Medieval Iberian Peninsula: Taifas, Kingdoms, and Repopulation
Medieval Iberian Peninsula
Taifas: Small, independent kingdoms formed in the Iberian Peninsula after the fragmentation of the Caliphate of Cordoba during the 11th century.
Parias: Taxes paid by the Taifas to Christian kingdoms in exchange for peace, reflecting Christian hegemony in the 11th century.
Almoravids: Muslims from North Africa who established a large empire, arriving in 1086 after the conquest of Toledo. Their empire later fragmented into new Taifas.
Almohads: Another Muslim group from North Africa who created a large empire, arriving in 1146 after the defeat of the Almoravids. They were defeated at the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa in 1212, leading to their territory fragmenting into new Taifas.
Kingdom of Granada: The last Muslim state in the Iberian Peninsula, founded in 1238 and conquered by the Catholic Monarchs in 1492.
Crown of Aragon: Resulted from the union of the Kingdom of Aragon and the County of Barcelona. King of Aragon married the Count of Barcelona in 1137. Their son Alfonso was crowned in 1164.
James I: Lived in the 13th century, lost territories in southern France, and conquered Mallorca, Valencia, and Murcia (later ceded to Castile).
Pamplona: The Kingdom of Pamplona joined the Kingdom of Aragon (1076-1134). Blocked from expanding south, it established ties with France through matrimonial alliances.
Portugal: Originally part of the Kingdom of Leon, it gained independence in 1143, with Alfonso I Henriques as its first king.
Repopulation: The settlement of Christian populations in territories conquered from Muslims.
Presura: A resettlement system applied in the Iberian Peninsula between the 8th and 10th centuries, up to the Duero River. Conquered land initially belonged to the king, then to nobles, and finally to the first peasants.
Municipal Repopulation: A resettlement method applied between the 11th and 12th centuries, up to the Tagus and Ebro rivers.
Fueros: Conquered land given to municipalities, which were resettlements with privileges.
Medieval Parliaments/Cortes: Assemblies that met to advise the king, originating from the incorporation of the bourgeoisie. A curia regia was created before.
Schools of Translators: Recovered texts written in Greek and Latin, translated by Muslims into Arabic, then by Christians into Latin, and finally disseminated throughout Europe.
Mudejar Art: An architectural style developed in the Middle Ages, inspired by Romanesque, Gothic, and Muslim art, using bricks and Islamic decoration.
Population: The total number of inhabitants in a territory.
Human Geography: The study of population distribution, evolution, and structure.
Fertility Rate: The number of births per 1000 women of reproductive age (15-49). High in poor countries due to child mortality, lack of pensions, and early child labor.
Gender Composition: The ratio of men to women in a population, measured by dividing the male birth rate by the female birth rate.
Population Pyramid: A representation of a population’s gender distribution.
Migrations: Movements of people from one geographical region to another, distinct from tourism.
Immigrations: People arriving in a new place as a result of migration. Emigrants are people who depart from one place to another.