The Iberian Peninsula between the 8th and 11th centuries

Unit description

The unit devoted to the High Middle Ages in the Iberian Peninsula has been structured in two parts. The first part focuses on the geographic space of al-Andalus during the period contained between the Muslim conquest (711) and the disintegration of the Caliphate into the taifas (1031). It covers its historical evolution; political economic and social organisation; the culture of water, used for agricultural irrigation and public baths; and the art in the Caliphate, focusing on the Mosque of Córdoba. The second part of the unit studies the formation and evolution of the peninsular Christian kingdoms between 722 and 1035; characteristics of government, economy and society; Pre-Romanesque and Romanesque artistic expressions; and the religious, economic and cultural importance of the Camino de Santiago. The technique of analysing works of art, focused on painting, provides a useful methodology for the discussion of paintings, also contributing to their appreciation and valuation.

The various activities presented throughout the unit are designed to help students acquire knowledge on the following:

- Al-Andalus. Islam in the Iberian Peninsula (711-1031).

- The political and economic organisation of al-Andalus.

- Society and everyday life.

- The culture of water.

- Culture and art in the Caliphate.

- Christian resistance groups (722-1035).

- Organisation of the resistance groups.

- Art in the 9th and 10th centuries. The Camino de Santiago.

- Spanish Romanesque art.

- The autonomous community between the 8^th and 11^th centuries.

- Analysing works of art. Painting.

- Checking progress in the development of some core competences.

2. TEACHING OBJECTIVES

1. To identify the space and time of Islam in the Iberian Peninsula until 1031.

2. To differentiate the Andalusi forms of government and economy.

3. To describe the social diversity of al-Andalus and some aspects of its everyday life: dress and diet.

4. To obtain facts and conclusions on the culture of water in al-Andalus.

5. To create conceptual networks on culture and art in the Caliphate.

6. To know and locate Islam-resistant Christian kingdoms and their historical evolution.

7. To check the political, economic and social organisation of resistance groups.

8. To create conceptual networks on Pre-Romanesque art and the Camino de Santiago.

9. To show the importance of the peninsular Romanesque art.

11. To learn how to analyse paintings.

12. To promote the development of the core competences.

Video: Mosque of Cordoba

Activities:
Islam in the Iberian Peninsula
Act. 1
1.1 Make a mind-map of 1.1 of your book. The Muslim conquest.
It must include answers to the main questions: when, where, who, why, how.
1.2 Read the following text and make a summary (no more than 3 lines).
1.3. Explain which is the historical context in which this text is written. (When, where, who, why?...)

“In the name of God, the merciful and compassionate. This is a document [granted] by ‘Abd al-‘Aziz ibn Musá ibn Nusair to Tudmir, son of Ghabdush, establishing a treaty of peace and the promise and protection of God and his Prophet) may God bless him and grant him peace). We [‘Abd al-‘Aziz] will not set special conditions for him or for any among his men, nor harass him, nor remove him from power. His followers will not be killed or taken prisoner, nor will they be separated from their women and children. They will not be coerced in matters of religion, their churches will not be burned, nor will sacred objects be taken from the realm, [so long as] he [Tudmir] remains sincere and fulfills the [following] conditions that we have set for him. He has reached a settlement concerning seven towns: Orihuela, Villena, Alicante, Mula, Bigastro, Ello, and Lorca. He will not give shelter to fugitives, nor to our enemies, nor encourage any protected person to fear us, nor conceal news of our enemies. He and [each of] his men shall [also] pay one dinar every year, together with four measures of wheat, four measures of barley, four liquid measures of concentrated fruit juice, four liquid measures of vinegar, four of honey, and four of olive oil. Slaves must each pay half of this amount. {Names of four witnesses follow, and the document is dated from the Muslim month of Rajab, in the year 94 of the Hijra (April 713).}”

Act. 2
Make a timeline of the evolution of Al-Andalus between 711 and 1086. (Landscape mode in a single page leaving space for the timeline of Christian resistance) (We just need to see 711 + 4 stages)

Act. 3. Read 1.2 in your textbook.

3.1. Who was Abd al Rahman I? What changed in the emirate with his arrival?
3.2. Which were the main problems of the independent emirate of Córdoba?
3.3. Make a table with the main features of the caliphs of Córdoba.
3.4. What happened in year 1031?

4. Look at the maps in pages 68 and 69 of your book and answer to the questions.
4.1. How long did it take the Muslims to conquer the Iberian Peninsula?
4.2. Was the whole of the Peninsula conquered?
4.3 What differences in territory do you see between the maps in page 68?
4.4. How many Christian kingdoms can you see in the map of the Caliphate? Name them.
Who and when led the campaign against Santiago?
Who and when led the campaign against Barcelona?
4.5. How many Christian kingdoms can you see in the map of the Taifas? Name them.

5. The Andalusi economy
5.1 Make a simple mind-map about the economic activities of Muslims in Al Andalus.
5.2. What does "fallow land" mean? Why was it used?

6. Andalusian society
6.1 Read 3.1 in your textbook and answer. Why do we say there was a lot of diversity in the andalusian society?
6.2 Who were the mozarabs?
6.3 Who were the Muladis?

7. Culture and art in Al Andalus
7.1 Which two buildings were the most important during this period in Al Andalus?
7.2 How long did it take to build the mosque of Córdoba as it is today?
7.3 Which was the function of Medina Azahara?

Mosque of Córdoba

Prayer hall. Mosque of Córdoba


Mihrab. Mosque of Córdoba

Room of the ambassadors. Medina Azahara, Córdoba

City-Palace of Medina Azahara

Christian resistance groups
8. Read point 5 in your textbook and take a look at the map in page 77.

Answer to the questions:
8.1. Who was the leader of the resistant group in the area of Cangas de Onís. Who did he fight in the Battle of Covadonga?
8.2. When did that group of resistance become a kingdom and what was its name.
8.3. When did that kingdom change its name? How was it called?
8.4. How many resistance groups were there in the Pyrenean area? Name them.
8.5. Who did these groups have to fight against?
8.6. Which was the area that had the longest influence of the Franks?
8.7. Which do you think was the strongest kingdom in the beginning of the 11th century? What territories did it include?

9. Describe the map in page 77. The Christian states and their protagonists.

Government and administration of the Christian groups
10. What is resettlement?
11. What is presura or aprisio?
12. What is a municipal charter?

Municipal charter (carta puebla)

Economic activities
13. Which was the basis of the Christian economy?
14. How were Christian cities compared to Muslim cities?

Art
15. Did the Asturian kings make any buildings? Give some examples.
16. What is the Mozarabic art? Give some examples.
17. Write a definition for "Camino de Santiago"