Timeline of the Muslim presence in the Iberian peninsula
Encyclopedia
This is a timeline of notable events in the Muslim presence in Iberia
, which started with the Umayyad
conquest in the 8th century.
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar...
, which started with the Umayyad
Umayyad
The Umayyad Caliphate was the second of the four major Arab caliphates established after the death of Muhammad. It was ruled by the Umayyad dynasty, whose name derives from Umayya ibn Abd Shams, the great-grandfather of the first Umayyad caliph. Although the Umayyad family originally came from the...
conquest in the 8th century.
Conquest (710–756)
- 710 - The BerberBerber peopleBerbers are the indigenous peoples of North Africa west of the Nile Valley. They are continuously distributed from the Atlantic to the Siwa oasis, in Egypt, and from the Mediterranean to the Niger River. Historically they spoke the Berber language or varieties of it, which together form a branch...
General Tariq ibn Ziyad takes TangierTangierTangier, also Tangiers is a city in northern Morocco with a population of about 700,000 . It lies on the North African coast at the western entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar where the Mediterranean meets the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Spartel...
. Several Muslim expeditions raid across the straits into Hispania BaeticaHispania BaeticaHispania Baetica was one of three Imperial Roman provinces in Hispania, . Hispania Baetica was bordered to the west by Lusitania, and to the northeast by Hispania Tarraconensis. Baetica was part of Al-Andalus under the Moors in the 8th century and approximately corresponds to modern Andalucia...
(modern AndalusiaAndalusiaAndalusia is the most populous and the second largest in area of the autonomous communities of Spain. The Andalusian autonomous community is officially recognised as a nationality of Spain. The territory is divided into eight provinces: Huelva, Seville, Cádiz, Córdoba, Málaga, Jaén, Granada and...
), including a fairly large one led by a Berber called Tarif ibn MallukTarif ibn MallukTarif ibn Malluk was a Berber commander under Tariq ibn Ziyad, the Berber Muslim and Umayyad general who led the conquest of Visigothic Hispania in 711. In July of 710 CE, Tariq sent Tarif on a raid to test the southern coastline of the Iberian peninsula...
. Civil war is raging between rival kings in Visigothic HispaniaHispaniaAnother theory holds that the name derives from Ezpanna, the Basque word for "border" or "edge", thus meaning the farthest area or place. Isidore of Sevilla considered Hispania derived from Hispalis....
. - 711 - A Muslim force of about 7,000 fighters (mainly Arabs and Berbers) under Tariq ibn Ziyad, loyal to the Umayyad Emir of Damascus, Al-Walid I, enter the Iberian peninsula from North Africa.
- At the Battle of GuadaleteBattle of GuadaleteThe Battle of Guadalete was fought in 711 or 712 at an unidentified location between the Christian Visigoths of Hispania under their king, Roderic, and an invading force of Muslim Arabs and Berbers under Ṭāriq ibn Ziyad. The battle was significant as the culmination of a series of Arab-Berber...
Tariq ibn Ziyad defeats King RodericRodericRuderic was the Visigothic King of Hispania for a brief period between 710 and 712. He is famous in legend as "the last king of the Goths"...
, the last Visigothic ruler of Hispania, at the Guadalete River in the south of the Iberian peninsula. Tariq goes on to take ToledoToledo, SpainToledo's Alcázar became renowned in the 19th and 20th centuries as a military academy. At the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in 1936 its garrison was famously besieged by Republican forces.-Economy:...
, while a detachment under Mugit al-Rumi takes CórdobaCórdoba, Spain-History:The first trace of human presence in the area are remains of a Neanderthal Man, dating to c. 32,000 BC. In the 8th century BC, during the ancient Tartessos period, a pre-urban settlement existed. The population gradually learned copper and silver metallurgy...
.
- At the Battle of Guadalete
- 712 - The Muslim governor of Northern Africa, Musa ibn Nusayr, follows Tariq ibn Ziyad with an army of 18,000 Arabs. He takes Medina-SidoniaMedina-SidoniaMedina-Sidonia is a city and municipality in the province of Cádiz in the autonomous community of Andalusia, southern Spain. It is considered by some to be the oldest city in Europe, used as a military defense location due to its elevated location. Locals are known as Asidonenses...
, SevilleSevilleSeville is the artistic, historic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of the autonomous community of Andalusia and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of above sea level...
and MértolaMértolaMértola is a municipality in southeastern Portugal next to the Spanish border. It has a total area of 1,292.87 km² and a total population of 8,712 inhabitants . In terms of land area, it is the sixth-largest municipality in Portugal. The resultant population density of 6.74 persons/km² is the...
. - 713 - Abd al-Aziz ibn MusaAbd al-Aziz ibn MusaAbd al-Aziz ibn Musa ibn Nusayr was the first governor of Al-Andalus, in modern-day Spain and Portugal. He was the son of Musa ibn Nusayr, the governor of Ifriqiya...
, Musa ibn Nusair's son, takes JaénJaén, SpainJaén is a city in south-central Spain, the name is derived from the Arabic word Jayyan, . It is the capital of the province of Jaén. It is located in the autonomous community of Andalusia....
, MurciaMurcia-History:It is widely believed that Murcia's name is derived from the Latin words of Myrtea or Murtea, meaning land of Myrtle , although it may also be a derivation of the word Murtia, which would mean Murtius Village...
, GranadaGranadaGranada is a city and the capital of the province of Granada, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains, at the confluence of three rivers, the Beiro, the Darro and the Genil. It sits at an elevation of 738 metres above sea...
, SaguntoSaguntoSagunto or Sagunt is an ancient city in Eastern Spain, in the modern fertile comarca of Camp de Morvedre in the province of Valencia. It is located in a hilly site, c. 30 km north of Valencia, close to the Costa del Azahar on the Mediterranean Sea...
.- The Christians of Seville and Toledo revolt, but are put down by Abd al-Aziz ibn Musa's troops. Toledo is pillaged and its notables are beheaded.
- 714 - First Muslim campaigns in the lower EbroEbroThe Ebro or Ebre is one of the most important rivers in the Iberian Peninsula. It is the biggest river by discharge volume in Spain.The Ebro flows through the following cities:*Reinosa in Cantabria.*Miranda de Ebro in Castile and León....
valley and south East part of the Iberian Peninsula.- Abd al-Aziz ibn Musa takes ÉvoraÉvoraÉvora is a municipality in Portugal. It has total area of with a population of 55,619 inhabitants. It is the seat of the Évora District and capital of the Alentejo region. The municipality is composed of 19 civil parishes, and is located in Évora District....
, SantarémSantarém, PortugalSantarém is a city in the Santarém Municipality in Portugal. The city itself has a population of 28,760 and the entire municipality has 64,124 inhabitants.It is the capital of Santarém District....
and CoimbraCoimbraCoimbra is a city in the municipality of Coimbra in Portugal. Although it served as the nation's capital during the High Middle Ages, it is better-known for its university, the University of Coimbra, which is one of the oldest in Europe and the oldest academic institution in the...
.
- Abd al-Aziz ibn Musa takes Évora
- 715 - By this year, virtually all of southern Iberia is in Muslim hands. Abd al-Aziz ibn Musa is left in charge and makes his capital the city of Seville, where he marries EgilonaEgilonaEgilona was the wife of the last Visigothic King Roderic in the early years of the 8th Century during the Muslim invasion of the Iberian Peninsula. When he died in the Battle of Guadalete she was captured by the Moorish leader Abd al-Aziz ibn Musa...
, widow of King RodrigoRodrigoRodrigo is a Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian name derived from the Germanic name Roderick . It may refer to:-Given name:*King Rodrigo, the last Visigothic king of Hispania...
, who encourages him to convert to Christianity. The Umayyad CaliphCaliphThe Caliph is the head of state in a Caliphate, and the title for the ruler of the Islamic Ummah, an Islamic community ruled by the Shari'ah. It is a transcribed version of the Arabic word which means "successor" or "representative"...
Sulayman ibn Abd al-MalikSulayman ibn Abd al-MalikSulayman bin Abd al-Malik was an Umayyad caliph who ruled from 715 until 717. His father was Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan, and he was a younger brother of the previous caliph, al-Walid I.-Early years:...
, orders Abd al-Aziz ibn Musa assassinated. - 716 - LisbonLisbonLisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
is captured by the MoorsMoorsThe description Moors has referred to several historic and modern populations of the Maghreb region who are predominately of Berber and Arab descent. They came to conquer and rule the Iberian Peninsula for nearly 800 years. At that time they were Muslim, although earlier the people had followed...
. - 717 - Córdoba becomes the capital of Muslim Al-AndalusAl-AndalusAl-Andalus was the Arabic name given to a nation and territorial region also commonly referred to as Moorish Iberia. The name describes parts of the Iberian Peninsula and Septimania governed by Muslims , at various times in the period between 711 and 1492, although the territorial boundaries...
. During the wars between Christians and Muslims, Jewish courtiers are valued as diplomats, translators, and advisors to both sides. - 718 - PelayoPelayo of AsturiasPelagius was a Visigothic nobleman who founded the Kingdom of Asturias, ruling it from 718 until his death. Through his victory at the Battle of Covadonga, he is credited with beginning the Reconquista, the Christian reconquest of the Iberian peninsula from the Moors, insofar as he established an...
, a Christian Asturian noble and possibly, but not certainly, comrade-in-arms of King RodrigoRodrigoRodrigo is a Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian name derived from the Germanic name Roderick . It may refer to:-Given name:*King Rodrigo, the last Visigothic king of Hispania...
at the Battle of GuadaleteBattle of GuadaleteThe Battle of Guadalete was fought in 711 or 712 at an unidentified location between the Christian Visigoths of Hispania under their king, Roderic, and an invading force of Muslim Arabs and Berbers under Ṭāriq ibn Ziyad. The battle was significant as the culmination of a series of Arab-Berber...
leads the fight against the Moors in the Asturian region and establishes the Kingdom of AsturiasKingdom of AsturiasThe Kingdom of Asturias was a Kingdom in the Iberian peninsula founded in 718 by Visigothic nobles under the leadership of Pelagius of Asturias. It was the first Christian political entity established following the collapse of the Visigothic kingdom after Islamic conquest of Hispania...
. The Muslims set out destroy the Asturian fighters and surround Pelayo and 300 of his men in the Asturian mountains. The Muslims attack ruthlessly, but Pelayo evades capture and continues organizing the Christian forces. - 719 - Muslims attack SeptimaniaSeptimaniaSeptimania was the western region of the Roman province of Gallia Narbonensis that passed under the control of the Visigoths in 462, when Septimania was ceded to their king, Theodoric II. Under the Visigoths it was known as simply Gallia or Narbonensis. It corresponded roughly with the modern...
in southern FranciaFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and become established in the region later known as LanguedocLanguedocLanguedoc is a former province of France, now continued in the modern-day régions of Languedoc-Roussillon and Midi-Pyrénées in the south of France, and whose capital city was Toulouse, now in Midi-Pyrénées. It had an area of approximately 42,700 km² .-Geographical Extent:The traditional...
. - 720 - Moorish conquest of BarcelonaBarcelonaBarcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
and NarbonneNarbonneNarbonne is a commune in southern France in the Languedoc-Roussillon region. It lies from Paris in the Aude department, of which it is a sub-prefecture. Once a prosperous port, it is now located about from the shores of the Mediterranean Sea...
. - 721 - A mixed force of AquitaniaAquitaniaAquitania may refer to:* the territory of the Aquitani, a people living in Roman times in what is now Aquitaine, France* Aquitaine, a region of France roughly between the Pyrenees, the Atlantic ocean and the Garonne, also a former kingdom and duchy...
ns and FranksFranksThe Franks were a confederation of Germanic tribes first attested in the third century AD as living north and east of the Lower Rhine River. From the third to fifth centuries some Franks raided Roman territory while other Franks joined the Roman troops in Gaul. Only the Salian Franks formed a...
under Duke Odo of AquitaineOdo of AquitaineOdo the Great , Duke of Aquitaine, obtained this dignity by 700. His territory included the Duchy of Vasconia in the south-west of Gaul and the Duchy of Aquitaine , a realm extending from the Loire to the Pyrenees, with capital in Toulouse...
defeat a Muslim army under the governor general of Al-Andalus, al-Samh ibn Malik al-KhawlaniAl-Samh ibn Malik al-KhawlaniAl-Samh ibn Malik al-Khawlani was the Arab governor general of the Muslim occupied region of the Iberian Peninsula called Al-Andalus from between 718 and 721.He led a Muslim incursion into southern France in the early part of the 8th century...
, at the Battle of ToulouseBattle of Toulouse (721)The Battle of Toulouse was a victory of an Aquitanian army led by Duke Odo of Aquitaine over an Umayyad army besieging the city of Toulouse, and led by the governor of Al-Andalus, Al-Samh ibn Malik al-Khawlani...
. The Franks quickly surround and critically wound al-Samh ibn Malik and destroy most of his force of 375,000 Arabs in what will be recorded as one of the worst military defeats in Muslim history. - 722 - King PelayoPelayo of AsturiasPelagius was a Visigothic nobleman who founded the Kingdom of Asturias, ruling it from 718 until his death. Through his victory at the Battle of Covadonga, he is credited with beginning the Reconquista, the Christian reconquest of the Iberian peninsula from the Moors, insofar as he established an...
defeats a large force sent by Emir MunuzaMunuzaUthman ibn Naissa better known as Munuza was the Moorish governor of northern Iberia in the early 8th century. He was subject to the Wāli of Al-Andalus, Anbasa ibn Suhaym Al-Kalbi. He was defeated in the Battle of Covadonga and killed by Pelayo of Asturias at the beginning of the Reconquista...
to annihilate him at the Battle of CovadongaBattle of CovadongaThe Battle of Covadonga was the first major victory by a Christian military force in Iberia following the Muslim Moors' conquest of that region in 711...
in Alcama. He then leads an alliance of Asturian and CantabriaCantabriaCantabria is a Spanish historical region and autonomous community with Santander as its capital city. It is bordered on the east by the Basque Autonomous Community , on the south by Castile and León , on the west by the Principality of Asturias, and on the north by the Cantabrian Sea.Cantabria...
n mountaineers and Spaniards in the counter-offensive against the Muslims beginning what will be called La Reconquista. Pelayo will go on to become the founder of a dynasty of Iberian monarchs who will over the centuries recapture all of the Iberian lands from the Muslims. - 725 - Muslim raids reach AutunAutunAutun is a commune in the Saône-et-Loire department in Burgundy in eastern France. It was founded during the early Roman Empire as Augustodunum. Autun marks the easternmost extent of the Umayyad campaign in Europe.-Early history:...
in Frankish France. - 729 - Berbers rebel in CerdanyaCerdanyaCerdanya is a natural comarca and historical region of the eastern Pyrenees divided between France and Spain. Historically it has been one of the counties of Catalonia....
, but despite being allied with Duke Odo of Aquitaine, the rebellion is suppressed. - 732 - A Muslim army led by Abdul Rahman Al GhafiqiAbdul Rahman Al GhafiqiAbdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi , also known as Abd er Rahman, Abdderrahman, Abderame, and Abd el-Rahman, led the Andalusian Muslims into battle against the forces of Charles Martel in the Battle of Tours on October 10, 732 AD. for which he is primarily remembered in the West...
defeats an Aquitanian force under Duke Odo of Aquitaine on the GaronneGaronneThe Garonne is a river in southwest France and northern Spain, with a length of .-Source:The Garonne's headwaters are to be found in the Aran Valley in the Pyrenees, though three different locations have been proposed as the true source: the Uelh deth Garona at Plan de Beret , the Ratera-Saboredo...
near BordeauxBordeauxBordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
. The Moors then set about pillaging Aquitaine- Frankish commander Charles MartelCharles MartelCharles Martel , also known as Charles the Hammer, was a Frankish military and political leader, who served as Mayor of the Palace under the Merovingian kings and ruled de facto during an interregnum at the end of his life, using the title Duke and Prince of the Franks. In 739 he was offered the...
"the Hammer" defeats a massive Muslim army of 60,000 fighters at the Battle of ToursBattle of ToursThe Battle of Tours , also called the Battle of Poitiers and in Battle of the Court of the Martyrs, was fought in an area between the cities of Poitiers and Tours, located in north-central France, near the village of Moussais-la-Bataille, about northeast of Poitiers...
killing Abdul Rahman Al GhafiqiAbdul Rahman Al GhafiqiAbdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi , also known as Abd er Rahman, Abdderrahman, Abderame, and Abd el-Rahman, led the Andalusian Muslims into battle against the forces of Charles Martel in the Battle of Tours on October 10, 732 AD. for which he is primarily remembered in the West...
, effectively halting the northward advance of Islam in Europe from the Iberian peninsula.
- Frankish commander Charles Martel
- 737 - Arabs take AvignonAvignonAvignon is a French commune in southeastern France in the départment of the Vaucluse bordered by the left bank of the Rhône river. Of the 94,787 inhabitants of the city on 1 January 2010, 12 000 live in the ancient town centre surrounded by its medieval ramparts.Often referred to as the...
in the RhôneRhône RiverThe Rhone is one of the major rivers of Europe, rising in Switzerland and running from there through southeastern France. At Arles, near its mouth on the Mediterranean Sea, the river divides into two branches, known as the Great Rhone and the Little Rhone...
Valley. - 739 - Berbers revolt in North Africa and Iberia.
- Rebels in North Africa defeat a SyriaSyriaSyria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
n force and kill its commander KulthumKulthum ibn Iyadh al-KushayriKulthum ibn Iyadh al-Kushayri was a Berber ruler in North Africa in 741-742 AD. Rebel forces defeated his troops in North Africa forcing 10,000 of his surviving men to retreat to the Iberian Peninsula where they settled in Cordoba....
. - By order of Alfonso I of AsturiasAlfonso I of AsturiasAlfonso I , called the Catholic , was the King of Asturias from 739 to his death in 757.He was son of Duke Peter of Cantabria and held many lands in that region. He may have been the hereditary chief of the Basques, but this is uncertain...
, the Moors are driven out of Galicia.
- Rebels in North Africa defeat a Syria
- 740 - Berbers rebel against the ethnically exclusive Arab Umayyad Caliphate and refuse to support them with tax revenues.
- 741 - The 10,000 survivors of Kulthum's force arrive in Iberia under a new leader, Talaba ibn Salama; he and the JordanJordanJordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
ians settle in Córdoba; the HomsHomsHoms , previously known as Emesa , is a city in western Syria and the capital of the Homs Governorate. It is above sea level and is located north of Damascus...
contingent in Seville; the DamascusDamascusDamascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
contingent in Elvira; QinnasrinQinnasrinQinnasrin , was a historical town in northern Syria. It gained fame as an important religious and cultural centre of Syriac Christians before the coming of Islamic conquests....
in JaénJaén, SpainJaén is a city in south-central Spain, the name is derived from the Arabic word Jayyan, . It is the capital of the province of Jaén. It is located in the autonomous community of Andalusia....
, and Palestinians in AlgecirasAlgecirasAlgeciras is a port city in the south of Spain, and is the largest city on the Bay of Gibraltar . Port of Algeciras is one of the largest ports in Europe and in the world in three categories: container,...
and Medina-SidoniaMedina-SidoniaMedina-Sidonia is a city and municipality in the province of Cádiz in the autonomous community of Andalusia, southern Spain. It is considered by some to be the oldest city in Europe, used as a military defense location due to its elevated location. Locals are known as Asidonenses...
. Civil war erupts between the SyriansDemographics of SyriaSyrians today are an overall indigenous Levantine people. While modern-day Syrians are commonly described as Arabs by virtue of their modern-day language and bonds to Arab culture and history...
and the Iberian Muslims, the latter being supported by a contingent of African Muslims under Abd al-Rahman ibn HabibAbd al-Rahman ibn HabibAbd al-Rahman ibn Habib al-Fihri was an Arab noble of the Oqbid or Fihrid family, and ruler of Ifriqiya from 745 through 755 AD.-Background:...
. - 742 - Internal conflict in Al-Andalus continues for the next 4 years.
- 755 - Abd ar-Rahman IAbd ar-Rahman IAbd al-Rahman I, or, his full name by patronymic record, Abd al-Rahman ibn Mu'awiya ibn Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan was the founder of the Umayyad Emirate of Córdoba , a Muslim dynasty that ruled the greater part of Iberia for nearly three centuries...
of the Umayyad dynasty flees to Iberia to escape the AbbasidAbbasidThe Abbasid Caliphate or, more simply, the Abbasids , was the third of the Islamic caliphates. It was ruled by the Abbasid dynasty of caliphs, who built their capital in Baghdad after overthrowing the Umayyad caliphate from all but the al-Andalus region....
s. - 756 - Abd ar-Rahman I defeats Yusuf al-Fihri outside Córdoba.
The Umayyad Emirate of Córdoba (756–929)
- 756 - Abd ar-Rahman IAbd ar-Rahman IAbd al-Rahman I, or, his full name by patronymic record, Abd al-Rahman ibn Mu'awiya ibn Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan was the founder of the Umayyad Emirate of Córdoba , a Muslim dynasty that ruled the greater part of Iberia for nearly three centuries...
, Umayyad commander of the Muslims of Al-Andalus, proclaims himself Emir of Córdoba. - 759 - The Moors lose the city of NarbonneNarbonneNarbonne is a commune in southern France in the Languedoc-Roussillon region. It lies from Paris in the Aude department, of which it is a sub-prefecture. Once a prosperous port, it is now located about from the shores of the Mediterranean Sea...
(in France), their furthest and last conquest into FrankFrankish EmpireFrancia or Frankia, later also called the Frankish Empire , Frankish Kingdom , Frankish Realm or occasionally Frankland, was the territory inhabited and ruled by the Franks from the 3rd to the 10th century...
ish territory. In capturing this city, King Pippin the YoungerPippin the YoungerPepin , called the Short or the Younger , rarely the Great , was the first King of the Franks of the Carolingian dynasty...
ends all Muslim rule north of Iberia. - 763 - Abd ar-Rahman I suppresses an Abbasids inspired revolt.
- 764 - Abd ar-Rahman I takes Toledo from Hisham ibn Urwa.
- 766 - Said al-Matari rebels in Seville.
- 768-777 - A Berber reformer rebels in central Iberia and occupies MéridaMérida, SpainMérida is the capital of the autonomous community of Extremadura, western central Spain. It has a population of 57,127 . The Archaeological Ensemble of Mérida is a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1993.- Climate :...
and other towns to the north of the TagusTagusThe Tagus is the longest river on the Iberian Peninsula. It is long, in Spain, along the border between Portugal and Spain and in Portugal, where it empties into the Atlantic Ocean at Lisbon. It drains an area of . The Tagus is highly utilized for most of its course...
. The rebellion is suppressed after nine years. - 771 - Syrians under Abd al-Ghaffar rebel against Abd ar-Rahman I, but the latter defeats the Syrians on the river Bembezar in 774.
