The Reconquista and Its Impact on the Iberian Peninsula
– The First Core Strength
Given the rapid advance of the Muslim forces, some nobles and their vassals fled to the Cantabrian Mountains and the Pyrenees. Four groups of Christian resistance emerged in the 8th and 10th centuries:
- The Kingdom of Asturias-León: It began in 718 with the appointment of King Pelayo, who won the Battle of Covadonga in 722. Its main monarchs were Alfonso I, Alfonso II, and Alfonso III. They gradually moved south through the lands of the Duero River, repopulating the areas with charters and forming the Kingdom of León. In the 10th century, Fernán González formed the County of Castile, which eventually united with León.
- The Kingdom of Pamplona (Navarra): Made up of Basques, thanks to good organization, they joined their kingdom with the County of Aragon (970). Its peak splendor was under Sancho III the Great (1000-1035), who annexed lands like Castile.
- The County of Aragon: Through marriage between Andregoto Galíndez of Aragon and García Sánchez II of Pamplona, the territories were annexed. Their son, Sancho II, was king of Pamplona and Count of Aragon.
- The Catalan Counties: The Hispanic March emerged as a buffer zone created by Charlemagne between the Franks and Asturias in the 8th century. Wilfred the Hairy took command of the main Catalan counties, which depended on the Franks. Finally, in 988, Borrell II of Barcelona consolidated the county and its independence from the Franks.
– Main Stages of the Reconquista
The Reconquista lasted eight centuries, motivated by the desire to restore the Visigothic monarchy and the crusade against the infidels. It can be divided into several stages:
- 8th-11th centuries: Christians occupied uninhabited areas (Duero Valley), and in 722, the Battle of Covadonga marked the beginning of the Reconquista.
- 11th-first half of the 12th century: The Caliphate declined, and Toledo was conquered in 1085 by Alfonso VI, king of Castile and León. The arrival of the Almoravids was countered with the defeat at the Battle of Sagrajas. The kings of Aragon conquered Huesca and Zaragoza (1118).
- Second half of the 12th century: Christians advanced towards the Turia, Júcar, and Guadiana rivers, facing Almohad resistance.
- 13th century: Pope Innocent III called for a crusade, and in 1212, the Christian armies of Alfonso VIII of Castile, Pedro II of Aragon, and Sancho VII of Navarre won the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa. The Muslim decline allowed Christians to conquer new territories. Portugal also expanded.
- 15th century: A period of crisis led to various conflicts, such as the victory at the Battle of Río Salado by Alfonso XI in 1340 and the capture of Algeciras in 1344. The Nasrid kingdom of Granada was the last Muslim territory on the Iberian Peninsula, conquered by the Catholic Monarchs after a war that ended in 1492. The Reconquista was fully completed in that year.
– Forms of Occupation of the Territory and its Influence on Property Structure
The recapture and repopulation took place in different phases:
- 8th-10th centuries: Land was granted through presura (Castile) or aprisio (Aragon), where properties were given to farmers who would defend and cultivate no man’s land owned by the Crown. Small and medium-sized properties predominated.
- 11th-12th centuries: Repoblación concejil (division of new territories into councils with large defensive walls/alfoces) took place in the Duero Valley, Montes de Toledo, and the Ebro Valley. Each city had a king’s representative (who granted charters/fueros/tax benefits) and a council. Medium-sized properties and communal lands prevailed.
- 1200-1250: Repopulation by Military Orders after the victory of Las Navas de Tolosa (1212). Territories like La Mancha, Extremadura, Andalusia, Castellón, and Teruel were repopulated by orders possessing large estates (latifundios).
- 1250-1300: Repopulation by repartimientos, where areas of Andalusia and the eastern coast were divided and granted as donadíos (donations) among the nobles who participated in the Reconquista (as a reward). The social structure became stratified.
Three social orders emerged:
- The clergy (oratores): They prayed for salvation and justified the feudal system. They did not belong to the nobility by birth.
- The nobility (bellatores): They defended the territories.
- The laborers (laboratores): The third estate worked for the maintenance of society and paid taxes.
These two estates (clergy and nobility) did not pay taxes but received income. The king, for centuries, was a primus inter pares (first among equals).
– Cultural Diversity: Christians, Muslims, and Jews
The presence of Mozarabs (Christians in Muslim territory), Muladies (Christians converted to Islam), and Jews in both territories led to an exchange of knowledge. Until the 11th century, the only centers of learning were monastic schools. In the 13th century, universities appeared (Salamanca).
Translation centers, like the Toledo School of Translators, and cities like Palermo and Venice, acted as cultural bridges between the Islamic world and the West. Arabic texts were translated into Castilian by Jews and then into Latin by Christian clerics. Thus, Europe received scientific knowledge from the Islamic world through Castile. These centers drew from the libraries of rulers like Abd-ar-Rahman III and Al-Hakam II.
The Toledo School was founded by Archbishop Raymond of Toledo between 1130 and 1150. Scholars like Dominicus Gundissalinus and John of Seville translated works of Avicenna and Averroes, introducing Neoplatonic philosophy.
In the 9th century, the tomb of the Apostle James was discovered, and a temple was built in his honor. This led to a flow of pilgrims, creating the Way of St. James. Economic and cultural exchange flourished on the Iberian Peninsula.