Hispania: Carthage was defeated by the Romans in the first Punic Wars, so to make up for their loss of Sicily, they began rebuilding an empire in Spain. Spain was the staging ground for Hannibal's invasion of Italy during the second Punic Wars. Carthaginians and Iberians fought fiercely and for a long time against Roman armies that were invading Spain. 19 B.C, Roman emperor Augustus completed the conquest of Spain. Civil war, royal assassinations, and usurpers were common during the beginning of the formation of Spain as an empire. Bloody, and violent family feuds went unchecked amongst powerful families that owned the throne. Groups that rivaled against the gov't encouraged foreign powers to intervene in their system of governing. People were outraged that there was no real hereditary system of succession to the throne. Foreign factions that were called upon were the Greeks, Franks, and Muslims.
Al Andalus: During the early 8th century, armies from North Africa began probing Visigothic/Spanish defenses. This ultimately initiated the Moorish epoch, (beginning of a distinctive era in history) that was to last for centuries. The Moors were typically Arab and practiced Islam. Muslims have little ruins left over in Spain because their architecture, such as the Alcazar (castle built by the Muslims), were torn down and destroyed by Christian invaders. The Berber governor of Tangier England crossed into Spain with an army of 12,000. Spain was invaded by the Visigoths, they were to assist in overthrowing King Roderic. The King died and Spain was left without a leader. In the year 712, Musa Ibn Nusair, Muslim governor of North Africa led his best Arab troops to Spain with the intentions of settling there. Just 3 years later, Nusair led several forays/attacks into France to annex all mountainous land in the North. During this time of war, religion shifted to Islam and most political leaders were Syrian. Berber settlers now made up 20% of the population. Berbers were Moroccans conquered by Arabs and forced to convert to Islam. Converting to Islam gave you a sort of leg up in society, a more privileged life. Jews made up about 6% of the population. Most members of the Visigothic nobility converted to Islam. Islam was also able to infiltrate into a lot of the Christian countryside. Despite the rapid spread of Islam, a Hispano-Roman Christian community still survived in the communities. During the year 756, The Umayyad Dynasty in Damascus, which was heavily Arab-dominated, was overthrown. One of the princes of the dynasty fled to Spain under the name, Abd Al Rahman. He was half European and half Arab. He founded the politically independent territory know as the Caliphate of Cordoba. This was the furthest part of the Islamic world. The Caliphate flourished and thrived. It gained citizens and power and lasted about 250 years. The Caliphate cut Spain's last ties with Baghdad and Al Andalus rulers now had complete religious and political power. Al Mansur was the regent of the Caliphate in the year 976. Although his status was regent, he was basically the head of state or king. This is because the boy who inherited the throne was only 12 years old. The King was formally known as King Hirsham II. He was basically just a public figure and a symbol for the people. He was incapable of making decisions for the good of the Caliphate. Not that Al Mansur was particularly good at that either. Al Mansur's decisions led to the downfall of the Caliphate. Mansur annually had summer campaigns against Christians and always wanted to go to war with the Christians. His intentions were to unite Spanish Muslims and extend Muslim control in the North. The Caliphate ultimately did not survive due to the aristocrats's constant seeking out of taifas, which are independent regional city states. Political unrest and war among taifas benefited the Christian states in the end. Early 9th century, Christian states had started to become a serious threat to the Al Andalus and the Islamic religion.
Al Andalus: During the early 8th century, armies from North Africa began probing Visigothic/Spanish defenses. This ultimately initiated the Moorish epoch, (beginning of a distinctive era in history) that was to last for centuries. The Moors were typically Arab and practiced Islam. Muslims have little ruins left over in Spain because their architecture, such as the Alcazar (castle built by the Muslims), were torn down and destroyed by Christian invaders. The Berber governor of Tangier England crossed into Spain with an army of 12,000. Spain was invaded by the Visigoths, they were to assist in overthrowing King Roderic. The King died and Spain was left without a leader. In the year 712, Musa Ibn Nusair, Muslim governor of North Africa led his best Arab troops to Spain with the intentions of settling there. Just 3 years later, Nusair led several forays/attacks into France to annex all mountainous land in the North. During this time of war, religion shifted to Islam and most political leaders were Syrian. Berber settlers now made up 20% of the population. Berbers were Moroccans conquered by Arabs and forced to convert to Islam. Converting to Islam gave you a sort of leg up in society, a more privileged life. Jews made up about 6% of the population. Most members of the Visigothic nobility converted to Islam. Islam was also able to infiltrate into a lot of the Christian countryside. Despite the rapid spread of Islam, a Hispano-Roman Christian community still survived in the communities. During the year 756, The Umayyad Dynasty in Damascus, which was heavily Arab-dominated, was overthrown. One of the princes of the dynasty fled to Spain under the name, Abd Al Rahman. He was half European and half Arab. He founded the politically independent territory know as the Caliphate of Cordoba. This was the furthest part of the Islamic world. The Caliphate flourished and thrived. It gained citizens and power and lasted about 250 years. The Caliphate cut Spain's last ties with Baghdad and Al Andalus rulers now had complete religious and political power. Al Mansur was the regent of the Caliphate in the year 976. Although his status was regent, he was basically the head of state or king. This is because the boy who inherited the throne was only 12 years old. The King was formally known as King Hirsham II. He was basically just a public figure and a symbol for the people. He was incapable of making decisions for the good of the Caliphate. Not that Al Mansur was particularly good at that either. Al Mansur's decisions led to the downfall of the Caliphate. Mansur annually had summer campaigns against Christians and always wanted to go to war with the Christians. His intentions were to unite Spanish Muslims and extend Muslim control in the North. The Caliphate ultimately did not survive due to the aristocrats's constant seeking out of taifas, which are independent regional city states. Political unrest and war among taifas benefited the Christian states in the end. Early 9th century, Christian states had started to become a serious threat to the Al Andalus and the Islamic religion.
Castille and Aragon: In the 8th century, Muslim resistance was limited to small Visigothic tribes, but King of Oviedo, known as Pelayo, was able to rally the natives and get them to defend their lands. This began the 700 year Reconquista or Reconquest to rid Spain of Muslims and reconstruct a united Monarchy in Spain. All of the rulers after Pelayo, known as the Kings of Leon, created defenses against the Muslims and extended Christian powers south. Castille was known as "the land of the castles" and all of the men were wariors. In the year 981, Castille became an independent country and in 1004 it officially got the dignity of being called a kingdom. For an off and on period of time, Castille and Leon were united through royal marriages, but soon thereafter the land was divided up by the heirs. In the year 1230, Ferdinand II permanently joined the two kingdoms as a single state. Aragon and the Catalan states joined together in the year 1137. Ramon Berenguer IV, gained the title, King of Aragon. Berenguer and all of his successors ruled over two realms, all with different currency, governments, legal systems, and political stances. 11th century taifas fell to Castillians due to the division amongst their citizens. Mid twelvth century, the religious group, Almohads extended from Morocco to Spain to make Seville their capital. Almoravids were a great threat to Muslim states, but their expansion was hindered during the epic battle of Las Navas de Tolosa (1212). Ferdinand III took Seville in 1248 and Al Andalus became part of Granada, which remained a Muslim state. Naples eventually became apart of Spain and Spain also got entangled in Italian politics. Castille began trading in Europe across the Atlantic. They did not typically get involved in European affairs. Castille and Aragon both suffered from political instability in the 14th and 15th centuries because of feudalism, conflicting loyalties, and a shaky economy.