- 777 - Abd ar-Rahman I suppresses an Abbasid-inspired revolt.
- 778 - The FrankFrankish EmpireFrancia or Frankia, later also called the Frankish Empire , Frankish Kingdom , Frankish Realm or occasionally Frankland, was the territory inhabited and ruled by the Franks from the 3rd to the 10th century...
s led by CharlemagneCharlemagneCharlemagne was King of the Franks from 768 and Emperor of the Romans from 800 to his death in 814. He expanded the Frankish kingdom into an empire that incorporated much of Western and Central Europe. During his reign, he conquered Italy and was crowned by Pope Leo III on 25 December 800...
attack ZaragozaZaragozaZaragoza , also called Saragossa in English, is the capital city of the Zaragoza Province and of the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain...
, but are forced to withdraw. BasquesBasque peopleThe Basques as an ethnic group, primarily inhabit an area traditionally known as the Basque Country , a region that is located around the western end of the Pyrenees on the coast of the Bay of Biscay and straddles parts of north-central Spain and south-western France.The Basques are known in the...
ambush Charlemagne's army as it crosses the PyreneesPyreneesThe Pyrenees is a range of mountains in southwest Europe that forms a natural border between France and Spain...
out of Iberia. The Basques maul the Frankish rearguard, killing many of the commanders including the Breton Markgraf Hruotland (also called RolandRolandRoland was a Frankish military leader under Charlemagne who became one of the principal figures in the literary cycle known as the Matter of France. Historically, Roland was military governor of the Breton March, with responsibility for defending the frontier of Francia against the Bretons...
), and loot the baggage train. - 781-881 - 100-year intermittent insurrection against the Muslims erupts in Zaragoza from 781 to 881.
- 785 - Building of the Great Mosque of CórdobaMezquitaThe Cathedral and former Great Mosque of Córdoba, in ecclesiastical terms the Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción , and known by the inhabitants of Córdoba as the Mezquita-Catedral , is today a World Heritage Site and the cathedral of the Diocese of Córdoba...
begins on the grounds of a Visigothic church; it is completed in 976. - 788- Death of Abd ar-Rahman I, founder of the Umayyad Emirate of Córdoba. His successor is Hisham IHisham IHisham I or Hisham Al-Reda was the second Umayyad Emir of Cordoba, ruling from 788 to 796 in the Al-Andalus .Hisham was born in Cordoba. He was the 1st son of Abd ar-Rahman I and his wife, Halul and the younger half brother of Suleiman. He built many mosques and completed the Mezquita. In 792 he...
. - 791 - Alfonso IIAlfonso II of AsturiasAlfonso II , called the Chaste, was the king of Asturias from 791 to his death, the son of Fruela I and the Basque Munia.He was born in Oviedo in 759 or 760. He was put under the guardianship of his aunt Adosinda after his father's death, but one tradition relates his being put in the monastery of...
becomes King of AsturiasKingdom of AsturiasThe Kingdom of Asturias was a Kingdom in the Iberian peninsula founded in 718 by Visigothic nobles under the leadership of Pelagius of Asturias. It was the first Christian political entity established following the collapse of the Visigothic kingdom after Islamic conquest of Hispania...
in OviedoOviedoOviedo is the capital city of the Principality of Asturias in northern Spain. It is also the name of the municipality that contains the city....
and takes a number of Moorish strongholds and settles the lands south of the Douro River.- A Muslim force raids into Galicia.
- 792 - Hisham IHisham IHisham I or Hisham Al-Reda was the second Umayyad Emir of Cordoba, ruling from 788 to 796 in the Al-Andalus .Hisham was born in Cordoba. He was the 1st son of Abd ar-Rahman I and his wife, Halul and the younger half brother of Suleiman. He built many mosques and completed the Mezquita. In 792 he...
, Emir of Córdoba, calls for a JihadJihadJihad , an Islamic term, is a religious duty of Muslims. In Arabic, the word jihād translates as a noun meaning "struggle". Jihad appears 41 times in the Quran and frequently in the idiomatic expression "striving in the way of God ". A person engaged in jihad is called a mujahid; the plural is...
against the infidels in Al-Andalus and France. Tens of thousands from as far away as SyriaSyriaSyria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
heed his call and cross the Pyrenees to subjugate France. Cities including NarbonneNarbonneNarbonne is a commune in southern France in the Languedoc-Roussillon region. It lies from Paris in the Aude department, of which it is a sub-prefecture. Once a prosperous port, it is now located about from the shores of the Mediterranean Sea...
are destroyed, but the invasion is ultimately halted at CarcassonneCarcassonneCarcassonne is a fortified French town in the Aude department, of which it is the prefecture, in the former province of Languedoc.It is divided into the fortified Cité de Carcassonne and the more expansive lower city, the ville basse. Carcassone was founded by the Visigoths in the fifth century,...
. - 794 - Asturians defeat the Muslims at the Battle of Lutos.
- 795 - An Umayyad force occupies Astorga.
- 796 - Al-Hakam IAl-Hakam IAl-Hakam Ibn Hisham Ibn Abd-ar-Rahman I was Umayyad Emir of Cordoba from 796 until 822 in the Al-Andalus .Al-Hakam was the second son of his father, his older brother having died at an early age. When he came to power, he was challenged by his uncles Sulayman and Abdallah, sons of Abd ar-Rahman I...
, becomes Emir of Córdova. - 798 - In a raid on Muslim lands, Alfonso II of Asturias enters Lisbon but cannot occupy it.
- 799 - The Basques revolt and kill the local Muslim governor of PamplonaPamplonaPamplona is the historial capital city of Navarre, in Spain, and of the former kingdom of Navarre.The city is famous worldwide for the San Fermín festival, from July 6 to 14, in which the running of the bulls is one of the main attractions...
. - 800 - Charlemagne takes Barcelona. He is granted the title of "Holy Roman Emperor" by Pope Leo IIIPope Leo IIIPope Saint Leo III was Pope from 795 to his death in 816. Protected by Charlemagne from his enemies in Rome, he subsequently strengthened Charlemagne's position by crowning him as Roman Emperor....
in order to guarantee his protection of Rome against the invading LombardsLombardsThe Lombards , also referred to as Longobards, were a Germanic tribe of Scandinavian origin, who from 568 to 774 ruled a Kingdom in Italy...
. - 800 - A 10-year rebellion against the Muslims breaks out in the fringes of Al-Andalus (Lisbon, MéridaMérida, SpainMérida is the capital of the autonomous community of Extremadura, western central Spain. It has a population of 57,127 . The Archaeological Ensemble of Mérida is a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1993.- Climate :...
, Toledo). Each rebellion is bloodily suppressed by the central Islamic authorities. - 801 - Louis the PiousLouis the PiousLouis the Pious , also called the Fair, and the Debonaire, was the King of Aquitaine from 781. He was also King of the Franks and co-Emperor with his father, Charlemagne, from 813...
, Charlemagne's son of France takes Barcelona from the Moors.- A frontier buffer between Frankish France and Muslim land is formed and is called the Marca HispanicaMarca HispanicaThe Marca Hispanica , also known as Spanish March or March of Barcelona was a buffer zone beyond the province of Septimania, created by Charlemagne in 795 as a defensive barrier between the Umayyad Moors of Al-Andalus and the Frankish Kingdom....
(Hispanic Border).
- A frontier buffer between Frankish France and Muslim land is formed and is called the Marca Hispanica
- 803 - Revolt of Banu QasiBanu QasiThe Banu Qasi, Banu Kasi, Beni Casi or Banu Musa were a Basque Muladi dynasty that ruled the upper Ebro valley in the 9th century, before being displaced in the first quarter of the 10th century.-Dynastic beginnings:...
in TudelaTudela, NavarreTudela is a municipality in Spain, the second city of the autonomous community of Navarre. Its population is around 35,000. Tudela is sited in the Ebro valley. Fast trains running on two-track electrified railways serve the city and two freeways join close to it...
is suppressed. - 805 - Insurrection against the Muslims erupts in Córdoba and MéridaMérida, SpainMérida is the capital of the autonomous community of Extremadura, western central Spain. It has a population of 57,127 . The Archaeological Ensemble of Mérida is a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1993.- Climate :...
. - 806 - FrankishFranksThe Franks were a confederation of Germanic tribes first attested in the third century AD as living north and east of the Lower Rhine River. From the third to fifth centuries some Franks raided Roman territory while other Franks joined the Roman troops in Gaul. Only the Salian Franks formed a...
conquest of Pamplona.- After another revolt in Toledo, 700 men, women and children are beheaded by the Muslims.
- 808 - Franks fail to take TortosaTortosa-External links:* *** * * *...
. - 809 - An Umayyad prince defeats and executes Tumlus, a Muslim rebel who had seized power in Lisbon some years before.
- 811- Another insurrection against the Muslims erupts in Toledo lasting 8 years.
- Charlemagne gains control of all of CataloniaCataloniaCatalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
, which is designated "the Hispanic Mark" until 874.
- Charlemagne gains control of all of Catalonia
- 813 - The grave of James the ApostleSaint James the GreatJames, son of Zebedee was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. He was a son of Zebedee and Salome, and brother of John the Apostle...
is "discovered" near Santiago de CompostelaSantiago de CompostelaSantiago de Compostela is the capital of the autonomous community of Galicia, Spain.The city's Cathedral is the destination today, as it has been throughout history, of the important 9th century medieval pilgrimage route, the Way of St. James...
, in Galicia, beginning the cult of St. James that would unite Iberian Christians of many different petty kingdoms. - 818 - The revolt in Córdoba against the Muslims is punished by three days of massacres and pillage, with 300 notables crucified and 20,000 families expelled.
- 819 - The Franks suppress revolt in Pamplona.
- 822 - Abd-ar-Rahman II becomes Emir of Córdoba.
- 824 - Pamplona rebels again. The Basques rebel again and destroy a Frankish army at the second Battle of RoncesvallesBattle of Roncevaux PassThe Battle of Roncevaux Pass was a battle in 778 in which Roland, prefect of the Breton March and commander of the rear guard of Charlemagne's army, was defeated by the Basques...
. Kingdom of Pamplona established. - 825 - Muslims attempt to invade Christian territory from Coimbra and ViseuViseuViseu is both a city and a municipality in the Dão-Lafões Subregion of Centro Region, Portugal. The municipality, with an area of 507.1 km², has a population of 99,593 , and the city proper has 47,250...
but are driven back. - 827 - Bernat of SeptimaniaBernat of SeptimaniaBernard of Septimania , son of William of Gellone, was the Frankish Duke of Septimania and Count of Barcelona from 826 to 832 and again from 835 to his execution. He was also count of Carcassonne from 837. He was appointed to succeed his fellow Frank Rampon...
holds Barcelona against GothicGothsThe Goths were an East Germanic tribe of Scandinavian origin whose two branches, the Visigoths and the Ostrogoths, played an important role in the fall of the Roman Empire and the emergence of Medieval Europe....
rebels who have Umayyad assistance. - 828 - Insurrection against the Muslims erupts in MéridaMérida, SpainMérida is the capital of the autonomous community of Extremadura, western central Spain. It has a population of 57,127 . The Archaeological Ensemble of Mérida is a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1993.- Climate :...
. - 829 - Another insurrection in Mérida.
- 839 - Alfonso II of Asturias commands a military force in the region of Viseu.
- 844 - Vikings raid the Galician estuaries, are defeated by Ramiro I, attack Lisbon, and sack Seville, but are shortly afterwards wiped out by a Córdoban relief army.
- Battle of ClavijoBattle of ClavijoThe Battle of Clavijo was a legendary battle, supposedly fought in 844 near Clavijo between the Christians led by Ramiro I of Asturias and the Muslims led by the Emir of Córdoba. Saint James the Great, known to Spaniards as Santiago Matamoros , is reputed to have aided the vastly outnumbered...
, a legendary battle between Christians led by Ramiro I of Asturias and Muslims, where St. James is reputed to have aided the Christian Army.
- Battle of Clavijo
- 848 - William, son of Bernat of SeptimaniaBernat of SeptimaniaBernard of Septimania , son of William of Gellone, was the Frankish Duke of Septimania and Count of Barcelona from 826 to 832 and again from 835 to his execution. He was also count of Carcassonne from 837. He was appointed to succeed his fellow Frank Rampon...
, seizes Barcelona. - 850-859 - PerfectusPerfectusSaint Perfectus was one of the Martyrs of Córdoba whose martyrdom was recorded by Saint Eulogius in the Memoriale sanctorum....
, a Christian priest in Muslim-ruled Córdoba, is beheaded after he refuses to retract numerous insults he made about MuhammadMuhammadMuhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
. Numerous other priests, monks, and laity would follow as Christians became caught up in a zest for martyrdom.- Forty-eight Christians men and women are decapitated for refusing to convert or blaspheming Muhammad. They will be known as the Martyrs of CórdobaMartyrs of CórdobaThe Martyrs of Córdoba were forty-eight Christian martyrs living in the 9th century Muslim-ruled Al-Andalus, in what is now southern Spain; their hagiography describes in detail their executions for deliberately sought capital violations of Muslim law in Al-Andalus...
.
- Forty-eight Christians men and women are decapitated for refusing to convert or blaspheming Muhammad. They will be known as the Martyrs of Córdoba
- 852 - Death of Abd ar-Rahman IIAbd ar-Rahman IIAbd ar-Rahman II was Umayyad Emir of Córdoba in the Al-Andalus from 822 until his death.He was born in Toledo, the son of Emir Al-Hakam I...
.- Muhammad I becomes Emir of Córdoba.
- 855 Ordoño IOrdoño I of AsturiasOrdoño I was King of Asturias from 850 until his death.-Biography:He was born in Oviedo, where he spent his early life in the court of Alfonso II. He was probably associated with the crown from an early age. He was probably raised in Lugo, capital of the province of Galicia, of which his father,...
captures León from the Moors. - 859 - VikingVikingThe term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to...
s raid the Iberian coast. They capture and ransom King García Íñiguez of PamplonaKingdom of NavarreThe Kingdom of Navarre , originally the Kingdom of Pamplona, was a European kingdom which occupied lands on either side of the Pyrenees alongside the Atlantic Ocean....
. - 859 - Ordoño IOrdoño I of AsturiasOrdoño I was King of Asturias from 850 until his death.-Biography:He was born in Oviedo, where he spent his early life in the court of Alfonso II. He was probably associated with the crown from an early age. He was probably raised in Lugo, capital of the province of Galicia, of which his father,...
of AsturiasAsturiasThe Principality of Asturias is an autonomous community of the Kingdom of Spain, coextensive with the former Kingdom of Asturias in the Middle Ages...
defeats Musa ibn Musa at AlbeldaAlbeldaAlbelda is a municipality located in the province of Huesca, Aragon, Spain. According to the 2004 census , the municipality has a population of 877 inhabitants....
.- Insurrection against the Muslims erupts in MéridaMérida, SpainMérida is the capital of the autonomous community of Extremadura, western central Spain. It has a population of 57,127 . The Archaeological Ensemble of Mérida is a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1993.- Climate :...
.
- Insurrection against the Muslims erupts in Mérida
- 871 - The city of Coimbra is retaken from the Moors. Hermenegildo Mendes is made Count of Coimbra.
- 873 - Over the next 25 years Wilfred the HairyWilfred the HairyWilfred or Wifred, called the Hairy, was Count of Urgell , Cerdanya , Barcelona , Girona , Besalú , and Ausona ....
, Count of Barcelona, sets up a Christian principality with a certain degree of independence from the FrankFrankish EmpireFrancia or Frankia, later also called the Frankish Empire , Frankish Kingdom , Frankish Realm or occasionally Frankland, was the territory inhabited and ruled by the Franks from the 3rd to the 10th century...
ish kings. - 886 - Al-Mundhir becomes Emir of Córdoba.
- Revolts in Al-Andalus continue till 912
- 888 - Abdallah ibn Muhammad becomes Emir of Córdoba.
- 905 - Sancho I of PamplonaSancho I of PamplonaSancho I Garcés was king of Pamplona from 905 to 925. He was a son of García Jiménez, who was king of "another part of the kingdom" of Pamplona and Dadildis de Pallars, his second wife...
usurps the Basque kingdom of Pamplona with the help of Alfonso III of LeónAlfonso III of LeónAlfonso III , called the Great, was the king of León, Galicia and Asturias from 866 until his death. He was the son and successor of Ordoño I. In later sources he is the earliest to be called "Emperor of Spain"...
, Raymond I, Count of Pallars and Ribagorza and the Banu QasiBanu QasiThe Banu Qasi, Banu Kasi, Beni Casi or Banu Musa were a Basque Muladi dynasty that ruled the upper Ebro valley in the 9th century, before being displaced in the first quarter of the 10th century.-Dynastic beginnings:...
. - 912 - Abd al-Rahman III becomes the Emir of Córdoba. Every spring, Muslims launch raiding campaigns against the Christian frontier.
- 913 - An expedition commanded by Ordoño II of LeónOrdoño II of LeónOrdoño II was king of Galicia from 910, and king of Galicia and León from 914 until his death. He was the second son of King Alfonso III the Great and his wife, Jimena of Pamplona....
takes Évora (TalaveraTalaveraTalavera may refer to the following:Places* Talavera de la Reina, a city in Toledo province, Spain, where two battles took place:** Battle of Talavera, during the Peninsular War** Battle of Talavera de la Reina , during the Spanish Civil War...
) from the Muslims.- The capital city of the Kingdom of AsturiasKingdom of AsturiasThe Kingdom of Asturias was a Kingdom in the Iberian peninsula founded in 718 by Visigothic nobles under the leadership of Pelagius of Asturias. It was the first Christian political entity established following the collapse of the Visigothic kingdom after Islamic conquest of Hispania...
is moved from OviedoOviedoOviedo is the capital city of the Principality of Asturias in northern Spain. It is also the name of the municipality that contains the city....
to LeónLeón, SpainLeón is the capital of the province of León in the autonomous community of Castile and León, situated in the northwest of Spain. Its city population of 136,985 makes it the largest municipality in the province, accounting for more than one quarter of the province's population...
, becomes Kingdom of LeónKingdom of LeónThe Kingdom of León was an independent kingdom situated in the northwest region of the Iberian Peninsula. It was founded in AD 910 when the Christian princes of Asturias along the northern coast of the peninsula shifted their capital from Oviedo to the city of León...
.
- The capital city of the Kingdom of Asturias
- 916 - Ordoño II of LeónOrdoño II of LeónOrdoño II was king of Galicia from 910, and king of Galicia and León from 914 until his death. He was the second son of King Alfonso III the Great and his wife, Jimena of Pamplona....
is defeated by Emir Abd al-Rahman III in Valdejunquera. - 917 - Battle of San Esteban de GormazSan Esteban de GormazSan Esteban de Gormaz is a municipality in the province of Soria in the autonomous community of Castile-Leon, Spain. Its population is approximately 3,500...
. Ordoño IIOrdoño II of LeónOrdoño II was king of Galicia from 910, and king of Galicia and León from 914 until his death. He was the second son of King Alfonso III the Great and his wife, Jimena of Pamplona....
defeats an army under Emir Abd al-Rahman III. - 918 - Battle of Talavera where Muslims under Abd al-Rahman III defeat the Christians.
- Pope John XPope John XPope John X, Pope from March 914 to May 928, was deacon at Bologna when he attracted the attention of Theodora, the wife of Theophylact, Count of Tusculum, the most powerful noble in Rome, through whose influence he was elevated first to the see of Bologna and then to the archbishopric of...
recognizes the orthodoxy and legitimacy of the Visigothic Liturgy maintained in the Mozarabic riteMozarabic RiteThe Mozarabic, Visigothic, or Hispanic Rite is a form of Catholic worship within the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church, and in the Spanish Reformed Episcopal Church . Its beginning dates to the 7th century, and is localized in the Iberian Peninsula...
.
- Pope John X
- 920 - Battle of ValdejunqueraBattle of ValdejunqueraThe Battle of Valdejunquera was a victory for the Islamic Emirate of Córdoba over the Christian armies of the kingdoms of León and Navarre that took place in a valley called Iuncaria in 920 as part of the Córdoban "Campaign of Muez" , which was directed primarily against the southern line of...
, where the armies of Abd al-Rahman III defeat the armies of the Kingdom of León. - 920 - Muslim forces cross the Pyrenees, enter GasconyGasconyGascony is an area of southwest France that was part of the "Province of Guyenne and Gascony" prior to the French Revolution. The region is vaguely defined and the distinction between Guyenne and Gascony is unclear; sometimes they are considered to overlap, and sometimes Gascony is considered a...
, and reach as far as the gates of ToulouseToulouseToulouse is a city in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern FranceIt lies on the banks of the River Garonne, 590 km away from Paris and half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea...
. The garrison of Muez is killed. - 923 - The city of Pamplona is destroyed by Muslim forces.
The Umayyad Caliphate (929–1031)
- 929 - Abd al-Rahman III, faced with the threat of invasion by the FatimidFatimidThe Fatimid Islamic Caliphate or al-Fāṭimiyyūn was a Berber Shia Muslim caliphate first centered in Tunisia and later in Egypt that ruled over varying areas of the Maghreb, Sudan, Sicily, the Levant, and Hijaz from 5 January 909 to 1171.The caliphate was ruled by the Fatimids, who established the...
s, proclaims himself Caliph of Córdoba, breaking all ties with the Abbasid Caliphate in BaghdadBaghdadBaghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
. Under the reign of Abd al-Rahman III Muslim Al-Andalus reaches its greatest height before its slow decline over the next four centuries. - 930 - Over the next 20 years Ramiro II of LeónRamiro II of LeónRamiro II , son of Ordoño II, was King of León from 931 until his death. Initially titular king only of a lesser part of Asturias, he gained the crown of León after his brother Alfonso IV abdicated in 931...
, defeats Abd al-Rahman III at SimancasSimancasSimancas is a town and municipality of central Spain, located in the province of Valladolid, part of the autonomous community of Castile and León...
, Osma, and Talavera. - 933 - Battle of Osma where CastilianKingdom of CastileKingdom of Castile was one of the medieval kingdoms of the Iberian Peninsula. It emerged as a political autonomous entity in the 9th century. It was called County of Castile and was held in vassalage from the Kingdom of León. Its name comes from the host of castles constructed in the region...
–Leónese troops, under Fernán González of Castile, defeat the Muslim army of Abd al-Rahman III. - 939 - Battle of SimancasBattle of SimancasThe Battle of Simancas was a military battle that started on July 19, 939, in the Iberian Peninsula between the troops of the Christian king Ramiro II of León and Muslim caliph Abd al-Rahman III near the walls of the city of Simancas...
where Ramiro II of León defeats Abd al-Rahman III. Christians defeat Al-nasir at Alhandega.- MadridMadridMadrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
is recaptured from Muslim forces. The encounter between the two rulers finally took place in 939, when, at the so-called ditch of Simancas (Shant Mankus), Ramiro II of LeónRamiro II of LeónRamiro II , son of Ordoño II, was King of León from 931 until his death. Initially titular king only of a lesser part of Asturias, he gained the crown of León after his brother Alfonso IV abdicated in 931...
severely defeated the Muslims, and Abd al-Rahman III narrowly escapes with his life. After that defeat Abd al-Rahman III resolved never to take personal charge of another expedition. But Madrid recaptured by Muslims in 940.
