Introduction
Re-enacted in a 2007 movie, Cities of Light: The Rise and Fall of Islamic Spain, the documentary explains how the Islamic Spain has a rich history while focusing on its impact on the world civilisation (The Rise and Fall of Islamic Spain Full documentary PBS). Since the antiquity, religion was an element of information transmission and conviction of masses.
The religion that commanded the greatest population became the greatest source of influence (Wasserstein 47). Referred to as the Dark Ages, Spain underwent a visible transformation after Muslims, Christians, and Jews clashed. This paper intends to explain the rise and fall of the Islamic Spain with a particular emphasis on the importance of Spain to the world civilisation.
Other religions were equally very important to Spain, but Islam was a source of artistic integration, economic stability, and political prowess in the country. These religions had a direct impact on the rise and fall of the Islamic religion in Spain, and it would be impossible to create a comparison without proper representation of Christianity and Judaism.
Islamic civilisation
Rise of the Islamic religion in Spain
By 600 BCE, Islam was already a powerful religion in Europe and particularly Spain. Spain was the home of European Renaissance even before Muslims dominated the country. During this period, Spain had control of Iberia and Caucasus, which are presently in Russia. Catholicism enabled artists and philosophers to explore science, art, medicine, and technology among several other factors.
Philosophers such as Aristotle have a background in Spain during the Islamic era (Lapidus 92). In 734 BCE, most parts of Europe began recognising the significance of the Islam religion to the people of Spain. This included the invention of the lemon tree and the water wheel among others. In Spain, there was an opportunity for religion to grow and to help people embrace new lifestyles.
Muslims co-existed peacefully with other religions especially Christians and Jews. This contradicted other areas of Europe in which power strife controlled the religions that people appreciated. This applied to the Iberian Peninsula that had a problem with the Jews.
In addition, there was a problem in Russia because the Muslims in the region could not entertain the growing number of Christians who did not have to pay taxes to sustain their religions (The Rise and Fall of Islamic Spain Full documentary PBS). Power struggles amongst different religions across Europe led to the downfall of some of the most powerful groups. This explains the fall of the Umayyad kingdom after 700 AD in Europe.
Islamic Spain strategy
Sustainability is the most difficult tool of management to maintain. In Spain, Muslims marinated excellent relations with other religions in order to avoid conflicts. During this period, power coupled with ignorance only saw many countries fight to be the best. Most parts of Europe rarely concentrated on the significance of peace as an element of development in the society.
Instead, they believed that power and influence only came when people fought for the various spaces they ardently wanted. According to the Muslims, the only strategy to success in an environment of diversity is to work together and share ideas. This led to the conviction of many Spaniards converting mostly of them into Muslims. Different religions shared resources and ideas enabling the country to thrive and succeed in Europe.
Spain became an example to many people before the religious wars began. Though the groups existed as religious extremists, they had a common idea of developing the country and transforming Spain into an enviable country in Europe.
However, when religious differences ensued, it was important for only one religion to prove powerful in Spain. Around 1000 AD, there was a significant difference in opinions between the Jews, Christians, and Muslims in the previously peaceful Spain. By 1207 AD, violence ensued in the country causing a major collapse of the Islamic Spain.
Politics and the Islamic Spain
Religion, politics, and economics formed the pillars for Islamic Spain. When the ruling power polity supports a particular religion, there is a high possibility that the religion would have the greatest influence on the people. In addition, the powerful religion becomes the greatest challenger of the government when it fails to achieve its obligation to the society.
This explains the position held by the Muslim religion in Spain. Through influence, the religion exercised authority over the land ensuring that the government achieved its obligations to the people of Spain. Islam helped in reinforcing ethical responsibility in the people it represented. Between 660 AD and 950 AD, Islam became a source of solace for many Spaniards.
During the same period, any information from Muhammad the prophet controlled the governance structures. By the 10th century, all governance structures had the presence of Muslim leadership. For instance, Abdul-Rahman, the leader of Al-Andalus had to ensure that Muslims and other religions co-existed peacefully for the overall development of the country.
