Arrabales: neighbourhoods outside the city walls.
 culture

They assimilated the knowledge, techniques and artistic styles of

the people who inhabited the lands they conquered.

The Muslims preserved the scientific knowledge of ancient

times and incorporated contributions from the Persians, Chinese,
and Indians. They translated the writings of Ancient Greek
philosophers (Aristotle, Euclid, Ptolomy, Archimides and Galen). They
transmitted they knowledge to the Medieval Christian world.

Mathematics: Hindu numbers (the basis of our modern

numbers) and introduced the concept of zero.
Medicine: the most skilled doctors. Treatises with anatomical
descriptions and treatments for diseases. Avicenna.
Technical advances: introduced the astrolabe, the compass,
the manufacture of gunpowder and paper
 Architecture and Art

Basic materials (like wood and brick) and covered them

with other material (like tiles and plaster) to give the
impression of greater richness.

Different kinds of arch, supported by columns (support with

round base) and piers (support with square base).

Very narrow columns. Different types of capitels were of

different types.

The buildings were usually covered with gabled roof (a triangular

shaped roof). Interiors had different kinds of vaults and domes.

Lot of decoration.
elements of islamic architecture
 main buildings

Palaces
-Surrounded by gardens with waterways, pools and fountains
-Public area with rooms for receiving important people
-Private area where caliph and his family live.

Mosques
-Surround face towards Mecca
-Parts:
Minaret
Courtyard
Prayer room: there was also the qibla and mihrab
Macsura: space in the mosque reserved to the Caliph
 PERIODs OF ARCHITECTURE

Caliphal architecture (10th century)

-Great Mosque of Córdoba
-Palace-city of Medina Azahara

Taifa architecture (11th century)

-Aljafería Palace in Zaragoza

Almohad architecture (12th century)

-Giralda (the Great Mosque of Sevilla)
-Torre del Oro

Nasrid architecture (13h century)

-Alhambra Palace
Great Mosque of Córdoba
Aljafería Palace
Giralda Torre del Oro
Alhambra