- Madrid
- 953 - Emperor Otto IOtto I, Holy Roman EmperorOtto I the Great , son of Henry I the Fowler and Matilda of Ringelheim, was Duke of Saxony, King of Germany, King of Italy, and "the first of the Germans to be called the emperor of Italy" according to Arnulf of Milan...
sends representatives to Córdoba to ask Caliph Abd al-Rahman III to call off some Muslim raiders who had set themselves up in Alpine passes and are attacking merchant caravans going in and out of Italy.- Big Moorish incursion in Galicia.
- 955 - Ordoño III of LeónOrdoño III of LeónOrdoño III was the King of León from 951 to 956, son and successor of Ramiro II . He confronted Navarre and Castile, who supported his half-brother Sancho the Fat in disputing Ordoño's claim to the throne....
attacks Lisbon. - 961 - Al-Hakam IIAl-Hakam IIAl-Hakam II was the second Caliph of Cordoba, in Al-Andalus , and son of Abd-ar-rahman III . He ruled from 961 to 976....
becomes Umayyad Caliph of Córdoba. - 974 - A Córdoban expedition under Ibn Tumlus crushes a rebellion in Seville.
- 976 - Caliph Al-Hakam IIAl-Hakam IIAl-Hakam II was the second Caliph of Cordoba, in Al-Andalus , and son of Abd-ar-rahman III . He ruled from 961 to 976....
dies, and Al-MansurAl-Mansur Ibn Abi AamirAbu Aamir Muhammad Ibn Abdullah Ibn Abi Aamir, Al-Hajib Al-Mansur , better known as Almanzor, was the de facto ruler of Muslim Al-Andalus in the late 10th to early 11th centuries. His rule marked the peak of power for Moorish Iberia.-Origins:He was born Muhammad Ibn Abi Aamir, into a noble Arab...
takes over in the name of his protégé Hisham IIHisham IIHisham II was the third Caliph of Cordoba, of the Umayyad dynasty. He ruled 976–1009, and 1010–1013 in the Al-Andalus ....
, becoming a military dictator usurping caliphal powers and launching a big number of offensive campaignes against the Christians. The Christians take advantage of the resulting confusion and commence raids into Muslim territory.- Al-Mansur sacks Barcelona.
- 977 - Al-MansurAl-MansurAl-Mansur, Almanzor or Abu Ja'far Abdallah ibn Muhammad al-Mansur was the second Abbasid Caliph from 136 AH to 158 AH .-Biography:...
volunteers to lead the army against the Christians, and is successful. - 981 - Al-Mansur defeats his old friend Ghalib in a confused battle near AtienzaAtienzaAtienza is a municipality located in the province of Guadalajara, Spain. According to the 2006 census , the municipality has a population of 437 inhabitants.There were ancient Celtiberian settlements in the Cerro del Padrastro.- Geology :...
. Al-Mansur force includes Berbers, Christian mercenaries, and Andalusian troops from Zaragoza under Man ibn Abd al-Aziz al-Tujibi. Ghalib's force includes Andalusians and a Castilian contingent under the Count García Fernandez. Ghalib is killed in the battle. Al-Mansur subsequently kills off both Ibn al-Andalusi and Man ibn Abd al-Aziz al-Tujibi.- Ramiro III of LeónRamiro III of LeónRamiro III , king of León , was the son of Sancho the Fat and his successor at the age of only five. During his minority, the regency was in the hands of two nuns: his aunt Elvira Ramírez of León, who took the title of queen during the minority, and his mother Teresa Ansúrez, who was put in a...
is defeated by Al-Mansur at RuedaRueda, ValladolidRueda is a village and municipality in the province of Valladolid, part of the autonomous community of Castile-Leon, Spain. It is located 30 km southwest of the provincial capital, the city of Valladolid.The population is 1.614...
and is obliged to pay tribute to the Caliph of Córdoba.
- Ramiro III of León
- 983 - After failing in a rebellion in the MaghrebMaghrebThe Maghreb is the region of Northwest Africa, west of Egypt. It includes five countries: Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Mauritania and the disputed territory of Western Sahara...
, the Berber Chief Zawi ibn Ziri, of the TunisTunisTunis is the capital of both the Tunisian Republic and the Tunis Governorate. It is Tunisia's largest city, with a population of 728,453 as of 2004; the greater metropolitan area holds some 2,412,500 inhabitants....
ian royal family, brings a formidable force of SanhajaSanhajaThe Sanhaja or Senhaja were once one of the largest Berber tribal confederations of the Maghreb, along with the Zanata and Masmuda...
horsemen to join Al-Mansur. However, they are not allowed to cross the straits for many years (sometime 1002-1008). - 985 - Under Al-Mansur and subsequently his son, Christian cities are subjected to numerous raids.
- 985 - Al-Mansur sacks Barcelona.
- 986 - Al-Mansur burns down the monastery of Sant Cugat del VallèsSant Cugat del VallèsSant Cugat del Vallès is a town and municipality north of Barcelona in Catalonia, Spain. In antiquity known as Castrum Octavianum, it is named after Saint Cucuphas, who is said to have been martyred on the spot now occupied by its medieval monastery.Sant Cugat has seen its population increase in...
. - 987 - Al-Mansur lays waste to Christian Coimbra.
- Al-Mansur seizes the castles north of the Douro River, and arrives at the city of Santiago de CompostelaSantiago de CompostelaSantiago de Compostela is the capital of the autonomous community of Galicia, Spain.The city's Cathedral is the destination today, as it has been throughout history, of the important 9th century medieval pilgrimage route, the Way of St. James...
. The city had been evacuated and Al-Mansur burns it to the ground. - Al-Mansur has the basilicaBasilicaThe Latin word basilica , was originally used to describe a Roman public building, usually located in the forum of a Roman town. Public basilicas began to appear in Hellenistic cities in the 2nd century BC.The term was also applied to buildings used for religious purposes...
doors and bells of the Christian shrine of Santiago de Compostela taken to the Córdoba Mosque and has the rest of the Church destroyed.
- Al-Mansur seizes the castles north of the Douro River, and arrives at the city of Santiago de Compostela
- 988 - Al-Mansur razes León to the ground. He sacks Leon, Zamora, and Sahagun, and sets fire to the great monasteries of Eslonza and Sahagun.
- 989 - Al-Mansur seizes Osma.
- 994 - The monastery of Monte CassinoMonte CassinoMonte Cassino is a rocky hill about southeast of Rome, Italy, c. to the west of the town of Cassino and altitude. St. Benedict of Nursia established his first monastery, the source of the Benedictine Order, here around 529. It was the site of Battle of Monte Cassino in 1944...
is destroyed a second time by the Moors. - 995 - Despite stout resistance by the Beni-Gomez clan - Christian counts of SaldañaSaldaña-Places:*Saldana Municipality*Saldaña, Palencia*Saldaña, Colombia*Saldaña de Burgos*Saldaña River...
, LiébanaLiébanaLiébana is a comarca of Cantabria .It covers 570 square kilometers and is located in the southwest of Cantabria, bordering Asturias, León and Palencia...
, CarriónCarrionCarrion refers to the carcass of a dead animal. Carrion is an important food source for large carnivores and omnivores in most ecosystems. Examples of carrion-eaters include vultures, hawks, eagles, hyenas, Virginia Opossum, Tasmanian Devils, coyotes, Komodo dragons, and burying beetles...
, and Zamora - Al-Mansur destroys their capital, the city of Santa Maria de Carrion. - 997 - Under the leadership of Al-Mansur, Muslim forces march out of the city of Córdoba and head north to capture Christian lands.
- 998 - Wadih, a SlavSlavic peoplesThe Slavic people are an Indo-European panethnicity living in Eastern Europe, Southeast Europe, North Asia and Central Asia. The term Slavic represents a broad ethno-linguistic group of people, who speak languages belonging to the Slavic language family and share, to varying degrees, certain...
and the best Andalusian commander of the time, takes Fez in MoroccoMoroccoMorocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
with a large force.- Muslims briefly attempt to establish a garrison at Zamora.
- 1000 - Sancho III of NavarreSancho III of NavarreSancho III Garcés , called the Great , succeeded as a minor to the Kingdom of Navarre in 1004, and through conquest and political maneuvering increased his power, until at the time of his death in 1035 he controlled the majority of Christian Iberia, bearing the title of rex Hispaniarum...
, inflicts major losses on the Muslims, and nearly clinches a remarkable victory. - 1000-1033 - Sancho III of NavarreSancho III of NavarreSancho III Garcés , called the Great , succeeded as a minor to the Kingdom of Navarre in 1004, and through conquest and political maneuvering increased his power, until at the time of his death in 1035 he controlled the majority of Christian Iberia, bearing the title of rex Hispaniarum...
gains control of AragonAragonAragon is a modern autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. Located in northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces : Huesca, Zaragoza, and Teruel. Its capital is Zaragoza...
and Castile, uniting the three kingdoms. But on his death, he splits the kingdom and leaves NavarreNavarreNavarre , officially the Chartered Community of Navarre is an autonomous community in northern Spain, bordering the Basque Country, La Rioja, and Aragon in Spain and Aquitaine in France...
to his son García III of PamplonaGarcía III of PamplonaGarcía Sánchez I, sometimes García I, II, III or IV was the king of Pamplona from 931 until his death, 22 February 970.He was the son of King Sancho I and Toda Aznárez...
, Castile to Fernando IFerdinand I of LeónFerdinand I , called the Great , was the Count of Castile from his uncle's death in 1029 and the King of León after defeating his brother-in-law in 1037. According to tradition, he was the first to have himself crowned Emperor of Spain , and his heirs carried on the tradition...
, and Aragon to Ramiro IRamiro I of AragonRamiro I was de facto the first King of Aragon from 1035 until his death. Apparently born before 1007, he was the illegitimate son of Sancho III of Navarre by his mistress Sancha de Aybar...
. - 1002 - Al-Mansur raids into La Rioja.
- Al-Mansur dies in the village of Salem.
- Power in Al-Andalus subsequently divided between the old ArabArabArab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
nobility, the Berber mercenaries, and the SlavSlavic peoplesThe Slavic people are an Indo-European panethnicity living in Eastern Europe, Southeast Europe, North Asia and Central Asia. The term Slavic represents a broad ethno-linguistic group of people, who speak languages belonging to the Slavic language family and share, to varying degrees, certain...
slaves.
- 1002-1008 - Al-Mansur's son Al-Muzaffar conducts annual raids against the Christians.
- 1003 - Moors lay waste to the city of León.
- 1004 - Arab raiders sack the Italian city of PisaPisaPisa is a city in Tuscany, Central Italy, on the right bank of the mouth of the River Arno on the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa...
. - 1008 - On the death of al-Muzaffar, Abd al-Rahman ibn Al-Mansur, another son of Al-Mansur, takes over the role of unofficial ruler. In winter he leads his army against the Christians.
- Muhammad II – great-grandson of Abd al-Rahman III – deposes Hisham IIHisham IIHisham II was the third Caliph of Cordoba, of the Umayyad dynasty. He ruled 976–1009, and 1010–1013 in the Al-Andalus ....
as Caliph and destroys Al-Mansur's palace complex of al-Madinat al-Zahira near Córdoba. - Mohammed II al-Mahdi becomes Umayyad Caliph of Córdoba.
- The period of anarchy over the next 23 years out of which emerged approximately two dozen taifaTaifaIn the history of the Iberian Peninsula, a taifa was an independent Muslim-ruled principality, usually an emirate or petty kingdom, though there was one oligarchy, of which a number formed in the Al-Andalus after the final collapse of the Umayyad Caliphate of Córdoba in 1031.-Rise:The origins of...
states.
- Muhammad II – great-grandson of Abd al-Rahman III – deposes Hisham II
- 1009 - Muslims lay waste to León again.
- The Berbers are expelled from Córdoba and set up camp at CalatravaCalatrava la ViejaCalatrava la Vieja is a medieval site and original nucleus of the Order of Calatrava. It is now part of the Archaeological Parks of the Community of Castile-La Mancha. Situated at Carrión de Calatrava, Calatrava during the High Middle Ages was the only important city in the Guadiana River valley...
. Their Generals nominate another descendant of Abd al-Rahman III – Sulayman al-Mustain – as a rival Caliph. - Suleiman seeks the aid of Count Sancho García of Castile against Mohammed II of Umayyad. The joint Berber-CastilianCrown of CastileThe Crown of Castile was a medieval and modern state in the Iberian Peninsula that formed in 1230 as a result of the third and definitive union of the crowns and parliaments of the kingdoms of Castile and León upon the accession of the then King Ferdinand III of Castile to the vacant Leonese throne...
army defeats the Andalusian militia of Muhammad II and sacks Córdoba. - Sulaiman al-Mustain becomes Umayyad Caliph of Córdoba as Suleiman II, after deposing Mohammed II.
- The Taifa (independent Moorish kingdom) of BadajozBadajozBadajoz is the capital of the Province of Badajoz in the autonomous community of Extremadura, Spain, situated close to the Portuguese border, on the left bank of the river Guadiana, and the Madrid–Lisbon railway. The population in 2007 was 145,257....
becomes independent of the Caliph of Córdoba and governs the territory between Coimbra and North Alentejo.
- The Berbers are expelled from Córdoba and set up camp at Calatrava
- 1010
- Having fled to Toledo, Mohammed II seeks the aid of Ramon Borell, Count of Barcelona and Urgel. The CatalanCataloniaCatalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
army defeats Sulaiman II's Berbers at Aqabat al-Baqar and again near the river Guadiaro (near Ronda). - Mohammed II reclaims Córdoba supported by the SlavSlavic peoplesThe Slavic people are an Indo-European panethnicity living in Eastern Europe, Southeast Europe, North Asia and Central Asia. The term Slavic represents a broad ethno-linguistic group of people, who speak languages belonging to the Slavic language family and share, to varying degrees, certain...
General al-Wadih, but is assassinated. - Hisham IIHisham IIHisham II was the third Caliph of Cordoba, of the Umayyad dynasty. He ruled 976–1009, and 1010–1013 in the Al-Andalus ....
is restored as Umayyad Caliph of Córdoba by slave troops of the Caliphate under al-Wahdid.
- Having fled to Toledo, Mohammed II seeks the aid of Ramon Borell, Count of Barcelona and Urgel. The Catalan
- 1012 - Berber forces capture Córdoba and order that half the population be executed.
- Sulaiman II is restored as Umayyad Caliph of Córdoba by the Berber armies.
- 1013 - A Berber reign of terror in Córdoba that kills the deposed Hisham IIHisham IIHisham II was the third Caliph of Cordoba, of the Umayyad dynasty. He ruled 976–1009, and 1010–1013 in the Al-Andalus ....
.- The powerless Sulaiman II is forced to hand out provincial governorships to the Berber chiefs.
- Jews are expelled from the Umayyad Caliphate of Córdoba, then ruled by Suleiman II.
- HaleviHaleviHalevi or ha-Levi may refer to:* Rabbi Abraham ibn Daud ha-Levi* Rabbi Aaron ben Abba ha-Levi ben Johanan* Rabbi Aharon HaLevi Halevi or ha-Levi (the Levite or of Levi) may refer to:* Rabbi Abraham ibn Daud ha-Levi* Rabbi Aaron ben Abba ha-Levi ben Johanan* Rabbi Aharon HaLevi Halevi or ha-Levi...
flees to MálagaMálagaMálaga is a city and a municipality in the Autonomous Community of Andalusia, Spain. With a population of 568,507 in 2010, it is the second most populous city of Andalusia and the sixth largest in Spain. This is the southernmost large city in Europe...
when Suleiman attacks Córdoba. - Halevi becomes vizier to the Emir of Granada, as does his son, Jehoseph Ha-Nagid. Many other Jews flee to Granada.
- Caliphate of Córdoba begins to break up. Many Taifas (independent Moorish kingdoms) begin to spring up.
- 1014 - The Berber chief Zawi ibn Ziri – leader of the SanhajaSanhajaThe Sanhaja or Senhaja were once one of the largest Berber tribal confederations of the Maghreb, along with the Zanata and Masmuda...
confederation, and a member of the TunisTunisTunis is the capital of both the Tunisian Republic and the Tunis Governorate. It is Tunisia's largest city, with a population of 728,453 as of 2004; the greater metropolitan area holds some 2,412,500 inhabitants....
ian royal family – makes Granada his capital. - 1015 - The EmirEmirEmir , meaning "commander", "general", or "prince"; also transliterated as Amir, Aamir or Ameer) is a title of high office, used throughout the Muslim world...
of DeniaDéniaDénia is a city in the province of Alicante, Spain, on the Costa Blanca halfway between Alicante and Valencia, the judicial seat of the comarca of Marina Alta...
, Mujahid al-Amiri, sets out from his base in the Balearic IslandsBalearic IslandsThe Balearic Islands are an archipelago of Spain in the western Mediterranean Sea, near the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula.The four largest islands are: Majorca, Minorca, Ibiza and Formentera. The archipelago forms an autonomous community and a province of Spain with Palma as the capital...
with a fleet of 125 ships in an attempt to take SardiniaSardiniaSardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],...
.- Ali ibn Hammud, Emir of CeutaCeutaCeuta is an autonomous city of Spain and an exclave located on the north coast of North Africa surrounded by Morocco. Separated from the Iberian peninsula by the Strait of Gibraltar, Ceuta lies on the border of the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Ceuta along with the other Spanish...
, declares himself the rightful Caliph and marches on Córdoba. A Berber general deposes and executes Caliph Suleiman II. - Mujahid al-Amiri is dislodged from SardiniaSardiniaSardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],...
by a force from GenoaGenoaGenoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
and PisaPisaPisa is a city in Tuscany, Central Italy, on the right bank of the mouth of the River Arno on the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa...
.
- Ali ibn Hammud, Emir of Ceuta
- 1018 - Self-proclaimed Caliph Ali ibn Hammud assassinated in Córdoba. His brother Al-Qasim replaces him. The Zirids of Granada defeat an Andalusian army of 4,000 under Abd ar-Rahman IV al-MutadaAbd ar-Rahman IVAbd ar-Rahman IV Mortada was the Caliph of Cordoba in the Umayyad dynasty of the Al-Andalus , succeeding Suleiman II, in 1018. That same year, he was murdered at Cadiz while fleeing from a battle in which he had been deserted by the very supporters which had brought him into power...
- the Umayyad claimant.- The Taifa of the Algarve becomes independent.
- 1021 - Abd-ar-Rahman IV becomes Umayyad Caliph of Córdoba.
- Yahya, the son of Ali ibn Hammud al-NasirAli ibn Hammud al-NasirAli ibn Hammud al-Nasir was the sixth Caliph of Córdoba from 1016 until his death. Of Berber origin, he was a member of the Hammudid dynasty of the Al-Andalus .-Biography:...
, rebels in MálagaMálagaMálaga is a city and a municipality in the Autonomous Community of Andalusia, Spain. With a population of 568,507 in 2010, it is the second most populous city of Andalusia and the sixth largest in Spain. This is the southernmost large city in Europe...
with the support of the Berbers.
- Yahya, the son of Ali ibn Hammud al-Nasir
- 1022 - Abd-ar-Rahman V becomes Umayyad Caliph of Córdoba with the support of Berber troops.
- The Taifa (independent Moorish kingdom) of Lisbon emerges. It will be annexed by the Taifa of Badajoz.
- 1023 - Muhammad III becomes Umayyad Caliph of Córdoba with the support of Berber troops.
- The AbbadidAbbadidThe Abbadi comprised an Arab Muslim Dynasty which arose in Al-Andalus on the downfall of the Caliphate of Cordoba . Abbadid rule lasted from about 1023 until 1091, but during the short period of its existence it exhibited singular energy and typified its time...
Emir of Seville, Abu al-Qasim Muhammad ibn AbbadAbu al-Qasim Muhammad ibn AbbadAbu al-Qasim Muhammad ibn Abbad was the founder and eponym of the Abbadid dynasty; he was the first independent Muslim ruler of Seville in Al-Andalus ,was deceased in 1042....
, declares independence from Muhammad III, Umayyad Caliph of Córdoba.
- The Abbadid
- 1025 - Abu al-Qasim Muhammad ibn Abbad, AbbadidAbbadidThe Abbadi comprised an Arab Muslim Dynasty which arose in Al-Andalus on the downfall of the Caliphate of Cordoba . Abbadid rule lasted from about 1023 until 1091, but during the short period of its existence it exhibited singular energy and typified its time...
Emir of Seville, captures two castles at Alafões to the north-west of Viseu. - 1027 - Hisham IIIHisham IIIHisham III was the last Umayyad ruler in the Al-Andalus , and the last person to hold the title Caliph of Cordoba....
becomes Umayyad Caliph of Córdoba. - 1028 - Alfonso V, king of AsturiasAsturiasThe Principality of Asturias is an autonomous community of the Kingdom of Spain, coextensive with the former Kingdom of Asturias in the Middle Ages...
and León, lays siege to Viseu but is killed by a bolt from the walls.- The Moorish Caliphate of CórdobaCaliphate of CórdobaThe Caliphate of Córdoba ruled the Iberian peninsula and part of North Africa, from the city of Córdoba, from 929 to 1031. This period was characterized by remarkable success in trade and culture; many of the masterpieces of Islamic Iberia were constructed in this period, including the famous...
falls.
- The Moorish Caliphate of Córdoba
Political fragmentation (1031-1130)
- 1031 - The Moorish Caliphate of Córdoba falls.
- Hisham IIIHisham IIIHisham III was the last Umayyad ruler in the Al-Andalus , and the last person to hold the title Caliph of Cordoba....
, the last of the Umayyad Caliphs disappears into obscurity.
- Hisham III
- 1033 - The Taifa (independent Moorish kingdom) of MértolaMértolaMértola is a municipality in southeastern Portugal next to the Spanish border. It has a total area of 1,292.87 km² and a total population of 8,712 inhabitants . In terms of land area, it is the sixth-largest municipality in Portugal. The resultant population density of 6.74 persons/km² is the...
becomes independent. - 1034 - The Leonese destroy a raiding force under Ismail ibn Abbad of Seville. Ismail ibn Abbad flees to Lisbon.