As such, politics formed an important basis for building a strong Islamic front in Spain. Respect to ethics also helped in increasing the goodwill of the population towards the Islamic Spain. Muslim movements also collected taxes to fulfil their strategic plans. This did not happen among the Christians ensuring that a section of the population converted to Christianity.
This was the greatest source of animosity between Muslims and Christians. However, poor Muslims did not pay taxes even though they had food, a place to sleep, and clothes to adorn. This was very significant in making the Muslim religion attractive to many Spaniards.
Acquisition
Acquisition was an important element of expanding the Islamic Spain. It gave the union power to dominate over Spain and other parts of Europe and this created animosity between the movement and Europeans. Europeans wanted the slightest opportunity to protect their Holy lands and to invade the Muslim dominated grounds especially Al-Andalus.
Islamic Spain acquired the Martials from North Africa making it easy to introduce the religion in the acquired regions. Around the 11th century, Islamic Spain acquired most parts of the West. The country achieved this through unity and continued persistence (The Rise and Fall of Islamic Spain Full documentary PBS).
The Iberian Peninsula displayed high reception levels to the Spanish civilisation making it the most effective place for the Islamic Spain to acquire that part of Europe. As this happened, the relationship between the Christian and Muslim religious sects became soar. Al-Andalus was no longer a place for refuge because Islamic Spain had limited power to protect its followers (Wasserstein 38).
Besides attacks internally, the Islamic Spain faced opposition from other parts of Europe. European countries joined forces to fight the Islamic Spain, and the invaded armies from North America participated in the war (Ahlstrom 20). Acquisition remains a strategy of attaining dominance for most organisations today.
As such, the Islamic Spain was the initiator of civilisation because the things that people learned during the period still apply in capitalistic economies. Acquisition enabled the Islamic Spain to gain the confidence of the people and to remain stable over centuries.
There is evidence that knowledge and unity were the forces that helped the union to earn public goodwill because without the same, it would be overly impossible to acquire another land and expand territories.
Spaniards and Islam
There are very many reasons why countries opt to adapt a uniform religion that all people should follow. For over 800 years, the Spanish accepted Muslims because of the ability of the religion to promote development within the country and promotion of peaceful co-existence. The factors discussed below contributed towards Muslim’s influence in Spain.
Innovation
Muslims promoted creativity in Spain and this was very important for the civilisation. Before religious tension ensued in the Iberian Peninsula, Spain was the centre of attraction for the people of Europe because the country developed various innovative products. The water wheel among other innovations was significant throughout civilisation and other European countries began aping the trend.
Even with the slight religious clashes, the Muslims still supported innovation. For some unknown reason, there was competition between the Muslims, Jews, and Christians and this promoted the development of industrial products during the period.
The 10th century Spain required a religion that would protect the land jealously from external forces that would seek to divide the caliphate (The Rise and Fall of Islamic Spain Full documentary PBS).
Around the same period, the fast growing Umayyad kingdom in Syria sought to extend to Spain, Poland, and Russia among other parts of Europe. It was impossible for the dynasty to invade Spain, and control it because the Islamic Spain was equally prominent and there was no need for the Umayyad kingdom to invade a territory that was dominantly Islam.
Religion promoted art, business, technology, science, and philosophy among other elements of creativity. It was difficult to notice that Muslims provided the calm innovative environment in order to be completely in control of the country. For about 8 centuries people lived under the rule of Muslim leaders. As such, all systems had to follow the law set by Muslim rulers.
Spain being the European hub for innovation could not afford to have any wars because this would reduce the influence it commanded in Europe. During this very period, the Pope equally submitted to the Muslim leadership even though he led the Catholic Church separately. Evidently, the Pope tried to intervene when the Umayyad caliphate and the Muslims in Spain began scrambling for space and recognition in the country.
This affected innovation because there was limited time for thinking and production because the country concentrated on the war at hand. In the end, the fall of the Islamic Spain acted as assign of the Civil War that occurred in Spain between 1936 and 1939.
