Al-Andalus: Muslim Spain

• The notes below examine worldviews using Spanish and Aztec societies as an example.

Al-Andalus, Muslim Spain

• Spain was mostly Christian at the beginning of the Middle Ages.
• Christian Spain became vulnerable after having a series of weak rulers.
• A Muslim force crossed the Strait of Gibraltar and landed in Spain in 711.
• Muslims conquered most of the Iberian Peninsula (Spain/Portugal) over a few years.
• Spain became part of a vast Islamic empire for the next 500 years.
• Many Christians converted to Islam during this time.
• Goods and ideas were exchanged from Spain across great distances.
• Learning was valued as a way to understand the universe.
• Cities in Muslim Spain became great centers of learning.
• Muslim knowledge of math and science was superior to European knowledge at the time.
• Muslim Spain had a relatively tolerant society for religious minorities (non-Muslims).
• Its “convivencia” (coexistence) allowed for the peaceful living of people from three different religions.

The Spanish Reconquista

• The caliphate in Spain began to decline by the early 1000s.
• Al-Andalus was divided into a number of independent principalities after a period of decline.
• The loss of a unified Muslim state helped Christian-controlled areas expand.
• The Spanish Reconquista (“reconquest”) began, with Christian kingdoms fighting to gain back their power, due to religious differences.
• Granada, the final part of Spain in Muslim control, was captured on January 2, 1492, more than 700 years after the Reconquest began.
• Spain had officially returned to Christian control by this point.

Creating a Christian Spain

• King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella sought to unite Spain under one religion: Catholicism at the end of the Reconquista.
• They asked permission from the pope to begin the Spanish Inquisition in 1478.
• The Inquisition was a state-run system of the church, which tried non-Catholics.
• Heretics, people against the Catholic Church, were brought before the courts
• They were assumed guilty when a person stood before the judge.
• The accused had a choice to convert to Christianity or face the consequences.
• Those who refused to abandon their religion were exiled, tortured, or killed.
• Ferdinand and Isabella believed they had a religious duty to convert as many people as possible to Catholicism.
• This belief became part of the Spanish worldview and drove monarch support for Christopher Columbus.
• All Spanish explorers brought missionaries on their voyages, starting with Columbus.

Wealth for Spain

• Christians had been fighting the Muslims for years.
• Spain's precious metals were almost gone due to the enormous costs of war.
• The king and queen approved more voyages immediately after learning that Columbus had found gold.
• The search for more gold drove the next century of Spanish exploration.

Black Legend of the Conquistadors

• Many of the Spanish conquistadors cruelly treated indigenous peoples.
• Much of what we know on the topic comes from Bartolome De Las Casas, who wrote about the injustices.
• His book became propaganda for other European countries in order to portray the Spanish as bloodthirsty.

Media Bias

• Media bias refers to the inherently subjective processes involved in selection and curation of information presented within media that can lead to skewed reporting.

Taking a Risk for Glory

• Not all people who went to the Americas were seeking riches alone.
• Many also wanted to make a name for themselves (selfish reasons).
• A “code of chivalry” governed the behaviour of Spanish soldiers.
• Tales of chivalry would inspire many subsequent generations to win glory on the battlefield.
• Like a medieval code of chivalry, many cultures continue to have a strong code of ethics.
• For example,indigenous ways of knowing and being.