- Gonçalo Trastemires – a Portuguese frontiersman – captures MontemorMontemor-o-VelhoMontemor-o-Velho is a town and municipality of the Coimbra District, in Portugal. It has roughly 30,000 inhabitants.-Demographics:-Parishes:* Abrunheira* Arazede* Carapinheira* Ereira* Gatões* Liceia* Meãs do Campo* Montemor-o-Velho* Pereira...
castle on the Mondego river. - Over the next 28 years Ferdinand I of LeónFerdinand I of LeónFerdinand I , called the Great , was the Count of Castile from his uncle's death in 1029 and the King of León after defeating his brother-in-law in 1037. According to tradition, he was the first to have himself crowned Emperor of Spain , and his heirs carried on the tradition...
takes Coimbra and obliges the Muslims of Toledo, Seville, and Badajoz to pay him tribute. Before his death, he divides his territories between his sons: Castile goes to Sancho IISancho II of CastileSancho II , called the Strong, or in Spanish, el Fuerte, was King of Castile and León .He was the eldest son of Ferdinand I of Castile and Sancha of León, the eventual heiress to the Leonese crown...
, León to Alfonso VI of CastileAlfonso VI of CastileAlfonso VI , nicknamed the Brave or the Valiant, was King of León from 1065, King of Castile and de facto King of Galicia from 1072, and self-proclaimed "Emperor of all Spain". After the conquest of Toledo he was also self-proclaimed victoriosissimo rege in Toleto, et in Hispania et Gallecia...
and GaliciaKingdom of GaliciaThe Kingdom of Galicia was a political entity located in southwestern Europe, which at its territorial zenith occupied the entire northwest of the Iberian Peninsula. Founded by Suebic king Hermeric in the year 409, the Galician capital was established in Braga, being the first kingdom which...
to Garcia IIGarcía II of Galicia and PortugalGarcía II , King of Galicia and Portugal, was the youngest of the three sons and heirs of Ferdinand I, King of Castile and León, and Sancha of León, whose Leonese inheritance included the lands García would be given....
. - Bermudo III of LeónBermudo III of LeónBermudo III , king of León , son of Alfonso V of León by his wife Elvira Mendes, was the last scion of Peter of Cantabria to rule in the Leonese kingdom...
defeats the Moors in CésarCesar, PortugalCesar is a town in Portugal. Town status received 1990-07-13....
, in the AveiroAveiro (district)Aveiro District is located in the central coastal region of Portugal. The capital of the district is the city of Aveiro, which also serves as the seat of Aveiro Municipality and as the see of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Aveiro, created 1938....
region.
- Gonçalo Trastemires – a Portuguese frontiersman – captures Montemor
- 1038 - Granadine armies under the vizierVizierA vizier or in Arabic script ; ; sometimes spelled vazir, vizir, vasir, wazir, vesir, or vezir) is a high-ranking political advisor or minister in a Muslim government....
wage almost continuous war against their Muslim neighbours, primarily Seville. - 1040 - The Taifa of Silves becomes independent.
- 1043 - Zaragoza and Toledo fight over the border city of GuadalajaraGuadalajara, SpainGuadalajara is a city and municipality in the autonomous community of Castile-La Mancha, Spain, and in the natural region of La Alcarria. It is the capital of the province of Guadalajara. It is located roughly 60 km northeast of Madrid on the Henares River, and has a population of 83,789...
. Toledo pays the Navarrese to raid into Zaragoza; similarly, Zaragoza pays the León–Castilians to raid into Toledo. The Christian armies ravage the respective Muslim lands unchecked.- Rodrigo Diaz VivarEl CidRodrigo Díaz de Vivar , known as El Cid Campeador , was a Castilian nobleman, military leader, and diplomat...
, whom the Muslims would name "El Cid Campeador" (Lord Winner of Battles) is born in BurgosBurgosBurgos is a city of northern Spain, historic capital of Castile. It is situated at the edge of the central plateau, with about 178,966 inhabitants in the city proper and another 20,000 in its suburbs. It is the capital of the province of Burgos, in the autonomous community of Castile and León...
.
- Rodrigo Diaz Vivar
- 1044 - Abbad III al-Mu'tamid, son of the AbbadidAbbadidThe Abbadi comprised an Arab Muslim Dynasty which arose in Al-Andalus on the downfall of the Caliphate of Cordoba . Abbadid rule lasted from about 1023 until 1091, but during the short period of its existence it exhibited singular energy and typified its time...
Emir of Seville Abbad II al-Mu'tadidAbbad II al-Mu'tadidAbbad II al-Mu'tadid was second ruler of Seville in Al-Andalus, a member of the Abbadid dynasty....
, retakes MértolaMértolaMértola is a municipality in southeastern Portugal next to the Spanish border. It has a total area of 1,292.87 km² and a total population of 8,712 inhabitants . In terms of land area, it is the sixth-largest municipality in Portugal. The resultant population density of 6.74 persons/km² is the...
, since 1033 an independent Taifa. - 1051 - Yusuf ibn Hud, the Banu HudBanu HudThe Banu Hud were an Arab dynasty that ruled the taifa of Zaragoza from 1039-1110. In 1039, under the leadership of Al-Mustain I, Sulayman ibn Hud al-Judhami, the Bani Hud seized control of Zaragoza from a rival clan, the Banu Tujibi...
Emir of LleidaLleidaLleida is a city in the west of Catalonia, Spain. It is the capital city of the province of Lleida, as well as the largest city in the province and it had 137,387 inhabitants , including the contiguous municipalities of Raimat and Sucs. The metro area has about 250,000 inhabitants...
, is paying the CatalansCataloniaCatalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
to protect against his own family in Zaragoza.- The Taifa of the Algarve is annexed by the Taifa of Seville.
- 1053 - Emir Al-Mutadid of Seville drives Berbers from Arcos, Morón and Ronda.
- 1054 - Battle of AtapuercaBattle of AtapuercaThe Battle of Atapuerca was fought in 1 September 1054 at the site of Piedrahita in the valley of Atapuerca between brothers King García Sánchez III, El de Nájera, of Navarre and King Ferdinand I, the Great, of Castile and León....
. The army of Ferdinand I of Castile defeats that of his brother García IV of Navarra, near BurgosBurgosBurgos is a city of northern Spain, historic capital of Castile. It is situated at the edge of the central plateau, with about 178,966 inhabitants in the city proper and another 20,000 in its suburbs. It is the capital of the province of Burgos, in the autonomous community of Castile and León...
. Several disaffected Navarrese knights join the Castilians before the battle and one of these men is believed to have killed Garcia. Garcia's son Sancho is proclaimed King on the field of battle and the war continues. - 1055 - Emir Al-Mutadid of Seville drives Berbers from AlgecirasAlgecirasAlgeciras is a port city in the south of Spain, and is the largest city on the Bay of Gibraltar . Port of Algeciras is one of the largest ports in Europe and in the world in three categories: container,...
. - 1056 - The AlmoravidsAlmoravidsThe Almoravids were a Berber dynasty of Morocco, who formed an empire in the 11th-century that stretched over the western Maghreb and Al-Andalus. Their capital was Marrakesh, a city which they founded in 1062 C.E...
(al-Murabitun) Dynasty begins its rise to power. This Berber dynasty who would rule North Africa and Islamic Iberia until 1147. - 1057 - Emir Al-Mutadid of Seville drives Almoravids from CarmonaCarmona, SpainCarmona is a town of south-western Spain, in the province of Seville; 33 km north-east of Seville.Carmona is built on a ridge overlooking the central plain of Andalusia, to the north is the Sierra Morena, to the south is the of peak of San Cristobal. The city is known for its thriving trade...
.- Ferdinand I of Castile-LeónFerdinand I of LeónFerdinand I , called the Great , was the Count of Castile from his uncle's death in 1029 and the King of León after defeating his brother-in-law in 1037. According to tradition, he was the first to have himself crowned Emperor of Spain , and his heirs carried on the tradition...
takes LamegoLamegoLamego is a municipality in northern Portugal, with a population of 27,054 inhabitants Lamego is a municipality in northern Portugal, with a population of 27,054 inhabitants Lamego is a municipality in northern Portugal, with a population of 27,054 inhabitants (the catchment of the city of...
from the Moors.
- Ferdinand I of Castile-León
- 1058- Emir Al-Muzaffar al-Aftas (Abu Bekr Muhammad al-Mudaffar - Modafar I of Badajoz, Aftid Dynasty) pays the Christians to leave Badajoz, but not before Ferdinand I of Castile-LeónFerdinand I of LeónFerdinand I , called the Great , was the Count of Castile from his uncle's death in 1029 and the King of León after defeating his brother-in-law in 1037. According to tradition, he was the first to have himself crowned Emperor of Spain , and his heirs carried on the tradition...
takes Viseu. - 1060–1063 - Council (Ecumenical SynodSynodA synod historically is a council of a church, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. In modern usage, the word often refers to the governing body of a particular church, whether its members are meeting or not...
) of Santiago de CompostelaSantiago de CompostelaSantiago de Compostela is the capital of the autonomous community of Galicia, Spain.The city's Cathedral is the destination today, as it has been throughout history, of the important 9th century medieval pilgrimage route, the Way of St. James...
. - 1060 - The heretic BerghouataBerghouataThe Barghawata were a medieval Berber tribe confederation of the Atlantic coast of Morocco, belonging to the Masmuda group of tribes...
Berbers set up a Taifa in CeutaCeutaCeuta is an autonomous city of Spain and an exclave located on the north coast of North Africa surrounded by Morocco. Separated from the Iberian peninsula by the Strait of Gibraltar, Ceuta lies on the border of the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Ceuta along with the other Spanish...
, but are eventually crushed by the Almoravids.- Ferdinand I of LeónFerdinand I of LeónFerdinand I , called the Great , was the Count of Castile from his uncle's death in 1029 and the King of León after defeating his brother-in-law in 1037. According to tradition, he was the first to have himself crowned Emperor of Spain , and his heirs carried on the tradition...
imposes an annual tribute on Muslim Zaragoza. Emir Al-Muktadir ibn Hud of Zaragoza drives Slavs from TortosaTortosa-External links:* *** * * *...
when the Tortosans rise against their Slav ruler.
- Ferdinand I of León
- 1062 - Ferdinand I of Castile and LeónFerdinand I of LeónFerdinand I , called the Great , was the Count of Castile from his uncle's death in 1029 and the King of León after defeating his brother-in-law in 1037. According to tradition, he was the first to have himself crowned Emperor of Spain , and his heirs carried on the tradition...
invades Muslim Toledo with a large army. Emir Al-Mamun becomes a tributary of Castile. Ferdinand then invades Muslim Badajoz, and extracts tribute from Emir Al-Mutadid of Seville. - 1063 - Battle of GrausBattle of GrausThe Battle of Graus was a battle of the Reconquista, traditionally said to have taken place on 8 May 1063. Antonio Ubieto Arteta, in his Historia de Aragón, re-dated the battle to 1069. The late twelfth-century Chronica naierensis dates the encounter to 1070...
. During spring, Ramiro I of AragonRamiro I of AragonRamiro I was de facto the first King of Aragon from 1035 until his death. Apparently born before 1007, he was the illegitimate son of Sancho III of Navarre by his mistress Sancha de Aybar...
besieges Muslim Graus in Zaragozan territory. The Emir al-MuqtadirAl-MuqtadirAl-Muqtadir was the Abbasid Caliph in Baghdad from 908 AD to 932 AD .After the previous Caliph, al-Muktafi, was confined for several months to his sick-bed, intrigue was made for some time as to his successor...
of Zaragoza leads his army north accompanied by a Castilian contingent under Prince Sancho (the future Sancho II). Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar later known as El Cid is probably in the Castilian contingent. The opposing armies meet and after a protracted struggle Ramiro I is killed and the Aragonese flee (8 May 1063). Pope Alexander II sends an international force to Spain under his standard bearer William of Montreuil. It includes Italian knights, Normans (Robert Crespin, Baron of Lower Normandy), Frenchmen (William, Count of PoitiersPoitiersPoitiers is a city on the Clain river in west central France. It is a commune and the capital of the Vienne department and of the Poitou-Charentes region. The centre is picturesque and its streets are interesting for predominant remains of historical architecture, especially from the Romanesque...
and Duke of AquitaineAquitaineAquitaine , archaic Guyenne/Guienne , is one of the 27 regions of France, in the south-western part of metropolitan France, along the Atlantic Ocean and the Pyrenees mountain range on the border with Spain. It comprises the 5 departments of Dordogne, :Lot et Garonne, :Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Landes...
), and Iberians (Bishop of VicVicVic is the capital of the comarca of Osona, in the Barcelona Province, Catalonia, Spain. Vic's location, only 69 km far from Barcelona and 60 km from Girona, has made it one of the most important towns in central Catalonia.-History:...
; Count Ermengol II of Urgel). At the start of July the expedition besieges BarbastroBarbastroBarbastro is a city in the Somontano county, province of Huesca, Spain...
in the Muslim Kingdom of LleidaLleidaLleida is a city in the west of Catalonia, Spain. It is the capital city of the province of Lleida, as well as the largest city in the province and it had 137,387 inhabitants , including the contiguous municipalities of Raimat and Sucs. The metro area has about 250,000 inhabitants...
. The Emir of Lleida (the brother of Muktadir of Zaragoza) makes no attempt to relieve the siege and after 40 days the defenders are forced to surrender when a large stone falls from the walls and blocks the only water supply. 50,000 inhabitants are massacred or enslaved. Count Ermengol II of Urgel is left as governor on behalf of Sancho Ramirez of Aragon. Seville feels obliged to pay Christians tribute.- The Taifa of Seville annexes the Taifa of Silves.
- 1064 - Ferdinand I of León-CastileFerdinand I of LeónFerdinand I , called the Great , was the Count of Castile from his uncle's death in 1029 and the King of León after defeating his brother-in-law in 1037. According to tradition, he was the first to have himself crowned Emperor of Spain , and his heirs carried on the tradition...
besieges Muslim Coimbra from 20 January 1064 until 9 July 1064. The Muslim governor who surrendered is allowed to leave with his family, but 5,000 inhabitants are taken captive, and all Muslims are forced out of Portuguese territory across the Mondego river.- The MozarabicMozarabic languageMozarabic was a continuum of closely related Romance dialects spoken in Muslim-dominated areas of the Iberian Peninsula during the early stages of the Romance languages' development in Iberia. Mozarabic descends from Late Latin and early Romance dialects spoken in the Iberian Peninsula from the 5th...
(Christian) general Sisnando DavidesSisnando DavidesSisnando Davides was a Mozarab nobleman and military leader of the Reconquista, born in Tentúgal, near Coimbra...
, who led the siege of Coimbra, becomes Count of Coimbra. - The Hispanic calendar is adopted.
- The Mozarabic
- 1065 - Civil War in Castile-León. In April Emir Al-MuqtadirAl-MuqtadirAl-Muqtadir was the Abbasid Caliph in Baghdad from 908 AD to 932 AD .After the previous Caliph, al-Muktafi, was confined for several months to his sick-bed, intrigue was made for some time as to his successor...
of Zaragoza, aided by 500 Sevillian knights, besieges BarbastroBarbastroBarbastro is a city in the Somontano county, province of Huesca, Spain...
. The governor, Count Ermengol II of Urgel, is killed in a sortie, and a few days later the city falls, whereupon the Iberian and French garrison is put to the sword, thus bringing an end to Pope Alexander IIPope Alexander IIPope Alexander II , born Anselmo da Baggio, was Pope from 1061 to 1073.He was born in Milan. As bishop of Lucca he had been an energetic coadjutor with Hildebrand of Sovana in endeavouring to suppress simony, and to enforce the celibacy of the clergy...
's prototype crusade. At around the same time Emir Al-MuqtadirAl-MuqtadirAl-Muqtadir was the Abbasid Caliph in Baghdad from 908 AD to 932 AD .After the previous Caliph, al-Muktafi, was confined for several months to his sick-bed, intrigue was made for some time as to his successor...
breaks off relationships with Castile, and Ferdinand I leads a punitive expeditionPunitive expeditionA punitive expedition is a military journey undertaken to punish a state or any group of persons outside the borders of the punishing state. It is usually undertaken in response to perceived disobedient or morally wrong behavior, but may be also be a covered revenge...
into Zaragoza - taking AlquezarAlquézarAlquézar is a municipality in the province of Huesca, in the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain. In 2004, it had a population of 309.Situated on a limestone outcrop of Eocene age to the west of the canyon of the Rio Vero river in the Sierra de Guara national park, the village has grown around a...
- and then into ValenciaKingdom of ValenciaThe Kingdom of Valencia , located in the eastern shore of the Iberian Peninsula, was one of the component realms of the Crown of Aragon. When the Crown of Aragon merged by dynastic union with the Crown of Castile to form the Kingdom of Spain, the Kingdom of Valencia became a component realm of the...
. Despite him being a tributary of Castile, Emir Mamun of Toledo leads to force in support of his son-in-law Emir Abd al-Malik. Mamun subsequently dethrones Abd al-Malik and incorporates Valencia into the Kingdom of ToledoKingdom of ToledoThe Kingdom of Toledo was the juridical definition of a Christian medieval kingdom in what is now central Spain, created after Alfonso VI of León's capture of Toledo in 1085.-Background:...
. Ferdinand falls dangerously ill and retires from the field. King Ferdinand dies in LeónLeón, SpainLeón is the capital of the province of León in the autonomous community of Castile and León, situated in the northwest of Spain. Its city population of 136,985 makes it the largest municipality in the province, accounting for more than one quarter of the province's population...
on 28 December 1065, and his empire is divided between his three sons: Sancho IISancho II of CastileSancho II , called the Strong, or in Spanish, el Fuerte, was King of Castile and León .He was the eldest son of Ferdinand I of Castile and Sancha of León, the eventual heiress to the Leonese crown...
in Castile, Alfonso VIAlfonso VI of CastileAlfonso VI , nicknamed the Brave or the Valiant, was King of León from 1065, King of Castile and de facto King of Galicia from 1072, and self-proclaimed "Emperor of all Spain". After the conquest of Toledo he was also self-proclaimed victoriosissimo rege in Toleto, et in Hispania et Gallecia...
in León, and GarciaGarcía II of Galicia and PortugalGarcía II , King of Galicia and Portugal, was the youngest of the three sons and heirs of Ferdinand I, King of Castile and León, and Sancha of León, whose Leonese inheritance included the lands García would be given....
in Galicia. - 1066 - Joseph ibn Naghrela, son of the Jewish Vizier Samuel ibn NaghrelaSamuel ibn NaghrelaSamuel ibn Naghrela , also known as Samuel HaNagid , , was a Talmudic scholar, grammarian, philologist, poet, warrior, and statesman, who lived in Iberia at the time of the Moorish rule....
Ha-Nagid, invites Al-MutasimBanu SumadihThe Banu Sumadih were an 11th century Islamic dynasty that ruled the Moorish Taifa of Almería in Al-Andalus.-Dynasty:...
of AlmeríaAlmería (province)-History:The rich customs and Fiestas of the denizens retain links deep into the past, unto the Moors, the Romans, the Greeks, and the Phoenicians.During the taifa era, it was ruled by the Moor Banu al-Amiri from 1012 to 1038, briefly annexed by Valencia , then given by Zaragoza to the Banu Sumadih...
to come and rule in Granada. The ZiridZiridThe Zirid dynasty were a Sanhadja Berber dynasty, originating in modern Algeria, initially on behalf of the Fatimids, for about two centuries, until weakened by the Banu Hilal and finally destroyed by the Almohads. Their capital was Kairouan...
s of SanhajaSanhajaThe Sanhaja or Senhaja were once one of the largest Berber tribal confederations of the Maghreb, along with the Zanata and Masmuda...
defeat the attempt and instigate a pogromPogromA pogrom is a form of violent riot, a mob attack directed against a minority group, and characterized by killings and destruction of their homes and properties, businesses, and religious centres...
of the Jews in Granada.- Joseph and other Jews in Granada are attacked and murdered; many escapees flee to the north. "More than 1,500 Jewish families, numbering 4,000 persons, fell in one day, December 30, 1066."
- 1067 - The Castilian army under Sancho II and the Alferez Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar – already known as El Cid by this time – besiege Zaragoza. The siege is lifted after Emir Al-MuqtadirAl-MuqtadirAl-Muqtadir was the Abbasid Caliph in Baghdad from 908 AD to 932 AD .After the previous Caliph, al-Muktafi, was confined for several months to his sick-bed, intrigue was made for some time as to his successor...
pays a large ransom and promises tribute. War of the three Sanchos: Castile versus Aragon and NavarreNavarreNavarre , officially the Chartered Community of Navarre is an autonomous community in northern Spain, bordering the Basque Country, La Rioja, and Aragon in Spain and Aquitaine in France...
. Aragon severely mauls the Castilians at VianaVianaViana is the name of some places:*Viana do Bolo, Galicia, Spain*Viana do Castelo, Portugal*Viana, Navarre, Spain*Viana, Maranhão, Brazil*Viana, Espírito Santo, Brazil*Viana, Angolaorganization...
, however status quo is restored when the Zaragozan Vali of Huesca invades Aragon from the south. - 1068 - Alfonso VI of León leads a campaign against Badajoz, but withdraws when Emir Mamun ibn Dhi-I-Nun of Toledo intercedes. Badajoz becomes tributary to León. Later the Emir of Badajoz dies and his two sons dispute the succession.
- 1069 - Alfonso VI of León overruns Badajoz early in the year. Seville takes Córdoba. The army consists of an advance guard of 300 horses and a main body of 1000.
- 1071 - Battle of PedrosoBattle of PedrosoThe Battle of Pedroso was fought in January, 1071 near present day Pedroso , Portugal.Forces under García II, the King of Galicia, defeated those under Nuno II Mendes, the last count of Portugal of the House of Vímara Peres. The battle resulted in the death of Nuno Mendes and Garcia II declaring...
(between BragaBragaBraga , a city in the Braga Municipality in northwestern Portugal, is the capital of the Braga District, the oldest archdiocese and the third major city of the country. Braga is the oldest Portuguese city and one of the oldest Christian cities in the World...
and the River CávadoCávado RiverThe Cávado River is a river located in north Portugal.It has its source in Serra do Larouco at 1520 meters. It runs 135 km from Gouveia to its mouth into the Atlantic Ocean next to the city of Esposende...
) where Garcia II of Galicia suppresses the rebellion of his Portuguese subjects under Count Nuno Mendes, last count of Portugal of the Vímara PeresVímara PeresVímara Peres, Count of Portugal was a Galician Christian duke of the 9th century in west Iberia. He was a vassal of the King of Asturias, Léon and Galicia, Alfonso III, and was sent to reconquer and secure from the Moors , in the west coastal fringe of Gallaecia, the area from the Minho River to...
House. Count Nuno Mendes is killed and Garcia II of Galicia proclaims himself King of Portugal. Sometime after 18 January 1071 and before May, Garcia II of Galicia is captured by his brother Sancho II of Castile (It is unclear if Garcia was captured in open battle at Santarém or by trickery). Garcia purchases his release and retires to the court of his tributary Al-Mutamid of Seville. Galicia is divided between his brothers Sancho and Alfonso. - 1073 - The Emir of Granada rejects the Castilian demand for tribute, however, Abbad III al-Mu'tamid, the Emir of Seville offers to pay instead. Consequently a joint Muslim-Castilian force builds the fortress of Belillos, from which the garrison raid into Granada.