Unity
Peaceful coexistence and unity are principal factors of developing a dynasty that would have a long-term effect on people. This applied to the situation in Spain during the Islamic rule. Jews, Christians, and Muslims lived together and supported each other especially on matters of national importance. Spain had a popular culture making it difficult to realise that the country consisted of people from diverse socio-cultural backgrounds.
Peace and unity promoted economic growth in the country and this helped in making Spain famous. There was completely nothing wrong with the Muslim rule until the different religious sects began fighting for fame and prowess.
There was no need to oppose a government that helped Spain identify with the international community through art, poetry, science, engineering, and several aspects of the great civilisation. Disunity would definitely not allow the country to achieve its objectives, and this explains why the Spaniards supported the Islamic rule for 800 years (Collomb 100).
Spaniards did not begin the religious wars. Instead, the wars began between Muslims from Syria and Spanish Muslims. The Spaniards sought to protect their territory from external invasion and this affected the stability in the country. In almost all probability, without the religious wars, Islamic Spain would still exist in Europe.
The people of Spain did not have any issue with the leadership of the Islamic rulers and this explains the over 700 years of their religion’s leadership in a country initially dominated by Catholics. Muslims promoted brotherhood and unity, which were the building pillars of success in Spain. Unity lacked in other parts of Europe and this threatened the very existence of the Jews in Russia and Christians in Syria.
Issues of religious extremism never existed because the Jews and the Christians provided an excellent environment for Muslim leadership. Through unity, the country was able to experience peace, economic growth, and stability, which were very important to Spaniards.
Independence
Religious extremists mostly in Islam exist because the involved parties overly exaggerate the functions of Jihad. During the middle Ages, religious freedom prevailed and this enabled different religious to operate at the same level. While the same happened, the ruling religion had to command respect from the rest of the population.
There was no need to fight for power, unlike the extremist groups from different religions in the current societies that overly fight for recognition. The Islamic government created religious autonomy for Spaniards and the fact that each person was free to worship in a religion in which he or she was comfortable reduced the possibility of the occurrence of religious wars.
Muslim leaders of the 10th to 18th century in Spain used intellect to rule the land. Religion is a strong force of rebellion, but empowering each religion reduces the possibility of such occurrence.
In essence, the Muslims never exercised control over other people and Christians could worship in churches while Jews could use temples freely. By empowering different religions, the Spaniards felt safe under the rule of Muslims and they had no reason to overturn a stable government.
Muslims never used totalitarianism to rule Spain, but the rulers focused on dialogue as an important aspect of attaining public goodwill. Islamic rulers understood that they were dealing with enlightened people in Spain and exercising authority on them would trigger a revolt. This happened when the Pope tried to eradicate Muslims from Spain even though he was initially comfortable with the rule.
It was evident that the Umayyad dynasty would take control of the land if the Islamic Spain failed to defend the land from externalities. Most critics considered the Pope as a selfish church leader who took the opportunity to rule the country after the Muslim-to-Muslim war ensued in the country.
When unity and religious autonomy failed in the country, it was impossible for the country to remain relevant in Europe even in the face of inventing the hydraulic technology.
Failure of the Islamic period
Power strife
Initially, the Muslims co-existed peacefully with other religions and it was impossible to predict the occurrence of violence in the country. Power struggles became evident around the 11th century in which the Al-Andalus dynasty because the community realised that the Pope strived to bring down the Muslim rule by dissuading people from following the Islamic movement.
In 1207, the Pope organised a crusade to the dynasty for people to rebel against the kingdom. It was not easy for the Muslims to relent and they had to organise armies to defend Spain against Christian invasion. On the other hand, Christians wanted to command Spain as they did during the Greco-Roman revolution.
Leaving the Muslims to command the land would definitely make it difficult for people to remember that Christians equally were a strong force in Spain. In 1236, Muslims retaliated in Cordoba considering the fact that Christians pitched tent in the area initially dominated by Muslims (The Rise and Fall of Islamic Spain Full documentary PBS).
During this period, Christians used subtle strategies to lure Muslims. Muslims had to pay taxes in order to provide meals and accommodation for the poor in the society. In addition, Christians also transformed mosques into churches and this did not offer an alternative to worshipers because they atomically had to convert to Christianity.
