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Al-Andalus
1. AL-ANDALUS
María Jesús Campos
Learningfromhistory.wikispaces.com
2. POLITICAL EVOLUTION OF AL-ANDALUS
The Dependent Emirate (711-mid 8thcentury)
The Independent Emirate (2nd half 8th century-
1st half 10th century)
The Caliphate of Cordoba (1st half 10th century-
1st half 11th century)
The 1st Taifas (11th century)
The Almoravids (end of 11th century-beginning
12th century)
The 2nd Taifas (1st half 12th century)
The Almohads (mid 12th century- 1212)
The Nasrid Kingdom of Granada (1212-1492)
3.
4. AL-ANDALUS AND THE DEPENDENT EMIRATE
At the beginning of the 8th
century a civil war broke
out on the Visigoth
Kingdom of Toledo.
On one side there were the
followers of Don Rodrigo.
On the other side, the
family of the former king
Witiza.
Witiza’s side asked the
Islamic Empire, on the
North of Africa, for help.
5. The Islamic Empire, by the beginning of
the 8th century, was governed by the
Umayyad family. The Umayyad Caliphate
has extended its territories from Persia to
the North of Africa. Its capital was located
in Damascus.
6. The Muslim governor of
the North of Africa was
Musa, who sent his
soldiers, commanded by
general Tariq, to the
Iberian Peninsula to help
Witiza’s family side.
The Muslims entered the
Iberian Peninsula in the
year 711, but after
defeating the Visigoths in
the battle of Guadalete,
they did not leave. They
decided to settle and
conquer the Visigoth
Kingdom.
7. The Visigoth Kingdom
of Toledo dissapeared
as the Muslims
invaded the Iberian
Peninsula. Some
Visigoths sheltered on
the northern ranges of
Asturias and
Cantabria.
Muslims conquered
almost the entire
Iberian Peninsula and
called it Al-Andalus.
8. Al-Andalus was part of the Umayyad
Caliphate but, as the caliph lived so far
away, an emir was named to govern Al-
Andalus.
The emir depended on the caliph’s orders
(religion, politics, army…) so this period is
called the Dependent Emirate.
9. THE INDEPENDENT EMIRATE
On the second half of
the 8th century, the
Abbasid family
obtained the power in
the Islamic Empire
after killing all the
members of the
Umayyad family.
Only one Umayyad
survived, Ab-al-
Rahman. He escaped
to the Iberian
Peninsula where he
found refuge.
10. Some time later, Abd-
al-Rahman declared
himself emir of Al-
Andalus as Abd-al-
Rahman I.
This period is called the
Independent Emirate
as Abd-al-Rahman
declared he would
follow the Abbasid
Caliph in religious
matters but he would
be independent on
politics.
11. THE CALIPHATE OF CORDOBA
On the 10th century,
Abd-al-Rahman III
inherited the emirate and
decided not to obey the
Abbasid Caliph
anymore.
He named himself
caliph, thus creating the
Caliphate of Cordoba.
Al-Andalus caliph would
not obey the Abbasid
caliph neither in politics
not in religion anymore.
12. The capital city was
Cordoba.
The Caliphate of
Cordoba was the most
important, luxurious and
powerful period of Al-
Andalus.
By the end of the 10th
century, Hisham II
inherited the caliphate.
He was only 7 years old
so he was helped by
general Al-Mansur,
who was the real power
behind the caliph.
13. Al-Mansur led
several raids
against the
Christian
Kingdoms in
the north, to
obtain money
and prisioners.
14. THE 1ST TAIFAS
When general Al-Mansur
died and internal
struggle took place in
the caliphate.
Finally, the Caliphate
was divided into taifas
or small kingdoms.
The Taifas were in
constant fight either
attacked by other taifas’
kings or by the Christian
Kingdoms.
Some taifas paid parias
or taxes to the Christian
Kings to avoid the
attacks.
15. Finally, some
taifas’ kings asked
for help from the
Almoravids, a
muslim kingdom
located in the
North of Africa
which was also
independent from
the Abbasid
Caliphate.
16. THE ALMORAVIDS
The Almoravids went
to the Iberian
Peninsula to help the
taifas’ kings and stop
the Christian
advance.
Finally, they decided
to conquer the taifas
and reunite Al-
Andalus under its
rule.
17. THE 2ND TAIFAS
In the first half of the
11th century, the
Almoravid kingdom
suffered internal
struggles and a civil war.
It was divided into taifas
again who also had to
resist the Christian
advance.
18. THE ALMOHADS
In mid 12th century, the
Almohads, a Muslim
group from the North of
Africa, invaded the Iberian
Peninsula and conquered
the taifas.
They tried to resist the
Christian kingoms’
advance but were finally
defeated at the Battle of
Las Navas de Tolosa
(1212).
The Almohad kingdom
dissapeared and
Christians conquered
almost all of Al-Andalus.
19. THE NASRID KINGDOM OF GRANADA
After the Battle of Las
Navas de Tolosa
(1212), the only
Muslim kingdom that
survived on the Iberian
Peninsula was the
Nasrid Kingdom of
Granada.
It comprised Granada,
Malaga, Almería and
the eastern part of
Cadiz.
20. It was governed by the
Nasrd family.
It was very weak so its king
became the vassal of the
Crown of Castile’s King, to
receive its protection.
In exchange for protection,
the Nasrid king paid parias
to the Castilian king.
Finally, the Nasrid kingdom
of Granada was conquered
by the Catholic Monarchs
in 1492. It was included in
the Crown of Castile as a
new territory.
21.
22. AL-ANDALUS’ SOCIETY
Society was shaped by
religion. The most
powerful social groups
practiced Islam.
Muslims had privileges
such as not to have to
pay taxes.
23. Muslim groups: Non-Muslim
Arabs: were born in
the Arabian groups:
Peninsula. The had Mozarabs: were
the best lands and
hold political power. Christians. They had
They did not pay to pay taxes. During
taxes. the 9th century many
Berbers: were born in
migrated to the
the north of Africa.
They did not pay Christian kingodms.
taxes but could not Jews: practised
hold political power.
Muladíes: former
Judaism. They had to
Christians that had pay taxes. They were
converted into Islam. usually merchants or
The had few money lenders.
privilleges but they
did not pay taxes.
25. AL-ANDALUS ECONOMY
Muslim economy
focused on
agriculture, trade
and crafts.
Cities were very
important: in the
10th century
Cordoba had
100.000
inhabitants while
London had less
than 15.000.
26. Cities had walls to
protect them. The
main area of the city
was the medina in
which the important
buildings such as the
alcazar (castle), the
aljama (main
mosque) or the souk
(market) were
located.
Usually they had
sepparated
neighbourhoods for
mozarabs and jews.
27. AL-ANDALUS ART
Art flourished.
Despite the poor materials
they used (bricks, plaster)
architecture was impressive
thanks to its abundant
decoration.
They had beautiful
geometric or vegetable
designs as well as a
beautiful calligraphy which
they used to decorate walls
and objects.
Crafts had a high quality.