- 1074 - Emir Al-Mutamid of Seville drives the Almoravids from JaénJaén, SpainJaén is a city in south-central Spain, the name is derived from the Arabic word Jayyan, . It is the capital of the province of Jaén. It is located in the autonomous community of Andalusia....
. - 1075 - Toledo takes Córdoba from Seville with the help of Castilian troops.
- 1076 - Emir Ahmad al-MuqtadirAl-MuqtadirAl-Muqtadir was the Abbasid Caliph in Baghdad from 908 AD to 932 AD .After the previous Caliph, al-Muktafi, was confined for several months to his sick-bed, intrigue was made for some time as to his successor...
drives SlavSlavic peoplesThe Slavic people are an Indo-European panethnicity living in Eastern Europe, Southeast Europe, North Asia and Central Asia. The term Slavic represents a broad ethno-linguistic group of people, who speak languages belonging to the Slavic language family and share, to varying degrees, certain...
s from DeniaDéniaDénia is a city in the province of Alicante, Spain, on the Costa Blanca halfway between Alicante and Valencia, the judicial seat of the comarca of Marina Alta...
. Ferdinand I of León-Castile besieges Muslims and takes CoriaCoriaCoria may refer to:People* Rodolfo Coria, Argentine paleontologist* Guillermo Coria, Argentine tennis playerPlacesCoria is a Brythonic equivalent of the Latin Curia and may be used as a place-name in Roman Britain and elsewhere:...
in Badajoz. After the Emir of Toledo dies, Seville takes Córdoba back from his son al-Qadir. - 1078 - Ibn Ammar acquires Murcia nominally on behalf of Seville but in reality as his own. Seville takes Valencia from Toledo. As a result Al-Qadir of Toledo is forced from the city by a coup and his opponents acknowledge al-Mutawwakil of Badajoz as their new ruler. The Almoravids take TangierTangierTangier, also Tangiers is a city in northern Morocco with a population of about 700,000 . It lies on the North African coast at the western entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar where the Mediterranean meets the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Spartel...
. CeutaCeutaCeuta is an autonomous city of Spain and an exclave located on the north coast of North Africa surrounded by Morocco. Separated from the Iberian peninsula by the Strait of Gibraltar, Ceuta lies on the border of the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Ceuta along with the other Spanish...
hangs on as the last Zanata outpost because its fleet can supply it from sea. - 1079 - Battle of CabraBattle of CabraThe Battle of Cabra took place in 1079 in modern-day Spain. It resulted in a victory for El Cid who routed the combined armies of Emir Abd Allah of Granada and his ally García Ordóñez...
. Rodrigo Díaz, defeats the Emir Abd Allah of Granada, who was helped by the Castilian Count García Ordíñez. - Battle of CoriaCoriaCoria may refer to:People* Rodolfo Coria, Argentine paleontologist* Guillermo Coria, Argentine tennis playerPlacesCoria is a Brythonic equivalent of the Latin Curia and may be used as a place-name in Roman Britain and elsewhere:...
. Alfonso VI (already king of Castile and León) defeats the Muslim Emir of Badajoz, Al-Mutawwakkil. Al-Mutawwakkil renounces control of Toledo and al-Qadir is reinstated. A Leonese garrison is established at ZoritaZoritaZorita is a municipality located in the province of Cáceres, Extremadura, Spain. According to the 2006 census , the municipality has a population of 1768 inhabitants....
to the east of Toledo. - 1080 - Ibn AmmarIbn AmmarIbn Ammar 1031–1086) was a Muwallad poet from Silves.Ibn Ammar, descended from a Portuguese Muslim family, became Grand Vizier of the taifa of Seville. Though he was poor and unknown, his skill in poetry brought him the friendship of the young Abbad III al-Mu'tamid, who named him prime...
forced to flee Murcia. - 1081 - El Cid, now a mercenary because he had been exiled by Alfonso IV of Castile, enters the service of the Moorish king of the northeast Spanish city of Zaragosa, al-Mu'tamin, and would remain there for his successor, al-Mu'tamin II.
- 1082 - Battle of AlmenarAlmenarAlmenar is a municipality in the comarca of the Segrià in Catalonia, Spain.The Battle of Almenar, one of the main battles of the War of the Spanish Succession, was fought in the hills close to this town on 27 July 1710.- Demography :-External links :...
. Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, leading the army of Al-Mutamin of Zaragoza, defeats a combined army of the kings of Valencia (Al-Mundhir), LleidaLleidaLleida is a city in the west of Catalonia, Spain. It is the capital city of the province of Lleida, as well as the largest city in the province and it had 137,387 inhabitants , including the contiguous municipalities of Raimat and Sucs. The metro area has about 250,000 inhabitants...
(Al-Hayib), Aragon (Sancho Ramírez), and the Count of Barcelona (Berenguer Ramón II, who is captured). When Emir Al-Mutamid of Seville pays his tribute in debased coinage, Alfonso of León-Castile leads an expedition in Muslim territory. - 1083 - In June–July Almoravids take CeutaCeutaCeuta is an autonomous city of Spain and an exclave located on the north coast of North Africa surrounded by Morocco. Separated from the Iberian peninsula by the Strait of Gibraltar, Ceuta lies on the border of the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Ceuta along with the other Spanish...
- the last outpost of the Zanata - and put to death the ruler, al-Muizz ibn Suqut. Ships from Seville may have aided the attack. The same summer Alfonso of León-Castile reaches TarifaTarifaTarifa is a small town in the province of Cádiz, Andalusia, on the southernmost coast of Spain. The town is located on the Costa de la Luz and across the Straits of Gibraltar facing Morocco. The municipality includes Punta de Tarifa, the southernmost point in continental Europe. There are five...
overlooking the Straits of Gibraltar. Castile under Alfonso VI of Castile takes Madrid. - 1084 - The Muslim army of Zaragoza under El Cid defeats the Aragonese. In autumn the Castilians start a loose siege of Toledo.
- 1085 - Christians take SalamancaSalamancaSalamanca is a city in western Spain, in the community of Castile and León. Because it is known for its beautiful buildings and urban environment, the Old City was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988. It is the most important university city in Spain and is known for its contributions to...
.- Castile under Alfonso VI of Castile, Emperor of all Spains, takes Toledo.
- 1086 - Several Muslim Emirs (namely Abbad III al-Mu'tamid) ask the Almoravid leader Yusuf ibn TashfinYusuf ibn TashfinYusef ibn Tashfin also, Tashafin, or Teshufin; or Yusuf; was a king of the Almoravid empire, he founded the city of Marrakech and led the Muslim forces in the Battle of Zallaqa....
for help against Alfonso VI of Castile. In this year Yusuf ibn Tashfin passed the straits to AlgecirasAlgecirasAlgeciras is a port city in the south of Spain, and is the largest city on the Bay of Gibraltar . Port of Algeciras is one of the largest ports in Europe and in the world in three categories: container,...
and inflicted a severe defeat on the Christians at the Battle of az-Zallaqah (North of Badajoz). He was debarred from following up his victory by trouble in North Africa which he had to settle in person.- Raymond of BurgundyRaymond of BurgundyRaymond of Burgundy was the fourth son of William I, Count of Burgundy, and was Count of Amous. He came to the Iberian Peninsula for the first time during the period 1086–1087 with Odo I, Duke of Burgundy...
, son of William I, Count of BurgundyWilliam I, Count of BurgundyWilliam I , called the Great , was Count of Burgundy and Mâcon from 1057 to 1087. He was a son of Renaud I and Alice of Normandy, daughter of Richard II, Duke of Normandy...
, comes to Iberia for the 1st time to fight against the Moors, bringing with him his younger cousin Henry of BurgundyHenry, Count of PortugalHenry of Burgundy, Count of Portugal was Count of Portugal from 1093 to his death. He was brother of Hugh I, Duke of Burgundy, and Odo I, Duke of Burgundy, all sons of Henry, the heir of Robert I, Duke of Burgundy. His name is Henri in modern French, Henricus in Latin, Enrique in modern Spanish...
, grandson of Robert I, Duke of BurgundyRobert I, Duke of BurgundyRobert I Capet or Robert I of Burgundy, known as Robert the Old was duke of Burgundy between 1032 to his death...
. - In spring the Castilians besiege Zaragoza, but the siege is called off when the Almoravids land in the south. In June the Almoravids advance guard of 500 men take possession of AlgecirasAlgecirasAlgeciras is a port city in the south of Spain, and is the largest city on the Bay of Gibraltar . Port of Algeciras is one of the largest ports in Europe and in the world in three categories: container,...
. The remaining 12–20,000 soon follow. Castilians under Alvar Fañez install al-Qadir as Emir of Valencia. - Almoravids, rampage through parts of Iberia, especially Granada and Lucena. There are persecutions and massacres. The wealthier Jews flee to Christian-held Iberia.
- The Christian advance obliges the Muslim kings of Granada, Seville and Badajoz to call to their aid the Almoravids.
- Battle of az-Zallaqah: At SagrajasSagrajasThe Battle of Sagrajas , also called Zalaca or Zallaqa), was a battle between the Almoravid army led by general Yusuf ibn Tashfin and a Christian army led by the Castilian King Alfonso VI...
(Friday 23 October 1086) north-east of Badajoz, the Almoravids (12,000 or 20,000 men) under Yusuf ibn Tashfin and Andalusians (including Kings of Seville, Granada, MálagaMálagaMálaga is a city and a municipality in the Autonomous Community of Andalusia, Spain. With a population of 568,507 in 2010, it is the second most populous city of Andalusia and the sixth largest in Spain. This is the southernmost large city in Europe...
, and Badajoz) defeat a predominantly Leonese-Castilian army (possibly 50-60,000 men including Jews, Aragonese, Italian and French) under Alfonso VI of Castile. The Andalusians encamp separately from the Almoravids. The Christian vanguard (Alvar Fañez) surprise the Andalusian camp before dawn; the men of Seville (Al-Mutamid) hold firm but the remaining Andalusians are chased off by the Aragonese cavalry. The Christian main body then attacks the Almoravids, but are held by the Lamtuma, and then withdraw to their own camp in response to an outflanking move by ibn Tashufin. The Aragonese return to the field, do not like what they see, and start a withdraw which turns to a rout. The Andalusians rally, and the Muslims drive Alfonso to a small hill. Alfonso and 500 knights escape in the night to Toledo. Al-Mutamid proposes that the Christians are pursued and crushed, but Ibn Tashufin retires back to his African domains leaving only 3,000 troops to defend the east of Al-Andalus. Al-Mutamid and the Almoravid generals Sir ibn Abi Bakr and Dawud ibn Aisha are reported to have fought well during the battle.
- Raymond of Burgundy
- 1087 - Alfonso VI of Castile takes the fortress of AledoAledo, MurciaAledo is a municipality in the Region of Murcia, southern Spain.It is home to a castle built in the early Middle Ages by the Moors, to command the Guadalentín valley. When the Taifa of Murcia was conquered by the Kingdom of Castile, it was assigned to the Order of Santiago, which renovated it and...
in the territory of Murcia, blocking the route from Seville and Granada to the eastern provinces.- After his crushing defeat at Zallaqa, Alfonso VI of Castile swallows his pride and recalls El Cid from exile.
- 1088 - Yusuf ibn Tashfin arrives back in AlgecirasAlgecirasAlgeciras is a port city in the south of Spain, and is the largest city on the Bay of Gibraltar . Port of Algeciras is one of the largest ports in Europe and in the world in three categories: container,...
(May–June) and is joined by al-Mutamid of Seville and Abd Allah of Granada, plus support from AlmeríaAlmeríaAlmería is a city in Andalusia, Spain, on the Mediterranean Sea. It is the capital of the province of the same name.-Toponym:Tradition says that the name Almería stems from the Arabic المرية Al-Mariyya: "The Mirror", comparing it to "The Mirror of the Sea"...
and Murcia (but not the Emirs). The combined army besieges AledoAledo, MurciaAledo is a municipality in the Region of Murcia, southern Spain.It is home to a castle built in the early Middle Ages by the Moors, to command the Guadalentín valley. When the Taifa of Murcia was conquered by the Kingdom of Castile, it was assigned to the Order of Santiago, which renovated it and...
for 4 months, but Yusuf ibn Tashfin returns to Africa unsuccessful. - 1090 - Yusuf ibn Tashfin returns to the Peninsula for the third time, takes over the kingdoms of Granada and MálagaMálagaMálaga is a city and a municipality in the Autonomous Community of Andalusia, Spain. With a population of 568,507 in 2010, it is the second most populous city of Andalusia and the sixth largest in Spain. This is the southernmost large city in Europe...
in September and is back in Africa by the end of the year. However, this time his nephew Sir ibn Abi Bakr is left to continue the conquest. Between 30 April 1090 and 8 May 1090, Christian troops enter Santarém, Lisbon and SintraSintraSintra is a town within the municipality of Sintra in the Grande Lisboa subregion of Portugal. Owing to its 19th century Romantic architecture and landscapes, becoming a major tourist centre, visited by many day-trippers who travel from the urbanized suburbs and capital of Lisbon.In addition to...
. These were recently ceded by the Al-Mutawwakil of Badajoz in return for protection from the Almoravids.- Yusuf ibn Tashfin, King of the Almoravids, captures Granada.
- 1091 The Almoravids led by Muhammad ibn al-Hajj take Córdoba and the GuadalquivirGuadalquivirThe Guadalquivir is the fifth longest river in the Iberian peninsula and the second longest river to be its whole length in Spain. The Guadalquivir is 657 kilometers long and drains an area of about 58,000 square kilometers...
valley early in the year, and then defeat a Castilian force under Alva Fañez who were attempting to aid Al-Mutamid of Seville. In September Seville surrenders without much of a fight to Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr. Subsequently other Almoravids armies take Aledo and Almería. Ronda also falls and the Almoravid commander Garur executes al-Radi (the son al-Mutamid of Seville).- The Taifa of MértolaMértolaMértola is a municipality in southeastern Portugal next to the Spanish border. It has a total area of 1,292.87 km² and a total population of 8,712 inhabitants . In terms of land area, it is the sixth-largest municipality in Portugal. The resultant population density of 6.74 persons/km² is the...
falls to the Almoravids.
- The Taifa of Mértola
- 1092 - With El Cid away in Zaragoza, the Valencians under the qadi Ibn Jahhaf and supported by a small Almoravid force, drive the Castilian garrison out and execute their Emir al-Qadir. Ibn Jahhaf promptly sets himself up at Emir and starts negotiating with both El Cid and the Almoravids.
- Toledo falls to the ReconquistaReconquistaThe Reconquista was a period of almost 800 years in the Middle Ages during which several Christian kingdoms succeeded in retaking the Muslim-controlled areas of the Iberian Peninsula broadly known as Al-Andalus...
and will remain in Christian hands thereafter
- Toledo falls to the Reconquista
- 1093 - An Almoravid army (Abu Bakr ibn Ibrahiim) approaches Valencia but then retreats without striking a blow.
- Almoravid Sir ibn Abi Bakr takes Badajoz and Lisbon. Fall of the Taifa of Badajoz.
- El Cid captures Valencia from the Moors, carving out his own kingdom along the Mediterranean that is only nominally subservient to Alfonso VI of Castile. Valencia would be both Christian and Muslim, with adherents of both religions serving in his army.
- The Almoravids from MoroccoMoroccoMorocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
land near Cuarte and lay siege to Valencia with 50,000 men. El Cid, however, breaks the siege and forces the Almoravids to flee – the first Christian victory against the hard-fighting Africans.
- 1095 - The Almoravids take Santarém.
- 1097 - El Cid defeats Almoravid (Ali ibn al-Hajj) at Bairen south of Valencia.
- Almoravid (Muhammad ibn al-Hajj) defeat Castilians (Alfonso VI) at Consuegra. El Cid's son, Diego, is one of the dead.
- Almoravid (Muhammad ibn Aisha) defeat Castilians (Alva Fañez) at CuencaCuenca, Spain-History:When the Iberian peninsula was part of the Roman Empire there were several important settlements in the province, such as Segóbriga, Ercávica and Gran Valeria...
before ravaging the lands of Valencia. - Yusuf ibn Tashfin assumes the title of Amir al Muslimin (Prince of the Muslims).
- 1099 - The Almoravids besiege El Cid's Valencia, where he dies on 10 July 1099.
- 1100 MolinaMolinaMolina is a Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian surname. It can possibly refer to:-A:*Alfonso Quiñónez Molina , President of El Salvador twice 1918–1927*Alfred Molina , English actor...
falls to the Reconquista and will remain in Christian hands thereafter - 1102- The followers of El Cid leave Valencia and the Muslims occupy the Peninsula as far as Zaragoza.
- Main Muslim mosque in Toledo converted to a church, Muslim population is sparse.
- Christians evacuate Valencia in April–May. Almoravid (Mazdali, presumably ibn Tilankan; Muhammad ibn Fatima) occupy the city. Of the Taifa states only Zaragoza, Majorca, and AlbarracinAlbarracínAlbarracín is Spanish town, in the province of Teruel, part of the autonomous community of Aragon. According to the 2007 census , the municipality had a population of 1075 inhabitants...
remain independent.
- 1103 - Ali, the brother of the Almoravid governor of Granada, Muhammad ibn al-Hajj, is killed in battle with the Castilians near Talavera.
- 1105 - The AlmohadAlmohadThe Almohad Dynasty , was a Moroccan Berber-Muslim dynasty founded in the 12th century that established a Berber state in Tinmel in the Atlas Mountains in roughly 1120.The movement was started by Ibn Tumart in the Masmuda tribe, followed by Abd al-Mu'min al-Gumi between 1130 and his...
s, founded by Ibn TumartIbn TumartAbu Abd Allah Muhammad Ibn Tumart was a Berber religious Muslim scholar, teacher and later a political leader from the Masmuda tribe federation. He founded the Berber Almohad dynasty. He is also known as El-Mahdi in reference to his prophesied redeeming...
, began as a religious movement to rid Islam of impurities. Most specifically, the Almohads were opposed to anthropomorphismAnthropomorphismAnthropomorphism is any attribution of human characteristics to animals, non-living things, phenomena, material states, objects or abstract concepts, such as organizations, governments, spirits or deities. The term was coined in the mid 1700s...
s which had slipped into Iberian Islam. Ibn Tumart's successor, Abd al-Mu'minAbd al-Mu'minAbd al-Mu'min also known as Abdelmoumen El Goumi was a Zenata Berber prominent member of the Almohad movement. He became the first Caliph of the Almohad Empire .- Early life :...
, turned the movement against non-Muslims, specifically Jews and Christians. Sweeping across North Africa and into Muslim Iberia, the zealous Almohads initiate riots and persecutions of both Muslims and non-Muslims. In some towns Jews and Christians are given the choice of conversion, exile, or death. - 1106 - Yusuf ibn Tashfin dies and his son, Ali, takes over the Almoravid empire.
- 1108 - The Almoravids under Tamim ibn Yusuf ibn Tashfin, the brother of the ruler; another general is Muhammad ibn Fatima, the grandson of Sir ibn Abi Bakr, take the small town of UclésUclésUclés is a municipality located in the province of Cuenca, Castile-La Mancha, Spain. According to the 2004 census , the municipality has a population of 287 inhabitants....
to the east of Toledo, but a ridge top fortress holds out. Alfonso VI of Castile sends a relieving army under Alvar Fañez. The Almoravids decisively beat the Castilians and many leaders are killed, including Sancho, Alfonso's only son (by Zaïda, a Muslim princess) and heir. Subsequently, the Almoravids pretend to withdraw then launch a successful surprise attack on the castle. As a result the Christians abandon CuencaCuenca, Spain-History:When the Iberian peninsula was part of the Roman Empire there were several important settlements in the province, such as Segóbriga, Ercávica and Gran Valeria...
and HueteHueteHuete is a municipality in Cuenca, Castile-La Mancha, Spain. It has a population of 2,097....
.- Almoravid (Tamim ibn Yusuf ibn Tashfin) storm Talavera on the TagusTagusThe Tagus is the longest river on the Iberian Peninsula. It is long, in Spain, along the border between Portugal and Spain and in Portugal, where it empties into the Atlantic Ocean at Lisbon. It drains an area of . The Tagus is highly utilized for most of its course...
to the west of Toledo. The country to the north and south of Toledo is ravaged and the city unsuccessfully besieged for a month. Alvar Fañez leads the defence. Emir Ali ibn Yusuf ibn Tashfin joined this year's JihadJihadJihad , an Islamic term, is a religious duty of Muslims. In Arabic, the word jihād translates as a noun meaning "struggle". Jihad appears 41 times in the Quran and frequently in the idiomatic expression "striving in the way of God ". A person engaged in jihad is called a mujahid; the plural is...
but does not mention him in the actions.
- Almoravid (Tamim ibn Yusuf ibn Tashfin) storm Talavera on the Tagus
- 1110 - Al-Mustain of Zaragoza leads an expedition against the Christians, but is killed at ValtierraValtierraValtierra is a town and municipality located in the province and autonomous community of Navarre, northern Spain.-External links:*...
. His son, Imad al-Din, fails to establish his rule and the Almoravid (ibn al-Hajj) marches in (30 May 1110). - 1111 - Almoravids led by Sir ibn Abi Bakr occupy Lisbon and Santarém in the west. These cities were occupied by the Almoravids in 1094-95 this suggests a fluctuating border in Portugal.
- Henry, Count of PortugalHenry, Count of PortugalHenry of Burgundy, Count of Portugal was Count of Portugal from 1093 to his death. He was brother of Hugh I, Duke of Burgundy, and Odo I, Duke of Burgundy, all sons of Henry, the heir of Robert I, Duke of Burgundy. His name is Henri in modern French, Henricus in Latin, Enrique in modern Spanish...
grants city rights and privileges to Coimbra and captures Santarém to the Moors.
- Henry, Count of Portugal
- 1112 - By this time the Aragonese have taken HuescaHuescaHuesca is a city in north-eastern Spain, within the autonomous community of Aragon. It is also the capital of the Spanish province of the same name and the comarca of Hoya de Huesca....
. Almoravid (ibn al-Hajj) raids into Aragonese territory and reaches the foothills of the Pyrenees. - 1114 - A major Almoravid expedition (ibn al-Hajj from Zaragoza and Ibn Aisha of Valencia) raids into Catalonia. The army ravages Christian territory but is ambushed on its return and both Almoravid generals are killed. The Catalans under Count Ramon Berengar III take over the Balearic Islands upon the death of Emir Mubashir ibn Sulayman of Majorca.
- The Taifa of BejaBeja (Portugal)Beja is a city in the Beja Municipality in the Alentejo region, Portugal. The municipality has a total area of 1,147.1 km² and a total population of 34,970 inhabitants. The city proper has a population of 21,658....
and Évora becomes independent.