By the 14th century, only Granada Muslim Empire remained untouched by the growing Christian movement. Only the most prominent religion could survive the violence and this gave rise to Catholicism’s fame while Muslims had to deal with the loss. This was one of the major causes of the fall of the Islamic Spain.
Destroying Granada
The Granada kingdom was the only hope for Muslims in the 14th century until a century later when Christians equally reached to the mountains to access the dynasty. One of the things that weakened the Muslim kingdom was an initial power struggle between the Umayyad caliphate in Syria and the Islamic Spain.
This caused the Christians to understand the weaknesses of the kingdom and around the 15th century, Christians moved towards the Granada Mountains to attack the kingdom. During their first visit to the kingdom, they never launched an attack, but instead created friendly relations with the Muslims.
It was almost impossible to understand the motives of the Christians because initially they caused destruction in kingdoms represented by Muslims in Spain. The Pope ordered an invasion of the land beginning with Christians and Jews and this raised confusions among the Muslim population. This deterred them from launching retaliatory attacks considering the attacks only affected the Christian and Jewish populations.
The Pope received mixed reactions from the population even though Christianity began gaining prominence in the land over a short period. To some people, religion became a force that controlled the lives of people preventing them from exercising autonomy even in terms of the most basic things such as fashion (The Rise and Fall of Islamic Spain Full documentary PBS).
As such, a section of the population participated in eradication of the Muslim religion because they had business interests. Things got worse around 1500 when the Christians used force to convert Muslims.
The main intention was to get the greatest support from the population in overtaking the land and ruling Spain as they did before the Islamic Spain came into power. Transforming Granada was the ultimate objective of Christians because it would garner the greatest support for the Christians.
Responsibility versus authority
When the society entrusted power with the Islamic movement around the 8 century, they had to delegate authority in order to avoid power strife. Though Muslims provided autonomy for other religions, they controlled the entire country making it difficult for non-Muslims to succeed in the era of civilisation. Ability to exercise responsibility does not amount to authority.
Muslim leadership exercised authority since it became the only avenue that innovators could display their engineering, philosophical, and artistic ideas. For some reason, Islamic Spain controlled the population by ensuring that the leaders used subtle communication strategies to attract the greatest number of people.
When the rest of the population understood that power was very significant for them, Islamic Spain was in the verge of collapse (Abadi 111). The Muslims did not get requisite support from the population they initially controlled because they used authority to govern the land. In the face of such calamities, the support of the target population is usually very important because they help in protecting the land against enemies.
When the Umayyad kingdom displayed interest in Spain, Christians did not intervene because they equally wanted a taste of power and Muslims fighting against Muslims was an excellent remedy during the period.
After the fall of the dynasty, Christians had to understand the difference between authority and responsibility or else they would also lose their position to the Jews or other religions (The Rise and Fall of Islamic Spain Full documentary PBS). However, the Christians commanded a huge army making it difficult for Muslims to defeat the Jews and the Non-Muslims in the 15th century.
Bureaucracy
In a movie re-enacting the events that culminated in the 800 years of Islamic Spain, there is evidence that the Muslim leaders used bureaucracy to control the land. Bureaucratic principles might last through generations but at some point, the population gets tired of the same and they support democracy. Leading a country for over 7 centuries is not easy and it takes an overly aggressive government to achieve the same.
Evidently, the Jews and the Christians came first to the Iberian Peninsula even though Muslims later came to control the land. It takes bureaucracy too be able to convince a section people to convert to a certain religion. In bureaucracy, the greatest principle is the ability to persuade people that the ideologies of the bureaucratic individual are the best in comparison to others within the socio-political environment.
Bureaucracy leads to failure because after periods of governance, the rulers are likely to lose their political influence because the population equally becomes enlightened. According to the movie, the Muslims were the elites of the pre-civilised Spain.
However, they promoted civilisation through different quotas enabling many countries in Europe to take interest in the country (The Rise and Fall of Islamic Spain Full documentary PBS). Through faith, they converted the Jews and the Christians to Christianity, but this did not last to eternity.
