al-Andalus

Posted at Nov 28/2007 02:55PM:
aviad: Al-Andalus refers to those parts of the Iberian Peninsula that came under Muslim control by the early 8th century. Important cities in al-Andalus include Cordoba, the Muslim capitol, Saragossa, a major frontier city, and Seville, an important intellectual center.

Al-Andalus experienced a flourishing economic and cultural system. By leaving existing institutions and political systems in place, and portraying themselves as successors to previous kings, the Muslim rulers in Iberia maintained both the economy and their power. The economic boom was also propelled by the Andalusian interest in seafaring, as both shipbuilding facilities and many trade routes were used at this time. The great architecture, artwork, and writings of the time are also indicative of the cultural boom.

An important figure in the history of al-Andalus is the grand wazir al-Mansur, who became the dictator of all of al-Andalus in the late 10th century. Aside from his reign of terror, al-Mansur is significant because his death signaled the collapse of a unified al-Andalus into a fragmented array of tiny states, called “ta’ifa.”

In the mid 12th century, the Muwahhid (followers of Tumart) moved against the Murabitun Islam in al-Andalus, and ultimately took religious/political control. This led to over a century of Muwahhid rule in al-Andalus, which included a boom of Islamic monuments and manuscripts, as characterized by their court in Seville. The flip side of the coin included some of the worst persecution of Jews and Christians during this time period in al-Andalus.

In the early 13th century, nearby Christian states adopted the ideology of “reconquista,” that argued that Islamic rule was not justified. Their subsequent war with al-Andalus led its collapse and the expulsion of many Muslims from Iberia.

Al-Andalus is especially significant because it brought an Islamic presence directly into Europe, which took over nearly all of Spain for a period of time, and spread far and wide through Europe.

(all the information is based on chapter six of Nicolle’s Historical Atlas of the Islamic World)

Posted at Dec 10/2007 08:25AM:
ian: Al-Andalus provides us with an excellent example of the transformation of the Islamic world from a single political entity to a diverse set of polities held togehter by the notion of Islam. It is both a rival caliphate, a center for Muslim life, a frontier with the non-Mulsim world, and in some senses part of the periphery. In this way it wears many hats and is a key node in understanding the diversity of Muslim culture through its archaeological record.