- The Taifa of Beja
- 1115 - The new Almoravid governor of Zaragoza, Abu Bakr ibn Ibrahim ibn Tifilwit, lays siege to Barcelona for 20 days. The Almoravids withdraw when Count Ramon Berengar III returns from Majorca. The Almoravid fleet takes the Balearic Islands. The Almoravid general and governor of Granada Mazdali ibn Tilankan dies in battle this year. He led expeditions against the Christians from 1111, so he might have led an expedition separate from those of Abu Bakr and the fleet. His son, Muhammad, governor of Córdoba, also dies in battle this year (against the Castilians), so it may have been the same expedition.
- 1117 - Almoravids under Emir Ali ibn YusufAli ibn YusufAli ibn Yusuf was the 5th Almoravid king he reigned 1106–1143.-Biography:Ali was recognized as the heir of his father Yusuf ibn Tashfin in 1102. He succeeded his father upon his death in 1106. Ali ruled from Morocco and appointed his brother Tamin ibn Yusuf as governor of Al-Andalus...
himself take Coimbra, but abandon the city after a few days. - 1118 - Alfonso I of Aragon takes Saragossa from the Muslims. Settlers in the reconquered no-man's lands of Castile are granted fueros, special rights.
- The Aragonese led Alfonso I the Battler seize Zaragoza and most of the central lands of the EbroEbroThe Ebro or Ebre is one of the most important rivers in the Iberian Peninsula. It is the biggest river by discharge volume in Spain.The Ebro flows through the following cities:*Reinosa in Cantabria.*Miranda de Ebro in Castile and León....
. The siege of Zaragoza lasts from 22 May 1118 to 18 December 1118. The garrison has 20 mangonels and is supported by a determined militia. As a result of a plea for help of 3 December the Almoravid governor of Valencia sends a relief force, but this is too small to help. LleidaLleidaLleida is a city in the west of Catalonia, Spain. It is the capital city of the province of Lleida, as well as the largest city in the province and it had 137,387 inhabitants , including the contiguous municipalities of Raimat and Sucs. The metro area has about 250,000 inhabitants...
only remains in Muslim hands because it is tributary to Barcelona. - Zaragoza falls to the Reconquista and will remain in Christian hands thereafter
- The Aragonese led Alfonso I the Battler seize Zaragoza and most of the central lands of the Ebro
- 1120 - Alfonso I of Aragon decisively defeats an Almoravid army including many Andalusian volunteers at Cutanda in summer.
- 1121 - The Aragonese take CalatayudCalatayudCalatayud is a city and municipality in the province of Zaragoza in Aragón, Spain lying on the river Jalón, in the midst of the Sistema Ibérico mountain range. It is the second-largest city in the province after the capital, Zaragoza, and the largest town in Aragón other than the three provincial...
. The Córdobans rebel against the Almoravids, and drive the governor and his troops from the city. The Emir Ali ibn Yusuf ibn Tashfin leads an army from Africa to suppress the rebellion. The Almoravids besiege the city, and persuade the Córdobans to lay down their arms. - 1122 -Aragonese take DarocaDarocaDaroca is a city and municipality in the province of Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain, situated to the south of the city of Zaragoza. It is the center of a judicial district....
. - 1125 - In September, Alfonso I of Aragon sets out south with an army of 4,000 knights. He travels down the east coat, bypasses the cities and ravages the countryside. He reaches GuadixGuadixGuadix, a city of southern Spain, in the province of Granada; on the left bank of the river Guadix, a sub-tributary of the Guadiana Menor, and on the Madrid-Valdepeñas-Almería railway...
unopposed in December. - 1126 - The Almoravids deport Christians to MoroccoMoroccoMorocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
.- Alfonso I of Aragon defeats the Almoravids at Arinzul near Lucena. After symbolically fishing at MotrilMotrilMotril is a town and municipality on the Mediterranean coast in the province of Granada, Spain.Motril is the second largest town in the province, with a population of 59,163 as of 2008...
on the south coast, Alfonso returns home undefeated.
- Alfonso I of Aragon defeats the Almoravids at Arinzul near Lucena. After symbolically fishing at Motril
- 1129 - Alfonso I of Aragon defeats an Almoravid army led by Ali ibn Majjuz, the governor of Seville deep inside Valencian territory. This is probably at CulleraCulleraCullera is a municipality in Valencia in the Valencian Community, Spain, situated in the Ribera Baixa comarca.-Geography:Cullera is situated at the mouth of the Júcar river, 40 kilometers from the capital of Valencia.-Neighborhoods and hamlets:...
or AlcaláAlcaláAlcalá is a Spanish placename originally from Arabic al-qal'a "القلعة", "the citadel or fortification", and may refer to:Places:*Alcala, Cagayan, a municipality in the Philippines*Alcala, Pangasinan, a municipality in the Philippines...
near Alcira.
Decline and submission to Christian rule (1130–1481)
- 1130 - Tashfin ibn Ali ibn YusufAli ibn YusufAli ibn Yusuf was the 5th Almoravid king he reigned 1106–1143.-Biography:Ali was recognized as the heir of his father Yusuf ibn Tashfin in 1102. He succeeded his father upon his death in 1106. Ali ruled from Morocco and appointed his brother Tamin ibn Yusuf as governor of Al-Andalus...
(the son of the Almoravid Emir) takes the castle of Aceca south of Toledo. The Almoravid (Governor of Valencia) defeat invading Aragonese and kill Gaston IV of BéarnGaston IV of BéarnGaston IV was viscount of Béarn from 1090 to 1131. He was called "le Croisé" due to his participation in the First Crusade....
of the First CrusadeFirst CrusadeThe First Crusade was a military expedition by Western Christianity to regain the Holy Lands taken in the Muslim conquest of the Levant, ultimately resulting in the recapture of Jerusalem...
. - 1133 - The Christian militia of Toledo reach the gates of Seville and kill the Almoravid governor (Abu Hafs Umar ibn Ali ibn al-Hajj). Further damage is averted by the intervention of Tashfin ibn Ali ibn Yusuf.
- 1134 - Almoravid (Tashfin ibn Ali ibn Yusuf) raids in the CaceresCáceres, SpainCáceres is the capital of the same name province, in the autonomous community of Extremadura, Spain. , its population was 91,131 inhabitants. The municipio has a land area of 1,750.33 km², and is the largest in geographical extension in Spain....
area.- Aragonese Alfonso I of Aragon besiege the small town of FragaFragaFraga is the major town of the comarca of Bajo Cinca in the province of Huesca, Aragon, Spain. It is located by the river Cinca.King Alfonso I of Aragon died at its walls in 1134 while trying to conquer it...
. An Almoravid relief army (Yahya ibn Ali ibn Ghaniya) defeats the overconfident Aragonese, and a sally of the garrisonGarrisonGarrison is the collective term for a body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it, but now often simply using it as a home base....
destroys the besiegers' camp. Alfonso I of Aragon is ambushed while raiding LleidaLleidaLleida is a city in the west of Catalonia, Spain. It is the capital city of the province of Lleida, as well as the largest city in the province and it had 137,387 inhabitants , including the contiguous municipalities of Raimat and Sucs. The metro area has about 250,000 inhabitants...
and is severely wounded and dies soon after.
- Aragonese Alfonso I of Aragon besiege the small town of Fraga
- 1135 - Birth of Rabbi Moses Ben Maimon (called "Rambam" or Moses MaimonidesMaimonidesMoses ben-Maimon, called Maimonides and also known as Mūsā ibn Maymūn in Arabic, or Rambam , was a preeminent medieval Jewish philosopher and one of the greatest Torah scholars and physicians of the Middle Ages...
). - 1136 - Almoravid (Yahya ibn Ali ibn Ghaniya; Sa`d ibn Mardanish) retakes MequinenzaMequinenzaMequinenza or Mequinensa is a town and municipality of the province of Zaragoza, in the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain. It is located by the confluence of the rivers Segre and Ebro.-History & Features:...
on the lower EbroEbroThe Ebro or Ebre is one of the most important rivers in the Iberian Peninsula. It is the biggest river by discharge volume in Spain.The Ebro flows through the following cities:*Reinosa in Cantabria.*Miranda de Ebro in Castile and León....
. - 1137 - Almoravid (Tashfin ibn Ali ibn Yusuf) defeat the Castilians near Alcazar de San JuanAlcázar de San JuanAlcázar de San Juan is a town and municipality in the province of Ciudad Real, part of the autonomous community of Castile-La Mancha, Spain...
and sack the castle at EscalonaEscalonaEscalona is a municipality located in the north part of the province of Toledo, which in turn is part of the autonomous community of Castile-La Mancha, Spain...
north of the TagusTagusThe Tagus is the longest river on the Iberian Peninsula. It is long, in Spain, along the border between Portugal and Spain and in Portugal, where it empties into the Atlantic Ocean at Lisbon. It drains an area of . The Tagus is highly utilized for most of its course...
.- Prince Afonso I of PortugalAfonso I of PortugalAfonso I or Dom Afonso Henriques , more commonly known as Afonso Henriques , nicknamed "the Conqueror" , "the Founder" or "the Great" by the Portuguese, and El-Bortukali and Ibn-Arrik by the Moors whom he fought, was the first King of Portugal...
tries and fails to take Lisbon from the Moors.
- Prince Afonso I of Portugal
- 1139 - Battle of OuriqueBattle of OuriqueThe Battle of Ourique saw the forces of Portuguese Prince Afonso Henriques defeat the Almoravid Moors led by Ali ibn Yusuf.-Background:...
between the Portuguese, led by Afonso I of Portugal, and the Almoravids, led by Ali ibn YusufAli ibn YusufAli ibn Yusuf was the 5th Almoravid king he reigned 1106–1143.-Biography:Ali was recognized as the heir of his father Yusuf ibn Tashfin in 1102. He succeeded his father upon his death in 1106. Ali ruled from Morocco and appointed his brother Tamin ibn Yusuf as governor of Al-Andalus...
. - 1140 - Poema del Mio Cid written.
- King Afonso I of Portugal tries and fails to take Lisbon from the Moors.
- 1144 - The Muridun ("Disciples") under Abul-Qasim Ahmad ibn al-Husayn al-Qasi rebel in the Algarve. Ibn al-Mundhir takes Silves in his name, and the governor of Beja, Sidray ibn Wazir, also supports him. Ibn al-Mundhir and Sidray ibn Wazir kill the garrison of Monchique castle, and 70 men take MértolaMértolaMértola is a municipality in southeastern Portugal next to the Spanish border. It has a total area of 1,292.87 km² and a total population of 8,712 inhabitants . In terms of land area, it is the sixth-largest municipality in Portugal. The resultant population density of 6.74 persons/km² is the...
by surprise (12 Aug). Soon after, the Andalusian governor of Niebla, Yusuf ibn Ahmad al-Bitruji declares for the Muridun. The Almoravid Yahya ibn Ali ibn Ghaniya drives the Muridun back from Seville, and afterwards Sidray ibn Wazir splits off from the other Muridun.- The Taifa of MértolaMértolaMértola is a municipality in southeastern Portugal next to the Spanish border. It has a total area of 1,292.87 km² and a total population of 8,712 inhabitants . In terms of land area, it is the sixth-largest municipality in Portugal. The resultant population density of 6.74 persons/km² is the...
and of Silves again become independent.
- The Taifa of Mértola
- 1145 - The Córdobans evict the Almoravid governor at the beginning of the year and raise up Hamdin ibn Huhammad ibn Hamdin as Emir. A Zaragozan adventurer in Castilian employ (Sayf al-Dawla ibn Hud al-Mustansir) briefly seizes power from ibn Hamdin in March but flees to the LevanteLevanteThis is a disambiguation page. Levante may refer to*Levant, the lands in the eastern Mediterranean, covering Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Iraq.*Levante, Spain, the eastern Iberian coastal region of Spain...
due to popular hostility. Ibn Hamdin returns to power but is soon dispossessed by the Almoravid (Yahya ibn Ali ibn Ghaniya). In March the Andalusian JundJunDTranscription factor jun-D is a protein that in humans is encoded by the JUND gene.-Interactions:JunD has been shown to interact with ATF3, MEN1, DNA damage-inducible transcript 3 and BRCA1....
in Valencia raise up the qadi Marwan ibn Abd al-Aziz as Emir. When he cannot pay them they replace him with their own leader Ibn Iyad.- Portugal retakes LeiriaLeiriaLeiria is a city in Leiria Municipality in the Centro Region, Portugal. It is the capital of Leiria District. The city proper has 50,200 inhabitants and the entire municipality has nearly 120,000...
from the Moors. - The Taifa of Badajoz again becomes independent and takes the Taifa of MértolaMértolaMértola is a municipality in southeastern Portugal next to the Spanish border. It has a total area of 1,292.87 km² and a total population of 8,712 inhabitants . In terms of land area, it is the sixth-largest municipality in Portugal. The resultant population density of 6.74 persons/km² is the...
.
- Portugal retakes Leiria
- 1146 - Al-Mustansir accepts the crowns of Valencia and Murcia from the hands of Ibn Iyad. The Christians defeat the Valencians (Al-Mustansir) near AlbaceteAlbaceteAlbacete is a city and municipality in southeastern Spain, 258 km southeast of Madrid, the capital of the province of Albacete in the autonomous community of Castile-La Mancha. The municipality had a population of c. 169,700 in 2009....
killing Al-MustansirAl-MustansirAl-Mustansir was the penultimate Abbasid Caliph in Baghdad from 1226 to 1242. He was the son of az-Zahir and the grandson of an-Nasir. His lasting contribution was the founding of the Mustansiriya Madrasah on the banks of the Tigris in 1233....
in the process. Ibn Iyad reassumes the title of Emir. Ibn Iyad dies in an obscure conflict and Muhammad ibn Sa`d ibn Mardanish becomes ruler.- The Taifa of MértolaMértolaMértola is a municipality in southeastern Portugal next to the Spanish border. It has a total area of 1,292.87 km² and a total population of 8,712 inhabitants . In terms of land area, it is the sixth-largest municipality in Portugal. The resultant population density of 6.74 persons/km² is the...
gains independence from Badajoz.
- The Taifa of Mértola
- 1147 - Alfonso VII of Castile takes CalatravaCalatrava la ViejaCalatrava la Vieja is a medieval site and original nucleus of the Order of Calatrava. It is now part of the Archaeological Parks of the Community of Castile-La Mancha. Situated at Carrión de Calatrava, Calatrava during the High Middle Ages was the only important city in the Guadiana River valley...
.- March - King Afonso I of Portugal takes the Taifa of Santarém in a surprise attack.
- Santarém falls to the Reconquista and will remain in Christian hands thereafter
- A international Christian coalition attacks Almería by land and sea. Alfonso VII of Castile and Sancho Ramirez of Navarre march overland taking AndujarAndújarAndújar is a Spanish municipality of 38,539 people in the province of Jaén, in Andalusia. The municipality is divided by the Guadalquivir River. The northern part of the municipality is where the Natural Park of the Sierra de Andújar is situated. To the south are agricultural fields and...
and BaezaBaezaBaeza is a town of approximately 16,200 inhabitants in Andalusia, Spain, in the province of Jaén, perched on a cliff in the Loma de Baeza, a mountain range between the river Guadalquivir on the south and its tributary the Guadalimar on the north. It is chiefly known today as having many of the...
en route. Ramon Berengar IV of Aragon-Catalonia and a GenoeseGenoaGenoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
naval contingent join them at Almería. There is no opposition from the Almoravid fleet. Almería falls on 17 Oct and is given to the Genoese. - A Crusaders'Second CrusadeThe Second Crusade was the second major crusade launched from Europe. The Second Crusade was started in response to the fall of the County of Edessa the previous year to the forces of Zengi. The county had been founded during the First Crusade by Baldwin of Boulogne in 1098...
fleet arrives at the Portuguese city of PortoPortoPorto , also known as Oporto in English, is the second largest city in Portugal and one of the major urban areas in the Iberian Peninsula. Its administrative limits include a population of 237,559 inhabitants distributed within 15 civil parishes...
, and are convinced to join King Afonso I of Portugal in the Siege of LisbonSiege of LisbonThe Siege of Lisbon, from July 1 to October 25, 1147, was the military action that brought the city of Lisbon under definitive Portuguese control and expelled its Moorish overlords. The Siege of Lisbon was one of the few Christian victories of the Second Crusade—it was "the only success of the...
, which falls after several months. Some Muslims are killed, and the city was thoroughly plundered by the Crusaders. - Lisbon falls to the Reconquista and will remain in Christian hands thereafter
- The towns of AlmadaAlmadaAlmada is a municipality in Portugal, covering an area of 70.2 km² located on the southern margin of the Tagus River. Its municipal population in 2008 was 164,844 inhabitants; the urbanized center had a population of 102,357.The seat is the city of Almada....
and PalmelaPalmelaPalmela is a town and a municipality in Portugal with a total area of and a total population of 58,222 inhabitants.The municipality is composed of 5 parishes, and is located in Setúbal District, about south of Lisbon.The municipal holiday is June 1....
, just south of Lisbon, are taken from the Moors by the Portuguese.
- 1148 - Almohads take Seville. Aragonese take TortosaTortosa-External links:* *** * * *...
. - 1149 - Aragonese take LleidaLleidaLleida is a city in the west of Catalonia, Spain. It is the capital city of the province of Lleida, as well as the largest city in the province and it had 137,387 inhabitants , including the contiguous municipalities of Raimat and Sucs. The metro area has about 250,000 inhabitants...
and FragaFragaFraga is the major town of the comarca of Bajo Cinca in the province of Huesca, Aragon, Spain. It is located by the river Cinca.King Alfonso I of Aragon died at its walls in 1134 while trying to conquer it...
.- A new Berber dynasty, the Almohads, led by Emir Abd al-Mu'min al-KumiAbd al-Mu'minAbd al-Mu'min also known as Abdelmoumen El Goumi was a Zenata Berber prominent member of the Almohad movement. He became the first Caliph of the Almohad Empire .- Early life :...
, takes North Africa from the Almoravids and soon invades the Iberian Peninsula.
- A new Berber dynasty, the Almohads, led by Emir Abd al-Mu'min al-Kumi
- 1150 - The Taifas of Badajoz and of BejaBeja (Portugal)Beja is a city in the Beja Municipality in the Alentejo region, Portugal. The municipality has a total area of 1,147.1 km² and a total population of 34,970 inhabitants. The city proper has a population of 21,658....
and Évora are taken by the Almohads. - 1151 - The Almohads, another more conservative African Muslim dynasty who have displaced the Almoravids, retake Almería. Jews and Mozárabes (Christians in Muslim lands) flee to the northern Christian kingdoms of Spain, or to Africa and the East, including Rambam.
- King Afonso I of Portugal tries and fails to take Alcácer do SalAlcácer do SalAlcácer do Sal is a municipality in Portugal, located in Setúbal District. It has a total area of and a total population of 13,624 inhabitants.-History :-Earliest settlement:...
from the Moors. - The Taifa of MértolaMértolaMértola is a municipality in southeastern Portugal next to the Spanish border. It has a total area of 1,292.87 km² and a total population of 8,712 inhabitants . In terms of land area, it is the sixth-largest municipality in Portugal. The resultant population density of 6.74 persons/km² is the...
is taken by the Almohads.
- King Afonso I of Portugal tries and fails to take Alcácer do Sal
- 1155 - Almohads take Granada from Almoravids.
- The Taifa of Silves is taken by the Almohads.
- 1157 - Almohads take Almería from Genoese.
- 1158 - King Afonso I of Portugal takes Alcácer do SalAlcácer do SalAlcácer do Sal is a municipality in Portugal, located in Setúbal District. It has a total area of and a total population of 13,624 inhabitants.-History :-Earliest settlement:...
from the Moors. - 1159 - Évora and BejaBeja (Portugal)Beja is a city in the Beja Municipality in the Alentejo region, Portugal. The municipality has a total area of 1,147.1 km² and a total population of 34,970 inhabitants. The city proper has a population of 21,658....
, in the southern province of Alentejo, are taken from the Moors by the Portuguese. - 1160 - MaimonidesMaimonidesMoses ben-Maimon, called Maimonides and also known as Mūsā ibn Maymūn in Arabic, or Rambam , was a preeminent medieval Jewish philosopher and one of the greatest Torah scholars and physicians of the Middle Ages...
and his family took refuge in FezFes, MoroccoFes or Fez is the second largest city of Morocco, after Casablanca, with a population of approximately 1 million . It is the capital of the Fès-Boulemane region....
in MoroccoMoroccoMorocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
, which had been spared by the Almohads. - 1161 - Évora, Beja and Alcácer do SalAlcácer do SalAlcácer do Sal is a municipality in Portugal, located in Setúbal District. It has a total area of and a total population of 13,624 inhabitants.-History :-Earliest settlement:...
are retaken by the Moors. - 1162 - King Afonso I of Portugal retakes Beja from the Moors.
- 1163 - The Almohad Caliph Abd al-Mu'min al-KumiAbd al-Mu'minAbd al-Mu'min also known as Abdelmoumen El Goumi was a Zenata Berber prominent member of the Almohad movement. He became the first Caliph of the Almohad Empire .- Early life :...
dies and is suceded by Abu Ya'qub Yusuf I. - 1165 - Faked conversionsReligious conversionReligious conversion is the adoption of a new religion that differs from the convert's previous religion. Changing from one denomination to another within the same religion is usually described as reaffiliation rather than conversion.People convert to a different religion for various reasons,...
become widespread with the accession of the sultanSultanSultan is a title with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", and "dictatorship", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who...
Abu Yakub. His son, Yakub Al-Mansur (1184–1199) imposes several restrictions upon the new converts. They could marry only among themselves and were forbidden to engage in large-scale trading, Doubting the sincerity of their conversion, in 1198, he also ordered them to wear a special degrading garb: a blue tunic one cubit long with ridiculously long wide sleeves. The converts were compelled to wear a blue skullcap which fell below their ears in the shape of a donkey's packsaddle, instead of the usual turbans. - 1165 - MaimonidesMaimonidesMoses ben-Maimon, called Maimonides and also known as Mūsā ibn Maymūn in Arabic, or Rambam , was a preeminent medieval Jewish philosopher and one of the greatest Torah scholars and physicians of the Middle Ages...
and his family leave FezFes, MoroccoFes or Fez is the second largest city of Morocco, after Casablanca, with a population of approximately 1 million . It is the capital of the Fès-Boulemane region....
.- The Portuguese armies, led by Geraldo the Fearless, retake Évora from the Moors.
- 1166 - The Portuguese armies take SerpaSerpaSerpa is a municipality in Portugal, in Alentejo Region, with a total area of 1104.0 km² and a total population of 16,178 inhabitants. The Guadiana River flows close to the town of Serpa....
and Moura (in Alentejo) from the Moors. - 1168 - Portuguese frontiersman Geraldo the Fearless goes into the territory of Badajoz.
