Week Seventeen: Reconquista of Spain

On what peninsula are Spain and Portugal located?

The Iberian Peninsula, located in southwestern Europe.

What was the Reconquista?

A long series of military, political, and religious campaigns in which Christian kingdoms sought to reclaim Iberian territories conquered by Muslim rulers after 711.

What event marks the beginning of the Reconquista?

The Battle of Covadonga in 722, when the Asturian leader Pelagius defeated Muslim forces.

What event marks the end of the Reconquista?

The fall and surrender of Granada in 1491–1492.

How long did the Reconquista last?

Approximately 769 years, though fighting was intermittent rather than constant.

Who initially conquered most of the Iberian Peninsula in 711?

The Umayyad dynasty, North African Muslims often referred to as Moors.

Which Christian kingdoms survived in the north after 711?

Small kingdoms such as Asturias, which became the foundation of later Christian resistance.

What was the significance of the Kingdom of Asturias?

It achieved the first major Christian victory against Muslim forces and symbolized the start of organized resistance.

Which kingdoms rose and fell during the Reconquista?

Asturias, León, Castile, Navarre, and Aragon, with Navarre and Aragon remaining near the end of Muslim rule.

What was the last Muslim state on the Iberian Peninsula?

The Emirate of Granada.

How long did the Christian kingdoms fight specifically for Granada?

About ten years, from 1482 to 1491.

What internal problems weakened Granada before its fall?

Heavy taxation, economic decline, an unpopular emir (Abu Hasan), and internal civil wars.

Who ruled Castile during the final phase of the Reconquista?

Ferdinand V of Castile, ruling jointly with Isabella I.

Who ruled Aragon during the final phase of the Reconquista?

Ferdinand II of Aragon, the same Ferdinand through his dynastic titles.

Why was the marriage of Ferdinand and Isabella significant?

It united Castile and Aragon, creating a powerful Christian alliance capable of defeating Granada.

What event directly triggered the Granada War?

Granada’s attack on the Christian town of Zahara in December 1481.

Who was Boabdil and why was he important?

Abu Hasan’s son, whose rebellion and rivalry weakened Granada and benefited the Christian armies.

What role did sieges play in the Granada campaign?

Key cities such as Málaga and Baza were taken through costly sieges that drained Granada’s resources.

When was the Reconquista completed in Portugal?

By the mid-1200s, when Muslims were driven out of Portugal entirely.

Why did Portugal remain independent rather than becoming part of Spain?

Early reconquest success, recognition as a kingdom in 1143, and later military victories under the House of Aviz that secured independence from Castile.

Reconquista

A long period from 722 to 1491 in which Christian kingdoms gradually reconquered the Iberian Peninsula from Muslim rulers.

Iberian Peninsula

The southwestern European peninsula that includes modern-day Spain and Portugal, the main setting of the Reconquista.

Crusades

A series of religious wars beginning in the late 1000s in which Christians sought to reclaim lands from Muslim control, influencing Christian resistance in Iberia.

Emirate

A territory or state ruled by an emir, such as the Emirate of Granada, the last Muslim state in Iberia.

Emir

A Muslim ruler or commander, often governing an emirate, such as Abu Hasan or Boabdil of Granada.

Taxes

Money collected by rulers from their population, which in Granada became excessively high and contributed to unrest and rebellion.

Siege

A military tactic in which an army surrounds a city or fortress to cut off supplies and force surrender, used heavily in the war for Granada.

Morale

The confidence, spirit, and willingness to fight within an army or population, often influencing success or failure in war.

Vassal

A person or ruler who owes loyalty and service to a more powerful ruler in exchange for protection or authority.

Disarray

A state of confusion or disorder, such as the internal chaos in Granada during its final siege.