Similarly, the Muslim rule could not survive the 8th century because of the overly enlightened Spanish population. The fall of Islamic Spain began when the enlightened society realised that they would remain productive even in the absence of the Muslims.
Foreign relations and civilisation
Islamic Spain contributed towards the world civilisation in many ways. Besides invention, the Spaniards were excellent innovators who improved initially developed products in Europe. Through science, politics, and engineering, the Spaniards became a source of inspiration to the rest of the world.
Foreign relations
Since antiquity, the years of the Greco-Roman revolution, the years of Christopher Columbus, and the Age of Renaissance, Spain is very significant in history. European countries wanted to learn from the Spaniards and they had to maintain quality relations with the country. Through cultural integration, Islamic Spain managed to influence many Europeans into adapting Muslim strategies of doing things.
Islam in Spain created room for religious diversity enabling other religions to participate in the civilisation process and to improve the situation in the country. Philosophy promoted by Aristotle attracted the attention of European countries and the rest of the world.
Evidently, the philosophers still have an impact on current populations and people take interest in countries such as Spain as promoters of civilisation during and after the antiquity (The Rise and Fall of Islamic Spain Full documentary PBS).
Foreign relations between Spain, Poland, and Russia among other countries in Europe were excellent. The only animosity that existed was between Syria and Spain because of the powerful Muslim dynasties during the period.
Through foreign relations, Spain acquired raw materials including natural resources from Russia. In return, Russia acquired its finished products to help in industrialisation of the country. The fact that the Jews co-existed peacefully with the Muslims and Christians made the country admirable to foreigners within Europe.
As such, many people immigrated to Spain and converted to Islam because they wanted to be part of a religion that promoted growth and civilisation.
By the 10th century, Europeans related to the Mosques, the Hebrew pinnacle, and Churches in Spain. Besides religion, Spain maintained excellent relations with neighbouring countries by promoting its literature. Today, many people still refer to Spanish literature, creative poetry, and books.
In reference to the movie, Muslims created room for pluralism for other factions of the Spanish community. Throughout the Islamic Spain era, there was a significant growth in the economy following the recognition of prominent personalities in art, science, philosophy, engineering and other areas of the economy.
After the introduction of the hydraulic technology, other European countries especially Bosnia, Poland, and Russia began using the technology for mining purposes. Russia used hydraulic technology in the Uranium sector and other multipurpose activities.
Though the movie fails to highlight significant relations between Spain and other countries in Europe, each innovation in the land increased made it possible for Spain to relate well with its neighbouring states (The Rise and Fall of Islamic Spain Full documentary PBS). The independence enjoyed during the Islamic Spain made the residents of Europe to learn many things.
Most of them began fighting for independence many years after the Islamic Spain stopped ruling the country. In the early 19th century, Bosnia had a civil revolution that made it separate into Serbia, Yugoslavia, and Herzegovina. Russia also lost control of the Soviet Union making countries such as Syria to defect from the movement in the late 19th century.
All these happened because people wanted to be in control of their lives and not under the rule of a central oppressive government. In 1991, the USSR failed to command the Soviet Union officially leading to its collapse. This also made it possible for other generations to relate to the fall of the Islamic Spain following over 700 years of controlling Spain.
When the Moors Ruled in Spain
Cities of light provided an over view of the rise and fall of the Islamic Spain. On the other hand, when the moors ruled in Spain is equally a re-enactment of the rule of the Moors in Europe for over 700 years. The Moors led Spain and Poland respectively and by the 15th century, the lost control of the two countries in Europe (Al-Andalus History of Islam in Spain).
The Moors were present in different regions in Spain including Granada, Cordoba, Andalucía, and Fes. The society consists of various social forces that contribute towards the development of a uniform culture. Countries get recognition based on the socio-economic, political, and technological forces they have in the world. Religion is an element of the social realm that defines the belief systems of a section of the population.