- 1169 - King Afonso I of Portugal grants the Knights TemplarKnights TemplarThe Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon , commonly known as the Knights Templar, the Order of the Temple or simply as Templars, were among the most famous of the Western Christian military orders...
one third of all they take from the Moors in Alentejo.- Geraldo the Fearless seizes Badajoz from the Almohads.
- King Afonso I of Portugal is wounded by a fall from his horse in Badajoz, and is captured by the competing forces of King Ferdinand II of LeónFerdinand II of LeonFerdinand II was King of León and Galicia from 1157 to his death.-Life:Born in Toledo, Castile, he was the son of King Alfonso VII of León and Castile and of Berenguela, of the House of Barcelona. At his father's death, he received León and Galicia, while his brother Sancho received Castile and...
. As ransom King Afonso I was obliged to surrender almost all the conquests he had made in Galicia in the previous years, as well as Badajoz, that the Leonese gave back to the Almohads as a vassal territory.
- 1170 - The Almohads transfer their capital to Seville.
- 1171 - Almohad Muslims begin building the AlcázarAlcázarAn alcázar , alcácer or alcàsser is a type of castle in Spain and Portugal. The term derives from the Arabic word القصر meaning "fort, castle or palace"; and the Arabic word is derived from the Latin word, 'castrum', meaning an army camp or fort...
, their palace. - 1172 - Almohads capture Murcia. Almohads take over Valencia when ibn Mardanish dies.
- 1179 - Castile and Aragon agree on future partition of Al-Andalus.
- 1184 - The Portuguese defeat the Almohads at Santarém.
- Yusuf I, Almohad Caliph, dies and is succeeded by Abu Yusuf Ya'qub al-MansurYaqub, Almohad CaliphAbu Yusuf Ya'qub al-Mansur , also known as Moulay Yacoub, was the third Almohad AmirSucceeding his father, Abu Ya'qub Yusuf, Yaqub al-Mansur reigned from 1184 to 1199 with distinction. During his tenure, trade, architecture, philosophy and the sciences flourished, to say nothing of military...
.
- Yusuf I, Almohad Caliph, dies and is succeeded by Abu Yusuf Ya'qub al-Mansur
- 1190 - MaimonidesMaimonidesMoses ben-Maimon, called Maimonides and also known as Mūsā ibn Maymūn in Arabic, or Rambam , was a preeminent medieval Jewish philosopher and one of the greatest Torah scholars and physicians of the Middle Ages...
writes the Moreh Nebukhim, or Guide to the Perplexed, using rationalism to reconcile JudaismJudaismJudaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
with Aristotle's laws of nature, and Shloshah-Asar Ikkarim, the Thirteen Articles of Faith. - 1195 - The Almohads defeat the Castilians at Alarcos.
- 1199 - The Almohad Caliph Abu Yusuf Ya'qub al-Mansur dies and is succeeded by Muhammad an-NasirMuhammad an-NasirMuhammad an-Nasir was the Almohad caliph from 1198 until his death.- Biography :...
. - 1200 - Ibn Tumart's successor, Abd al-Mumin, turned the movement against non-Muslims, specifically Jews and Christians. Sweeping across North Africa and into Muslim Iberia, the zealous Almohads initiated riots and persecutions of Muslims and non-Muslims. In some towns Jews and Christians were given the choice of conversion, exile, or death.
- 1203 - The Almohads take Majorca from the Almoravid.
- 1205 - Death of MaimonidesMaimonidesMoses ben-Maimon, called Maimonides and also known as Mūsā ibn Maymūn in Arabic, or Rambam , was a preeminent medieval Jewish philosopher and one of the greatest Torah scholars and physicians of the Middle Ages...
in EgyptEgyptEgypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
. Birth of Chaiya bat Avraham Toledano. - 1212 - Battle of Las Navas de TolosaBattle of Las Navas de TolosaThe Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa, known in Arab history as the Battle of Al-Uqab , took place on 16 July 1212 and was an important turning point in the Reconquista and in the medieval history of Spain...
: Alfonso VIII of CastileAlfonso VIII of CastileAlfonso VIII , called the Noble or el de las Navas, was the King of Castile from 1158 to his death and King of Toledo. He is most remembered for his part in the Reconquista and the downfall of the Almohad Caliphate...
, Sancho VII of NavarreSancho VII of NavarreSancho VII Sánchez , called the Strong or the Prudent, was the King of Navarre from 1194 to his death...
, Pedro II of Aragon and Afonso II of PortugalAfonso II of PortugalAfonso II , or Affonso , Alfonso or Alphonso or Alphonsus , nicknamed "the Fat" , third king of Portugal, was born in Coimbra on 23 April 1185 and died on 25 March 1223 in the same city. He was the second but eldest surviving son of Sancho I of Portugal by his wife, Dulce, Infanta of Aragon...
, defeat Almohad (Caliph Muhammad an-NasirMuhammad an-NasirMuhammad an-Nasir was the Almohad caliph from 1198 until his death.- Biography :...
) at the Battle of Las Navas de TolosaBattle of Las Navas de TolosaThe Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa, known in Arab history as the Battle of Al-Uqab , took place on 16 July 1212 and was an important turning point in the Reconquista and in the medieval history of Spain...
. The Christians had 60-100,000 infantry and 10,000 cavalry, and had troops from Western EuropeWestern EuropeWestern Europe is a loose term for the collection of countries in the western most region of the European continents, though this definition is context-dependent and carries cultural and political connotations. One definition describes Western Europe as a geographic entity—the region lying in the...
, Castile, NavarreNavarreNavarre , officially the Chartered Community of Navarre is an autonomous community in northern Spain, bordering the Basque Country, La Rioja, and Aragon in Spain and Aquitaine in France...
, Aragon, León and Portugal, Military OrderMilitary orderA military order is a Christian society of knights that was founded for crusading, i.e. propagating or defending the faith , either in the Holy Land or against Islam or pagans in Europe...
s (Knights TemplarKnights TemplarThe Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon , commonly known as the Knights Templar, the Order of the Temple or simply as Templars, were among the most famous of the Western Christian military orders...
, Knights HospitallerKnights HospitallerThe Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta , also known as the Sovereign Military Order of Malta , Order of Malta or Knights of Malta, is a Roman Catholic lay religious order, traditionally of military, chivalrous, noble nature. It is the world's...
, SantiagoOrder of SantiagoThe Order of Santiago was founded in the 12th century, and owes its name to the national patron of Galicia and Spain, Santiago , under whose banner the Christians of Galicia and Asturias began in the 9th century to combat and drive back the Muslims of the Iberian Peninsula.-History:Santiago de...
, CavatravaOrder of CalatravaThe Order of Calatrava was the first military order founded in Castile, but the second to receive papal approval. The papal bull confirming the Order of Calatrava as a Militia was given by Pope Alexander III on September 26, 1164.-Origins and Foundation:...
), and urban militiaMilitiaThe term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
s.- After the defeat the Almohad empire goes into a serious decline in Spain and in North Africa.
- 1213 - Abu Ya'qub Yusuf IIYusuf II, Almohad CaliphYusuf II was Caliph of Morocco from 1213 until his death. Son of the previous caliph, Muhammad an-Nasir, Yusuf assumed the throne following his father's death, at the age of only sixteen years....
becomes Almohad Caliph. - 1217 - The Portuguese take the town of Alcácer do SalAlcácer do SalAlcácer do Sal is a municipality in Portugal, located in Setúbal District. It has a total area of and a total population of 13,624 inhabitants.-History :-Earliest settlement:...
from the Moors. - 1217-1252 - Fernando III, king of Castile and León, conquers Córdoba, Murcia, JaénJaén, SpainJaén is a city in south-central Spain, the name is derived from the Arabic word Jayyan, . It is the capital of the province of Jaén. It is located in the autonomous community of Andalusia....
, and Seville. Granada remains as the sole independent Muslim kingdom. - 1227 - DeniaDéniaDénia is a city in the province of Alicante, Spain, on the Costa Blanca halfway between Alicante and Valencia, the judicial seat of the comarca of Marina Alta...
falls to the Reconquista and will remain in Christian hands thereafter.- The Muslim governor of Murcia, Ibn HudIbn HudAbu Abd ‘Allah Muhammad ibn Yusuf ibn Hud al-Yazamí , commonly known as Ibn Hud, was a taifa emir of Andalusia from 1228 to 1237. He claimed to be a descendent of the Banu Hud family from Zaragoza....
, becomes the leader of rebellions against the Almohad rulers.
- The Muslim governor of Murcia, Ibn Hud
- 1228 - Badajoz falls to the Reconquista and will remain in Christian hands thereafter.
- Ibn HudIbn HudAbu Abd ‘Allah Muhammad ibn Yusuf ibn Hud al-Yazamí , commonly known as Ibn Hud, was a taifa emir of Andalusia from 1228 to 1237. He claimed to be a descendent of the Banu Hud family from Zaragoza....
establishes himself emir of Murcia.
- Ibn Hud
- 1229 - Jaime I of AragonJames I of AragonJames I the Conqueror was the King of Aragon, Count of Barcelona, and Lord of Montpellier from 1213 to 1276...
, the Conqueror, retakes Majorca, JericaJéricaJérica is a town in the Castellón province of Valencian Community, Spain. It is in the comarca of Alto Palancia.- Geography :The municipality has an area of 78.30 km², is crossed by the river Palancia, and an area in the south is part of the Calderona mountain range...
and Murviedro-Sagunto which will remain in Christian hands thereafter. - 1230 - Alfonso IX of Leon advances along the River GuadianaGuadianaThe Guadiana , or Odiana, is an international river located on the Portuguese–Spanish border, separating Extremadura and Andalucia from Alentejo and Algarve...
, takes MéridaMérida, SpainMérida is the capital of the autonomous community of Extremadura, western central Spain. It has a population of 57,127 . The Archaeological Ensemble of Mérida is a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1993.- Climate :...
and Badajoz, and opens up the way for the conquest of Seville. - 1232 - IbizaIbizaIbiza or Eivissa is a Spanish island in the Mediterranean Sea 79 km off the coast of the city of Valencia in Spain. It is the third largest of the Balearic Islands, an autonomous community of Spain. With Formentera, it is one of the two Pine Islands or Pityuses. Its largest cities are Ibiza...
falls to the Reconquista and will remain in Christian hands thereafter.- Mohammed ibn AlhamarMohammed ibn AlhamarMohammed I ibn Nasr was a Nasrid ruler of the Moorish Emirate of Granada in Al-Andalus on the Iberian Peninsula, and founder of the last Muslim dynasty in Spain in 1238....
proclaims himself sultan of ArjonaArjona, SpainArjona is a municipality in the province of Jaén, Spain....
and founds the Nasrid dynasty.
- Mohammed ibn Alhamar
- 1233 - Castile defeats Granada at the Battle of JerezBattle of JerezThe Battle of Jerez was fought in 1231 between the forces of Ferdinand III, king of Castile and León, and the Moors. It took place near the modern city of Jerez de la Frontera, in southern Spain. The Moors were led by Ibn Hud, the de facto successor of the Almohads...
. - 1236 - Portugal captures most of the Algarve.
- Castile forces under Ferdinand III of CastileFerdinand III of CastileSaint Ferdinand III, T.O.S.F., was the King of Castile from 1217 and León from 1230. He was the son of Alfonso IX of León and Berenguela of Castile. Through his second marriage he was also Count of Aumale. He finished the work done by his maternal grandfather Alfonso VIII and consolidated the...
recapture Córdoba which will remain in Christian hands thereafter. Ibn HudIbn HudAbu Abd ‘Allah Muhammad ibn Yusuf ibn Hud al-Yazamí , commonly known as Ibn Hud, was a taifa emir of Andalusia from 1228 to 1237. He claimed to be a descendent of the Banu Hud family from Zaragoza....
is forced to sign a truce. - Castilian forces include urban militiaMilitiaThe term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
. - The Nasrid ruler, Mohammed ibn Alhamar, approaches Ferdinand III of CastileFerdinand III of CastileSaint Ferdinand III, T.O.S.F., was the King of Castile from 1217 and León from 1230. He was the son of Alfonso IX of León and Berenguela of Castile. Through his second marriage he was also Count of Aumale. He finished the work done by his maternal grandfather Alfonso VIII and consolidated the...
to propose that in return for cooperating in the conquest of Muslim Seville, Granada would be granted independence as a subject of Castile. Fernando agrees and takes Seville.
- Castile forces under Ferdinand III of Castile
- 1237 - Mohammed ibn Alhamar enters Granada, soon to become the new capital of his dominion. On returning to Granada, the embarrassed ibn-Alhamar announces "there is no victor but Allah", which was to become the motto of the Nasrid dynasty and to be inscribed all over the AlhambraAlhambraThe Alhambra , the complete form of which was Calat Alhambra , is a palace and fortress complex located in the Granada, Andalusia, Spain...
palace. - 1238 - Aragon captures Valencia. Aragonese forces include urban militiaMilitiaThe term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
.- The Emirate of GranadaEmirate of GranadaThe Emirate of Granada , also known as the Nasrid Kingdom of Granada , was an emirate established in 1238 following the defeat of Muhammad an-Nasir of the Almohad dynasty by an alliance of Christian kingdoms at the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa in 1212...
is officially founded. - Jaime I retakes Valencia, AlbarracinAlbarracínAlbarracín is Spanish town, in the province of Teruel, part of the autonomous community of Aragon. According to the 2007 census , the municipality had a population of 1075 inhabitants...
, AlpuenteAlpuenteAlpuente is a town and municipality in the province of Valencia, part of Valencia , Spain.-History:It was the capital of an Iberia Muslim taifa or kingdom in the 11th century, ruled by the dynasty of Beni Kasim....
, TortosaTortosa-External links:* *** * * *...
from the Muslims, all of which would remain in Christian hands thereafter. He also gains control of the prized paper manufacturing centre at XativaXàtivaXàtiva is a town in eastern Spain, in the province of Valencia, on the right bank of the river Albaida and at the junction of the Valencia–Murcia and Valencia Albacete railways....
.
- The Emirate of Granada
- 1243 - Jaime I retakes Murcia from the Moors and it will remain in Christian control thereafter.
- 1244 - ArjonaArjona, SpainArjona is a municipality in the province of Jaén, Spain....
and BaezaBaezaBaeza is a town of approximately 16,200 inhabitants in Andalusia, Spain, in the province of Jaén, perched on a cliff in the Loma de Baeza, a mountain range between the river Guadalquivir on the south and its tributary the Guadalimar on the north. It is chiefly known today as having many of the...
fall to the Reconquista and will remain in Christian hands thereafter.- Jaime I of Aragon captures the city and Castle of JativaCastle of Jativathumb|250px|Castle of Xàtiva.Castle of Xàtiva is a castle located in the city of Xàtiva near Valencia, Spain. It is strategically located on the ancient roadway Via Augusta leading from Rome across the Pyrenees and down the Mediterranean coast to Cartagena and Cádiz.In 1092, the castle fell into...
from Abu Bakr who signs the Treaty of JativaTreaty of JativaTreaty of Xàtiva was signed in 1244 between the Christian King Jaime I of Aragon and the Muslim commander Abu Bakr in Xàtiva in the Iberian Peninsula. The treaty lays out generous terms of surrender to the Moors where they are allowed to hold on the Castle of Xàtiva for a period of two years before...
effectively becoming a vassal to the Christian Kingdom.
- Jaime I of Aragon captures the city and Castle of Jativa
- 1245 - Muslim troubles start in Valencia.
- Muslim commander Al-AzraqMohammad Abu Abdallah Ben Hudzail al SahuirMohammad Abu Abdallah Ben Hudzäil al Sähuir , popularly known as Al-Azraq الأزرق , was an Arab Moorish commander in the Iberian Peninsula in the south of the Kingdom of Valencia.He was son of a Muslim father, Hudzäil al Sähuir and of a Christian mother...
surrenders to Jaime I of Aragon and signs the Al-Azraq Treaty of 1245Al-Azraq Treaty of 1245The Al-Azraq Treaty of 1245 was a treaty between the Christian King James I of Aragon and the Muslim commander Mohammad Abu Abdallah Ben Hudzail al Sahuir popularly known as Al-Azraq in 1245 in the Iberian Peninsula.-Arabic version:...
. Cartagena was captured by Aragon and will remain in Christian control thereafter.
- Muslim commander Al-Azraq
- 1246 - CarmonaCarmona, SpainCarmona is a town of south-western Spain, in the province of Seville; 33 km north-east of Seville.Carmona is built on a ridge overlooking the central plain of Andalusia, to the north is the Sierra Morena, to the south is the of peak of San Cristobal. The city is known for its thriving trade...
falls to the Reconquista and will remain in Christian hands thereafter- JaénJaén, SpainJaén is a city in south-central Spain, the name is derived from the Arabic word Jayyan, . It is the capital of the province of Jaén. It is located in the autonomous community of Andalusia....
is handed over by Mohammed ibn Alhamar to Ferdinand III of CastileFerdinand III of CastileSaint Ferdinand III, T.O.S.F., was the King of Castile from 1217 and León from 1230. He was the son of Alfonso IX of León and Berenguela of Castile. Through his second marriage he was also Count of Aumale. He finished the work done by his maternal grandfather Alfonso VIII and consolidated the...
. They sign the Treaty of Jaén, which establishes the Emirate of Granada as vassal stateVassal stateA vassal state is any state that is subordinate to another. The vassal in these cases is the ruler, rather than the state itself. Being a vassal most commonly implies providing military assistance to the dominant state when requested to do so; it sometimes implies paying tribute, but a state which...
of Castile.
- Jaén
- 1247 - Having had time to secretly regroup his forces Al-AzraqMohammad Abu Abdallah Ben Hudzail al SahuirMohammad Abu Abdallah Ben Hudzäil al Sähuir , popularly known as Al-Azraq الأزرق , was an Arab Moorish commander in the Iberian Peninsula in the south of the Kingdom of Valencia.He was son of a Muslim father, Hudzäil al Sähuir and of a Christian mother...
breaks the treatyAl-Azraq Treaty of 1245The Al-Azraq Treaty of 1245 was a treaty between the Christian King James I of Aragon and the Muslim commander Mohammad Abu Abdallah Ben Hudzail al Sahuir popularly known as Al-Azraq in 1245 in the Iberian Peninsula.-Arabic version:...
that he had signed in 1245 and leads a revolt in Valencia.- The Muslim rebels in Valencia retreat into the territory controlled by the MudéjarMudéjarMudéjar is the name given to individual Moors or Muslims of Al-Andalus who remained in Iberia after the Christian Reconquista but were not converted to Christianity...
lord Al-AzraqMohammad Abu Abdallah Ben Hudzail al SahuirMohammad Abu Abdallah Ben Hudzäil al Sähuir , popularly known as Al-Azraq الأزرق , was an Arab Moorish commander in the Iberian Peninsula in the south of the Kingdom of Valencia.He was son of a Muslim father, Hudzäil al Sähuir and of a Christian mother...
who holds 8 castles in the AlcaláVall de AlcaláLa Vall d'Alcalà is a valley in the Marina Alta region of Alicante, Spain.An area of natural beauty, it contains two villages: Alcalà de la Jovada and Beniaia...
valley. They seize more castles and continue a successful guerrilla warGuerrilla warfareGuerrilla warfare is a form of irregular warfare and refers to conflicts in which a small group of combatants including, but not limited to, armed civilians use military tactics, such as ambushes, sabotage, raids, the element of surprise, and extraordinary mobility to harass a larger and...
.
- The Muslim rebels in Valencia retreat into the territory controlled by the Mudéjar
- 1248 - Christian armies under Ferdinand III of CastileFerdinand III of CastileSaint Ferdinand III, T.O.S.F., was the King of Castile from 1217 and León from 1230. He was the son of Alfonso IX of León and Berenguela of Castile. Through his second marriage he was also Count of Aumale. He finished the work done by his maternal grandfather Alfonso VIII and consolidated the...
take Seville after 16 months of siege, despite Muslim catapultCatapultA catapult is a device used to throw or hurl a projectile a great distance without the aid of explosive devices—particularly various types of ancient and medieval siege engines. Although the catapult has been used since ancient times, it has proven to be one of the most effective mechanisms during...
s, Greek fireGreek fireGreek fire was an incendiary weapon used by the Byzantine Empire. The Byzantines typically used it in naval battles to great effect as it could continue burning while floating on water....
, and bowmenArcheryArchery is the art, practice, or skill of propelling arrows with the use of a bow, from Latin arcus. Archery has historically been used for hunting and combat; in modern times, however, its main use is that of a recreational activity...
who pierce armor. Castilian forces include urban militia.- 4 December, Alfonso X the Wise reconquest AlicanteAlicanteAlicante or Alacant is a city in Spain, the capital of the province of Alicante and of the comarca of Alacantí, in the south of the Valencian Community. It is also a historic Mediterranean port. The population of the city of Alicante proper was 334,418, estimated , ranking as the second-largest...
to Castile.
- 4 December, Alfonso X the Wise reconquest Alicante
- 1249 - King Afonso III of PortugalAfonso III of PortugalAfonso III , or Affonso , Alfonso or Alphonso or Alphonsus , the Bolognian , the fifth King of Portugal and the first to use the title King of Portugal and the Algarve, from 1249...
takes FaroFaro, PortugalFaro is the southernmost city in Portugal. It is located in the Faro Municipality in southern Portugal. The city proper has 41,934 inhabitants and the entire municipality has 58,305. It is the seat of the Faro District and capital of the Algarve region...
(in the Algarve) from the Moors, thus removing the last Muslim state from Portuguese soilGeography of PortugalPortugal is a coastal nation in southwestern Europe, located at the western end of the Iberian Peninsula, bordering Spain...
and ending the Portuguese Reconquista.- The Muslims fend off a major Christian offensive under King Jaime I of Aragon.
- OrihuelaOrihuelaOrihuela is a city and municipality located at the feet of the Sierra de Orihuela mountains in the province of Alicante, Spain. The city of Orihuela had a population of 32,472 inhabitants in the beginning of 2006...
falls to the Reconquista and will remain in Christian hands thereafter.
- 1250 - TejadaTejadaTejada is a surname of Spanish origin. It is locational from the town of Tejada, and is recorded heraldically both in La Rioja, Seville and Castille....
, ConstantinaConstantinaConstantina , and later known as Saint Constance, was the eldest daughter of Roman Emperor Constantine the Great and his second wife Fausta, daughter of Emperor Maximian...
