HISTORY OF AL-ANDALUS: TALES

OF HARMONY, EXTERMINATION &

VENGEANCE
Sarah Alshammari

WHAT WAS ALANDALUS

Al-Andalus was the name the Muslims gave to the territories they conquered
in Iberian Peninsula. The conquest of Al-Andalus began in the year 711.

Before the Muslims arrival, the Visigoths ruled the Iberian Peninsula.

The Muslims conquered all of the Peninsula except for the Asturian Kingdom.

The capital was moved from Toledo to Cordoba

ISLAM & MUSLIMS RULE IN

AL-ANDALUS

Islam, known as the religion of peace, protects all rights of

minorities.

Before Muslims conquered Al-Andalus, Jews and Christians were

living in the vicinity.

The Muslims follow the teachings of their Holy Scripture, The

Quran and the laws of Islam, knowns as Sharia. Muslims are
bound to act accordingly.

When the Muslims ruled Iberian Peninsula, many advancement

were made in different sciences, culture and art.

Minorities, Jews and Christians, were allowed to practice their

faith freely.

COEXISTENCE OF DIFFERENT
FATIHS

A Quranic verse, there is no compulsion in religion (Surah

2:256), states that Jews and Christians werent forced to convert
to Islam and were allowed to practice their faith under Muslims
rule.

The were certain conditions for Jews and Christians to live

among Muslims.

They had to pay a special tax to Muslim Ruler, had to

distinguish themselves in clothing from the Muslims.

This system was known as, Dhimma System, and minorities had
to obey this system to peacefully live under Muslims rule.

COLLAPSE OF SYSTEM AND PEACE

The system had some flaws, setting some standards among people
of different faiths. The Muslims, being above Jews and Christians,
this started a rebellion in different states of Al-Andalus.

The Muslim ruler called for help from the middle east Muslims, also
known as Berber Muslims, to neutralize the situation at hand.

The rebellion was seized but the peace was lost and hatred against
Muslims grew beyond limitations from the Christians.

ALMOHADS, THE MUSLIMS EXTREMISTS

The Berber Muslims or Almohads, were the extremists and were

different from Muslims that were living in Al-Andalus.

Almohods were led by a pious cleric, who was very against the
ways of the Muslims living in Al-Andalus and their treatment with
the Jews and the Christians.

Almohads exterminated the Jews colonies, killing thousands of

Jews and forced Christians to either convert to Islam or die with
their heads chopped off.

Almohads also killed the Muslims who were sympathetic or kind to

the Jews and Christians. Destroyed palaces, houses and temples.

POINTS TO PONDER/REVISION

Islam is a religion of peace, but self righteous and

extremists Muslims do not follow the teachings of their
Holy Scripture and Islamic laws. Due to that, the
killings of thousands of innocent Jews and Christians
took place.

Different Faiths did coexist in a certain time period.

During that time of peace, people of different faith

lived peacefully with each other and different
advancements were made in literature, sciences, art
and architecture..

FALL OF THE MUSLIMS IN AL-ANDALUS

Islam provided much laws and discipline in order to maintain the peace
and order among different subjects under one roof, but the
monotheistic law is usually intolerant, treating the other subjects of
different faiths as rejected by God or inferior.

The system collapsed as there were numerous rebellions against

Muslims, slowly reconquering the lands until only the last Muslims
stronghold remained, Granada.

At that time, there were three states which were at war, Castile and
Aragon against Granada.

In 1492, when the last Muslim stronghold, Granada fell, the Muslim ruler
Emir Muhammad XII surrendered and was forced to flee. Thus,
beginning the total extermination of Muslims in Spain/Al-Andalus.

FALL OF GRANADA

The Queen of Castile, Isabella and the King of France, Ferdinand

married to unify the states against the last Muslim stronghold,
Granada.

Both Catholic states were unified against one Muslim state.

Muslims lost so much in war and the last Muslim stronghold wasnt
in position to defend itself.

In 1492, Emir Muhammad XII (King Boabdil, as known to Spanish)

surrendered to Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand and was forced to
flee his palace, Alhambra. It is famous that when he was crying
when he was looking Alhambra palace for the last time, his mother
said, weep like a woman for what you couldnt defend like a man.

Queen Isabella & King Ferdinand

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CATHOLIC MONARCHS AND

MUSLIM RULERS

The Muslim ruler is perceived as the ruler appointed by God, he upholds

the Islamic Law, Sharia and follows the teachings of Holy Scripture, The
Quran.

He is bound to act under these terms and conditions and if he strays

from the teachings and laws, he is perceived as a tyrant and unholy
man and will be hated or even will be held accountable.

Catholic Monarch, on the other hand, has no obligation to keep

minorities under his protection. He can even kill them or expel them at
his own will. He is the sole benefactor of the church and can intervene
in religious matters and command certain actions as he deems fit.

