Medieval Spain: Formation of Christian Kingdoms
The Kingdom of Asturias
The Kingdom of Asturias emerged from a few Cantabrian and Visigothic nobles who took refuge in the mountains. Pelayo achieved victory over the Muslims near Covadonga in 722. Pelayo’s successors, Alfonso I and Alfonso II, created a kingdom centered in Oviedo that expanded westward and came to dominate part of Galicia.
The Kingdom of Leon
In the second half of the 9th century, Alfonso III (866-910) occupied the territories between the Cantabrian Mountains and the Duero River. Alfonso III organized its repopulation with Galician, Basque, Cantabrian, and Mozarabic people fleeing from Al-Andalus. To control the land and protect farmers, he relocated the capital to Leon. In the 10th century, Al-Andalus increased its military strength and organized military expeditions (raids) led by Almansur, destroying many cities in Leon.
The County of Castile
Castile was the border of the Kingdom of Leon. It was a sparsely populated area exposed to numerous Muslim attacks. Alfonso III strengthened this area and founded the city of Burgos. The area, governed by a count, received the name of the County of Castile.
The Creation of the Hispanic March
In the 8th century, Charlemagne conducted several expeditions against the Muslims of Al-Andalus. He constituted a heavily fortified protective strip along the Pyrenees, known as the Hispanic March.
Pyrenean Counties
- Aragon: In the 9th century, the Aragonese counties divorced themselves from the Frankish kings and became independent.
- Catalan Counties: The domain of the Frankish kings was more lasting than that exerted on Pamplona or Aragon. In the year 978, Borrell II refused to renew the oath of allegiance to the Frankish king.
The Creation of the Kingdom of Pamplona
In the 9th century, Iñigo Arista drove out the French governor and led the leaders of this state to independence. They formed the Kingdom of Pamplona around 830, later called the Kingdom of Navarre.
Sancho III the Great and His Inheritance
The Kingdom of Pamplona reached its maximum territorial expansion in the 11th century under the reign of Sancho III the Great. At his death in 1035, the kingdom was divided among his sons:
- Garcia Sanchez: Kingdom of Pamplona
- Fernando: County of Castile
- Gonzalo: Counties of Sobrarbe and Ribagorza
- Ramiro: County of Aragon
Sancho III’s inheritance was the source of two new realms: Ramiro I (1035-1063) became King of Aragon, and Ferdinand I (1035-1065) became King of Castile. Ferdinand I married a princess of Leon and also became King of Leon.
Al-Andalus and the System of Parias
In 1031, the Caliphate of Cordoba disappeared, decomposing into Taifa kingdoms. The military inferiority of the Christian kingdoms against the Muslim states, especially Castile and Leon, became evident. The peninsular kingdoms began strong military pressure on the Taifa kingdoms in the 11th century. To stop these attacks, the Muslims paid taxes called parias to the Christians. With the revenue from the parias, the Christian kingdoms reinforced their military power. Ferdinand I (1037-1065) occupied and repopulated areas south of the Duero, reaching as far south as Avila. Castile-Leon came to dominate the offensive against Al-Andalus. His son, Alfonso VI (1065-1109), continued the expansion and secured the occupation of Toledo in 1085. After this victory, Alfonso VI was proclaimed Emperor of all Spain.
The Creation of Portugal
Upon the death of Alfonso VI in 1109, he left the Kingdom of Leon and Castile to his daughter Urraca. His other daughter, Teresa, received the County of Portugal. In 1128, Alfonso Enríquez, son of Countess Teresa, proclaimed himself King of Portugal, thus creating an independent kingdom.
The Arrival of the Almoravids
To defend themselves from the Christian kings, the monarchs of the Taifa kingdoms called for help from the warriors of an Islamic empire in North Africa, the Almoravids. Between 1086 and 1209, they defeated the Christian kings. The Christians retained Toledo but lost Valencia, which had been conquered by El Cid, Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar, in 1092.