, HuelvaHuelvaHuelva is a city in southwestern Spain, the capital of the province of Huelva in the autonomous region of Andalusia. It is located along the Gulf of Cadiz coast, at the confluence of the Odiel and Tinto rivers. According to the 2010 census, the city has a population of 149,410 inhabitants. The...
and Jerez fall to the Reconquista and will remain in Christian hands thereafter. - 1252-1284 - Alfonso X the Wise continues the Christian reconquest of the peninsula and is obliged to face the MudéjarMudéjarMudéjar is the name given to individual Moors or Muslims of Al-Andalus who remained in Iberia after the Christian Reconquista but were not converted to Christianity...
revolts of Andalusia and Murcia. He seeks election as emperor of the Holy Roman EmpireHoly Roman EmpireThe Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
in 1257. He drafts the Fuero de las Leyes, the forerunner of the Siete Partidas. - 1256 - Fighting flares up between the Valencia rebels and the AragoneseAragonAragon is a modern autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. Located in northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces : Huesca, Zaragoza, and Teruel. Its capital is Zaragoza...
. - 1257 - Muslims use some form of incendiary weapon at NieblaNiebla-Places:* Niebla, Chile, a coastal town in the municipality of Valdivia* Niebla, Huelva, a municipality in Huelva province, Spain* Taifa of Niebla, a medieval taifa kingdom of the Iberian peninsula-People:* Mr...
. - 1258 - King Jaime I of Aragon takes al-Azraq's main citadel and suppresses the Valencian rebellion.
- 1262 - NieblaNiebla-Places:* Niebla, Chile, a coastal town in the municipality of Valdivia* Niebla, Huelva, a municipality in Huelva province, Spain* Taifa of Niebla, a medieval taifa kingdom of the Iberian peninsula-People:* Mr...
and CádizCádizCadiz is a city and port in southwestern Spain. It is the capital of the homonymous province, one of eight which make up the autonomous community of Andalusia....
falls to the Reconquista and will remain in Christian hands thereafter. - 1264 - Muslim revolt in Andalusia.
- 1266 - LorcaLorcaLorca is a municipality and town in the autonomous community of Murcia in southeastern Spain, 36 miles southwest of the city of Murcia. It had a population of 92,694 in 2010, up from the 2001 census total of 77,477. Lorca is the municipality with the second-largest surface area in Spain with...
, Murcia, PurchenaPurchenaPurchena is a small town in Andalusia, southern Spain. It is situated inland the county of Almería, at the foot of the Sierra de los Filabres, in the middle of the Almanzora River Valley, surrounded by woods which ascend towards the mountains, an environment which contrasts with the rest of the...
and SeguraSeguraSegura is a medium-sized river in southeastern Spain.It starts at Santiago Pontones , passes Calasparra, Cieza, Murcia, Beniaján, Orihuela, Rojales and ends in the Mediterranean Sea near Guardamar del Segura in the province of Alicante...
are retaken from the Muslims and will remain in Christian hands thereafter. - 1275 - Four MarinidMarinidThe Marinid dynasty or Benemerine dynasty was a Zenata Berber dynasty of Morocco. The Marinid dynasty overtook the Almohads in controlling Morocco in 1244. They controlled most of the Maghreb from the mid-14th century to the 15th century and supported the Kingdom of Granada in Al-Andalus in the...
expeditions to Iberia.- Muslims defeat Christians at EcijaÉcijaÉcija is a city belonging to the province of Seville, Spain. It is located in the Andalusian countryside, 85 km east of the city of Seville. According to the 2008 census, Écija has a total population of 40,100 inhabitants, ranking as the fifth most populous city in the province...
.
- Muslims defeat Christians at Ecija
- 1276 - Muslim revolt in Valencia.
- 1280 - Muslims use some form of incendiary weapon at Córdoba.
- 1287 - Menorca falls to the Reconquista and will remain in Christian hands thereafter.
- 1292 - Castile captures TarifaTarifaTarifa is a small town in the province of Cádiz, Andalusia, on the southernmost coast of Spain. The town is located on the Costa de la Luz and across the Straits of Gibraltar facing Morocco. The municipality includes Punta de Tarifa, the southernmost point in continental Europe. There are five...
from MarinidMarinidThe Marinid dynasty or Benemerine dynasty was a Zenata Berber dynasty of Morocco. The Marinid dynasty overtook the Almohads in controlling Morocco in 1244. They controlled most of the Maghreb from the mid-14th century to the 15th century and supported the Kingdom of Granada in Al-Andalus in the...
s.
- 1306 - Muslims use some form of incendiary weapon at GibraltarGibraltarGibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
. - 1309 - Ferdinand IV of CastileFerdinand IV of CastileFerdinand IV, El Emplazado or "the Summoned," was a king of Castile and León and Galicia...
takes Gibraltar.- AlgecirasAlgecirasAlgeciras is a port city in the south of Spain, and is the largest city on the Bay of Gibraltar . Port of Algeciras is one of the largest ports in Europe and in the world in three categories: container,...
falls to the Reconquista and will remain in Christian hands thereafter.
- Algeciras
- 1310 - Castile captures Gibraltar.
- 1312-1350 - War between Alfonso XI and Granada:-
- 1319 - Granada defeats Castilian invasion.
- 1324 - CataloniaCataloniaCatalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
occupies SardiniaSardiniaSardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],...
. - 1325 - Alfonso XI decides to avenge the defeat against his army in 1319. His armies attack Granada once again. This time, they are victorious and manage to defeat Muhammad IV.
- 1331 - Granada uses iron balls propelled by fire or containing fire against AlicanteAlicanteAlicante or Alacant is a city in Spain, the capital of the province of Alicante and of the comarca of Alacantí, in the south of the Valencian Community. It is also a historic Mediterranean port. The population of the city of Alicante proper was 334,418, estimated , ranking as the second-largest...
and OrihuelaOrihuelaOrihuela is a city and municipality located at the feet of the Sierra de Orihuela mountains in the province of Alicante, Spain. The city of Orihuela had a population of 32,472 inhabitants in the beginning of 2006...
. - 1333 - Granada retakes Gibraltar from the Castilians.
- 1340 - The combined armies of King Afonso IV of PortugalAfonso IV of PortugalAfonso IV , called the Brave , was the seventh king of Portugal and the Algarve from 1325 until his death. He was the only legitimate son of King Denis of Portugal by his wife Elizabeth of Aragon.-Biography:...
and King Alfonso XI of Castille defeat a Muslim army at the Battle of Rio SaladoBattle of Rio SaladoThe Battle of Río Salado was a battle of King Afonso IV of Portugal and King Alfonso XI of Castile against sultan Abu al-Hasan 'Ali of the Marinid dynasty of Morocco and the Nasrid ruler Yusuf I of the Kingdom of Granada.-Campaign:...
. - 1343 - Granadines use cannon in the (unsuccessful) defence of AlgecirasAlgecirasAlgeciras is a port city in the south of Spain, and is the largest city on the Bay of Gibraltar . Port of Algeciras is one of the largest ports in Europe and in the world in three categories: container,...
. - 1394 - Battle of Egea. Granadine troops become the first troops in Iberia to use handgunHandgunA handgun is a firearm designed to be held and operated by one hand. This characteristic differentiates handguns as a general class of firearms from long guns such as rifles and shotguns ....
s. - 1410 - An attack against Granada is led by Ferdinand of AragonFerdinand I of AragonFerdinand I called of Antequera and also the Just or the Honest) was king of Aragon, Valencia, Majorca, Sardinia and Corsica and king of Sicily, duke of Athens and Neopatria, and count of Barcelona, Roussillon and Cerdanya...
. He does not take Granada, but he takes the city of AntequeraAntequeraAntequera is a city and municipality in the province of Málaga, part of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia. It is known as "the heart of Andalusia" because of its central location among Málaga, Granada, Córdoba, and Seville...
. This is considered the most important victory against the Muslims since the reign of Alfonso XI. - 1415 - Portugal takes the city of CeutaCeutaCeuta is an autonomous city of Spain and an exclave located on the north coast of North Africa surrounded by Morocco. Separated from the Iberian peninsula by the Strait of Gibraltar, Ceuta lies on the border of the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Ceuta along with the other Spanish...
in North Africa. - 1462 - Castile takes Gibraltar again.
Castile-Aragón conquers the kingdom of Granada (1481–1491)
- 26 December 1481 - The Granadines (Emir Abu l-Hasan Ali) surprise the Castilian garrison of ZaharaZahara de la SierraZahara de la Sierra is a small town in the province of Cádiz in the hills of Andalusia, southern Spain. It is perched on a mountain, overlooking a valley and a man-made lake formed by the dam that must be driven over to access the town...
on a stormy night. The population is enslaved. - 1482 - Forces of Castile–Aragon (2500 cavalry and 3000 infantry) under Rodrigo Ponce de León, Marquis of CadizRodrigo Ponce de León, Marquis of CadizRodrigo Ponce de León, Marquis de Cadiz was one of the Castillian military leaders in the conquest of Grenada. In 1482 he led the Castillian forces that captured Alhama. He had earlier been one of the military leaders in the Castillian War of Succession....
gather at MarchenaMarchenaMarchena is a spider genus of the Salticidae family . Its only described species, M. minuta, is only found in the USA. It dwells on the barks of conifers along the west coast, especially California, Washington and Nevada...
(25 Feb), march to AntequeraAntequeraAntequera is a city and municipality in the province of Málaga, part of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia. It is known as "the heart of Andalusia" because of its central location among Málaga, Granada, Córdoba, and Seville...
, cross the Sierra Alzerifa, and then seize Granadine AlhamaAlhama de GranadaAlhama de Granada is a town in the province of Granada, approx. 50 km from the city of Granada. The name is derived from the thermal baths located there, which are called al-hammam in Arabic....
on a stormy night before dawn (28 February 1482). Abu l-Hasan attempts to retake AlhamaAlhama de GranadaAlhama de Granada is a town in the province of Granada, approx. 50 km from the city of Granada. The name is derived from the thermal baths located there, which are called al-hammam in Arabic....
by siege (5–19 March) but withdraws unsuccessfully to Granada. Muslim troops from RondaRondaRonda is a city in Spanish province of Málaga. It is located about West from the city of Málaga, within the autonomous community of Andalusia. Its population is approximately 35,000 inhabitants.-History:...
raid the ArcosArcos-Portugal:* Arcos , a civil parish in the municipality of Anadia* Arcos , a civil parish in the municipality of Braga* Arcos , a civil parish in the municipality of Estremoz...
area to try to tempt the Marquis out of AlhamaAlhama de GranadaAlhama de Granada is a town in the province of Granada, approx. 50 km from the city of Granada. The name is derived from the thermal baths located there, which are called al-hammam in Arabic....
. In support of his men at Alhama, King Ferdinand marches to Lucena, sends reinforcements to Alhama (30 April 1482), withdraws to Córdoba to organise a major force, and then formally takes over Alhama (14 May 1482).- Siege of LojaLoja, GranadaLoja is a town in southern Spain, situated at the western limit of the province of Granada. It is surrounded by the so-called Sierras de Loja, of which the highest peak, Sierra Gorda, stands 1,671 metres above sea-level....
. King Ferdinand II of AragonFerdinand II of AragonFerdinand the Catholic was King of Aragon , Sicily , Naples , Valencia, Sardinia, and Navarre, Count of Barcelona, jure uxoris King of Castile and then regent of that country also from 1508 to his death, in the name of...
attacks the Granadine city of Loja (1 July 1482). The city is defended by one Ibrahim Ali al-Attar, octogenarian father-in-law of Muhammad XII. Ferdinand II of Aragon returns to Córdoba. Abu l-Hasan marches on LojaLoja, GranadaLoja is a town in southern Spain, situated at the western limit of the province of Granada. It is surrounded by the so-called Sierras de Loja, of which the highest peak, Sierra Gorda, stands 1,671 metres above sea-level....
and sweeps the Rio FrioRio Frio-Rivers:*Rio Frio , a river in Puerto Rico *Rio Frio , a river in Belize*Frio River, aka Rio Frio, a river in Texas *Frío River, aka Rio Frio, a river in Costa Rica-Settlements:...
in mid July.
- Siege of Loja
- 1483 - Battle of AxarquiaAxarquíaAxarquía is a comarca of Andalusia, southern Spain. It is the wedge-shaped area east of Málaga. Its name is possibly traced back to Arabic الشرقية ....
. A fast moving Castilian force raids into the mountains of Axarquia. Emir Muhammad XII of Granada becomes the first King of Granada to be captured by the Christians. - 1484 - The Castilian-Aragónese army led by King Ferdinand II of Aragon assembles at Antequera in Spring, marches to ÁloraÁloraÁlora is a town of southern Spain, part of the province of Málaga, located c. 40 km from Málaga, on the right bank of the river Guadalhorce, and on the Córdoba-Málaga high-speed rail line...
, raids CoínCoínCoín is a town and municipality in the province of Málaga, Spain, c. 33 km west of the provincial capital, Málaga, and c. 30 km north of Marbella...
, Cazabonela, Almjia, CartamaCártamaCártama is a town and municipality in the province of Málaga, part of the autonomous community of Andalusia, southern Spain. The municipality is situated approximately 17 km from Málaga. It is one of the most extensive towns in the province, covering c. 105 km²...
, Pupiana, Alhendrin, and the fertile valley of MálagaMálagaMálaga is a city and a municipality in the Autonomous Community of Andalusia, Spain. With a population of 568,507 in 2010, it is the second most populous city of Andalusia and the sixth largest in Spain. This is the southernmost large city in Europe...
before returning to Antequera. They capture Álora and Senetil and raid into the fertile valley of Granada. - 1485 - Al-ZagalMuhammed XIII, Sultan of GranadaAbū `Abd Allāh Muhammad az-Zaghall was the twenty-third Nasrid ruler of Granada in Iberia. Christians called him Muhammed XIII el Zagal.-Life:...
drives Muhammad XII from Almería. Muhammad XII flees to King Ferdinand II of Aragon, at Córdoba. Ferdinand besieges Coín and CartamaCártamaCártama is a town and municipality in the province of Málaga, part of the autonomous community of Andalusia, southern Spain. The municipality is situated approximately 17 km from Málaga. It is one of the most extensive towns in the province, covering c. 105 km²...
. Al-Zagal then attempts to relieve the sieges, but first Coín falls (27 April 1485) then Cartama (28 April 1485). The garrison of RondaRondaRonda is a city in Spanish province of Málaga. It is located about West from the city of Málaga, within the autonomous community of Andalusia. Its population is approximately 35,000 inhabitants.-History:...
raids Medina Sidonia but returns to find its city besieged by Ferdinand in early May. Abu Hasan of Granada dies and Al-Zagal assumes title of Emir in late May; Al-Zagal defeats a Christian foraging party from Alhama on his way to Granada. Three groups of Castilian–Aragonese march toward MoclinMoclínMoclín is a municipality in the province of Granada, Spain. As of 2010, it has a population of 4237 inhabitants.- External links :...
(late Aug). Al-Zagal ambushes and defeats the first group, although it is rescued by the second group of Christians in early September. Al-Zagal enters MoclinMoclínMoclín is a municipality in the province of Granada, Spain. As of 2010, it has a population of 4237 inhabitants.- External links :...
. The third Castilian-Aragonese group (Ferdinand) joins the other two and they take the castles of CambilCambilCambil is a city located in the province of Jaén, Spain. According to the 2006 census , the city has a population of 2996 inhabitants....
and Albahar (23 September 1485). The Castilian-Aragonese of AlhamaAlhama de GranadaAlhama de Granada is a town in the province of Granada, approx. 50 km from the city of Granada. The name is derived from the thermal baths located there, which are called al-hammam in Arabic....
also take the castle of Zalea in September. - 1487 - MálagaMálagaMálaga is a city and a municipality in the Autonomous Community of Andalusia, Spain. With a population of 568,507 in 2010, it is the second most populous city of Andalusia and the sixth largest in Spain. This is the southernmost large city in Europe...
falls to the Reconquista. - 1489 - Spain captures BazaBaza, GranadaBaza is a town in the province of Granada in southern Spain. It has 21,000 inhabitants . It is situated at 844 m above sea level, in the Hoya de Baza, a valley of the Sierra Nevada, not far from the Gallego River. This town gives its name to the Sierra de Baza...
. Al-Zagal surrenders to Spain.- Almería falls to the Reconquista.
- 1491 - The Muslims in Granada surrender to the Christians. Abu 'abd Allah Muhammad XII Emir of Granada relinquishes the last Muslim controlled city in the Iberian Peninsula to the Christians and signs the Treaty of Granada.
- GuadixGuadixGuadix, a city of southern Spain, in the province of Granada; on the left bank of the river Guadix, a sub-tributary of the Guadiana Menor, and on the Madrid-Valdepeñas-Almería railway...
falls to the Reconquista.
- Guadix
Aftermath (1492–1616)
- 2 January 1492 - The Catholic MonarchsCatholic MonarchsThe Catholic Monarchs is the collective title used in history for Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon. They were both from the House of Trastámara and were second cousins, being both descended from John I of Castile; they were given a papal dispensation to deal with...
, Queen Isabella I of CastileIsabella I of CastileIsabella I was Queen of Castile and León. She and her husband Ferdinand II of Aragon brought stability to both kingdoms that became the basis for the unification of Spain. Later the two laid the foundations for the political unification of Spain under their grandson, Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor...
and King Ferdinand II of AragonFerdinand II of AragonFerdinand the Catholic was King of Aragon , Sicily , Naples , Valencia, Sardinia, and Navarre, Count of Barcelona, jure uxoris King of Castile and then regent of that country also from 1508 to his death, in the name of...
, take over Granada. - 1492-1507 - The remaining Moors who want to stay in Spain form an alliance with the towns of AbaránAbaránAbarán is a Spanish municipality located in the province of Murcia. It is situated in the Valley of Ricote on the banks of the River Segura 40 km from the city of Murcia. It belongs to the parish of Santiago. It has a population of 12,917 . Abarán belongs to the comarca of Vega Alta del...
, UleaUleaUlea is a Spanish municipality in the autonomous community of Murcia. It has a population of 991 and an area of 40 km² .-External links:* This article contains information from the Spanish Wikipedia article Ulea, accessed on July 15, 2008....
, Eyes, and RicoteRicoteRicote is a Spanish municipality in the autonomous community of Murcia. It has a population of 1,509 and an area of 87.7 km² .-References:This article contains information from the Spanish Wikipedia article Ricote, accessed on January 10, 2008....
were ordered to become Catholic and abandon the Muslim religion. King Ferdinand ordered to convert mosques to Christian churches. The king then appeals to the reigning Pope Julius II (nephew of Sixtus IV) to grant the aspirations of these new Christians. These former Moorish converts to Christianity will come to be known as the Moriscos. - 1496 - All Moors are expelled from Portugal.
- 1502 - After various rebellions, the Moors are deemed in violation of their surrender terms and are forcibly expelled from Granada along with the JewsJewsThe Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
, who are widely perceived to have collaborated with the Moors against the Christians during Muslim rule. Muslims who were forcefully converted rather than be expelled are known as moriscoMoriscoMoriscos or Mouriscos , meaning "Moorish", were the converted Christian inhabitants of Spain and Portugal of Muslim heritage. Over time the term was used in a pejorative sense applied to those nominal Catholics who were suspected of secretly practicing Islam.-Demographics:By the beginning of the...
s, and Jews who were forcefully converted as marranoMarranoMarranos were Jews living in the Iberian peninsula who converted to Christianity rather than be expelled but continued to observe rabbinic Judaism in secret...
s. - 1516 - King Charles ICharles V, Holy Roman EmperorCharles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I, of the Spanish Empire from 1516 until his voluntary retirement and abdication in favor of his younger brother Ferdinand I and his son Philip II in 1556.As...
, the grandson of Ferdinand and Isabella, rises to the throne of both Castile and Aragon. With the conquest of Granada and Iberian NavarreSpanish conquest of Iberian NavarreA series of wars between 1512–1524 led to the Spanish conquest of the Iberian part of Navarre. Ferdinand of Aragon was in 1512 both King of Aragon and Regent of Castile. When Pope Julius II declared a Holy League against France, Navarre tried to remain neutral...
, the modern nation of Spain is formed. - 1519–1522 - Revolt of the Germanies of Kingdom of Valencia. In it, the rebels murder many MudéjarMudéjarMudéjar is the name given to individual Moors or Muslims of Al-Andalus who remained in Iberia after the Christian Reconquista but were not converted to Christianity...
s and forcibly baptize and convert the rest. The rebels had been armed to take up coastal defense against the Barbary pirates, and saw the Muslims as both collaborators with the raiding overseas Muslims and competitors for jobs. - 1526 - After convening a council to examine the problem, King Charles I declares that the forced conversions of the Muslims of Valencia and Aragon were valid, because they could have chosen death rather than convert.
- 1568 - Rebellion of the AlpujarrasMorisco RevoltThe Morisco Revolt , also known as War of Las Alpujarras or Revolt of Las Alpujarras, in what is now Andalusia in southern Spain, was a rebellion against the Crown of Castile by the remaining Muslim converts to Christianity from the Kingdom of Granada.-The defeat of Muslim Spain:In the wake of the...
. After King Philip IIPhilip II of SpainPhilip II was King of Spain, Portugal, Naples, Sicily, and, while married to Mary I, King of England and Ireland. He was lord of the Seventeen Provinces from 1556 until 1581, holding various titles for the individual territories such as duke or count....
introduces laws prohibiting Moorish culture, the remaining population of Moors who had forcefully converted to Christianity in order to remain in Spain, then known as Moriscos, revolt under the leadership of Aben HumeyaAben HumeyaAben Humeya was a Spanish leader who commanded the Morisco Revolt against Philip II of Spain in the Alpujarras region, near Granada.-Early life:...
in Granada. The rebellion is suppressed, in 1571, by John of Austria, Philip II's half-brother, and the Moriscos are deported to different parts of the northern half of the Iberian peninsula. - 1609 - Expulsion of the MoriscosExpulsion of the MoriscosOn April 9, 1609, King Philip III of Spain decreed the Expulsion of the Moriscos . The Moriscos were the descendants of the Muslim population that converted to Christianity under threat of exile from Ferdinand and Isabella in 1502...
- King Philip IIIPhilip III of SpainPhilip III , also known as Philip the Pious, was the King of Spain and King of Portugal and the Algarves, where he ruled as Philip II , from 1598 until his death...
issues the Act of Expulsion for the entire remaining Moriscos population, claiming that they appealed to the Ottoman EmpireOttoman EmpireThe Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
for military intervention in Spain. They are viewed by some as a fifth columnFifth columnA fifth column is a group of people who clandestinely undermine a larger group such as a nation from within.-Origin:The term originated with a 1936 radio address by Emilio Mola, a Nationalist General during the 1936–39 Spanish Civil War...
trying to rebuild the Muslim state in the Peninsula. - 1616 - The last remaining Moriscos in the Iberian peninsula were expelled or, killed. After that, entire Muslim population of Spain and Portugal just vanished.
External links
- http://calitreview.com/592 God's Crucible: Islam and the Making of Europe, 570-1215 (2008) by David Levering LewisDavid Levering LewisDavid Levering Lewis is the Julius Silver University Professor and Professor of History at New York University. He is twice winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography, for part one and part two of his biography of W. E. B. Du Bois...
, W.W. Norton, 473 pp.]