In short, Catholic Monarch has the sole power to do whatever he

wishes.

SPANISH INQUISITION

It was a movement against Muslims and Jews to either convert them to

Christianity forcibly, force them to leave the country or kill/burn them to
stamp out the heresy in the vicinity.

After the fall of last Muslim stronghold, Granada, Spanish churchmen

urged Queen Isabella to petition the inquisition to exterminate Jews and
Muslims from Spain.

Many of the records suggests that Queen Isabella was sympathetic to

the Jews, as she knew well of the skills of Jews and the gains theyll bring
to her kingdom and she tried her best to keep the Jews from any harm.

Anyhow, either the Queen Isabella was sympathetic to Jews or not, the
point here is, there were some extreme measures taken to exterminate
both Muslims and Jews from Spain.

CONTINUE

Some of records suggest that the Inquisition was independent from the
crown and its dealings.

Records also suggests that King Ferdinand restricted everything

against the Inquisition and its dealing.

Inquisitors had support from the crown and different noble men.

After killing and banishing of thousands of Jews and Muslims from the
country, Jews were forced to take refuge in the ottoman empire, where
the King Beyazit II, welcomed Jews as he knew well the potential of
Jews and their skills.

It is rumored that the King Beyazit II said, how can anyone call
Ferdinand wise when he impoverished his own kingdom to enrich
mine.

CONTINUE

Anyhow, after many of the Muslims forcibly converted to Christianity,

retained their old faith and practiced their faith in solitude.

Inquisitors began to doubt the new conversos. They would take a family
member, a child, of the convert and will investigate through him about
his family or parents.

Inquisitors would heed word from anyone testifying against a convert

and will subject the convert to inquisition.

The inquisitors used carrot and stick method to be more precise. Stick
being the teaching of new faith and the stick meant the inquisition. So,
the religious diversity in the Spain decreased drastically.

The victims of the inquisitions didnt had fair trials or could even speak
of their innocence.

CONTINUE

Eventually, Inquisition lost its power, with many of the catholic

Nobel men started to hate its proceedings and due to loss of the
interest of the crown.

In the end, it was finally dissolved in July 15th, 1834.

Many of the innocent lives were lost to this inquisition movement.

Approximately, 150,000 people were subjected to inquisition.

Death toll was about 3000-5000 approximately.

POINTS TO PONDER/REVISION

Throughout the history of Al-Andalus, Jews were affected the most in the wars
between Muslims and Christians.

Muslim ruler is bound by the Islamic Law, Sharia and the teachings of his Holy
Scripture, The Quran and rule under a certain boundary.

Catholic Ruler has the sole power to do what he wishes and isnt restricted by any
Law or condition.

Spanish Inquisition might be the response to the Almohads and their doings. Hate
was nurtured in those dark times in Christians against Muslims

Inquisition did give a certain kind of flexibility to Jews and Muslims, to escape death
they should flee from their homeland with all their property confiscated.

This whole history is still a mystery to what can be the driving key factors to have
cause such destruction of a beautiful system and peace.

Many of the innocent lives were lost in the wars between Muslims and Christians.

CONCLUSION

Understanding the situation that people were in that era. Either, it

was for righteousness, greed, hunger or power, both, Muslims and
Christians are stained with blood on their hands. Both gave into
anger, intolerance and limited capability of their mind and
because of that, many lives were lost. Its rather a sad history. Be
as it may, Jews, Christians and Muslims, all suffered the collateral
damage of self-righteousness of some extremists and corrupt
people.

REFERENCES

Altab D.F. (1992), The significance of 1492 to the Jews and

Muslims of Spain. Hispania, 75, 728-731. doi: 10.2307/344154

Cohen, M.R. (2013), The golden age of Jewish-Muslim relations:

myth and reality. Princeton University Press, 28-38.

Kamen H. (1965), 500 years of the Spanish inquisition. History

Today, 31, 37-41.

Morris, E. (2008), Objectives of the Spanish inquisition 1480-1530:

racialism, control and financial gain. (Published masters thesis)
California State University Dominguez Hills, Carson, United States.

REFERENCES

Perry, M.E. (2005), Between Muslim and Christian worlds: morisco

and identity in early modern Spain. The Muslim World, 95, 177198. doi: 10.1111/j.1478-1913.2005.00085.x

Qamber, R. (2006), Inquisition proceedings against Muslims in 16th

century Latin America. Islamic Studies, 45, 21-57.

Saey, T.H. (2009), Spanish exiles left genes behind: inquisition

couldn't quash moorish, jewish presence. Society for Science & the
Public, 175, 12. doi:10.1002/scin.2009.5591750111

Soifer, M. (2009), Beyond convivencia: critical reflections on the

historiography of interfaith relations in Christian Spain. Journal of
Medieval Iberian Studies, 1, 1935. doi:
10.1080/17546550802700335