Islam a renowned religion and Spain a prominent country dominate the discussion. The rise and fall of the Islamic religion in Spain is of great significance to the history of Europe. Prior to the fall of the Soviet Union between 1989 and 1991, Europe was a force to reckon with considering it took control of the Americas about the same period.
Besides, the history of Spain is important because of its close relationship with the world civilisation. Islam was the dominant religion around 1207, but Christianity and Judaism equally commanded crowds of believers. This threatened the survival of Islam in Spain that initially embraced Catholicism.
The inception
Tariq ibn Ziyad led the Moors into Spain in 711 AD. Their occupation in Spain was significant to the western civilisation because the Arabs provided an excellent ground for competition with the Islamic Spaniards. Moors came from North Africa and entered Andalus through the Gibraltar Strait. Moors threatened the existence of the Gothic leaders considered one of the most powerful armies in Europe under the leadership of Germany.
The 7th century marked a major economic and socio-political transition for European. Al-Anadlus became the Moors’ territory and they carried out the operations of acquiring other kingdoms from Al-Andalus.
When Moors reached Granada, a section of the Arabs became Muslims instead of converting the populations they found in the territories (Al-Andalus History of Islam in Spain). This empowered the Islamic Spain and there was a conflict of interest between the Arabic Moors and the Muslim Moors in Spain.
The Moors came from Morocco in North Africa and they equally interacted with members of the Abbasid family who caused the Abbasid Revolution in 750 CE to North Africa. The Abbasid family and members of the Marwanid left Syria for North Africa originally ruled Syria under the Umayyad caliphate that was Muslim. As such, some members of the Moors army understood Muslim teachings because of the interaction process.
The forgotten history
According to the producer of the movie; Bettany Hughes, there is part of the Spanish history that many historians forgot. This incorporates the era in which the Moors ruled the land. Though many people discuss the rise and fall of the Islamic Spain, they forget that the Arabs were equally a force to reckon with between 711 AD and the 15th century.
There is evidence that the Arabs introduced arithmetic calculations in Spain including Algebra. At Alhambra Palace in the Granada dynasty, first mathematical calculations occurred when the Arabs invaded the place. Mathematics became important for business and formal education, which was also a project of the Moors in Spain.
In Granada, the Moors converted many Muslims and this was very important for the influence and support they needed in 712 AD (Bollacasa and Althea 40). It was difficult to notice the difference between the Arab Moors and the Muslim Moors because of similar cultures. Other areas of exploration included astrology, which enabled the Moors to predict the weather and seasons of the year.
Moors also promoted art, science, and agriculture even though the Muslims took all the credit for the work. According to historians, the Moors contributed more on the civilisation as opposed to the Muslims who got all the praises for having a sustainable and long-term government.
Science and civilisation
In Spain, the Muslims introduced the lemon tree and the waterwheel, but the Moors introduced Avocados. Without much recognition, the Moors remained subtle in their scientific endeavours often working at conquering countries that were originally under the rule of the Muslims. Before the Moors’ invasion, the Spanish residents referred to the period as the Dark Ages.
About the same time, the Muslims helped in technologically advancing Spain and the society began to see the Renaissance even though the Moors participated actively throughout the period. Instead of fair representation of the Muslim and Arabic Moors, only the Islamic Spain emerged as a strong promoter of the civilisation process (Ahlstrom 21).
Besides mathematics and art, the Moors introduced science in Europe enabling people to become innovative especially in the field of astronomy. It became easy for Spaniards to predict the climatic conditions through astrology including prediction of the future. Ever since, the Spaniards used chemistry, physics, and geography including philosophy to interact with other people in Europe.
A renowned historian, Davidson Basil was quick to note that Moorish philosophy represented the North African civilisation, and it was difficult for the Islamic Spain to accept that change would occur from the black continent.
The Moors designed and established the Cordoba Mosque, which is still important to the people of Spain. The artistic work from the Moors rarely found representation until the beginning of the 18th century when many historians began discussions concerning the rise and fall of the Islamic Spain.
Innovations that generated interest in Spain included the lemon tree and the waterwheel. The lemon tree became very important for medicinal purposes, and additional for meals. Lemon tree gave fame to Spain because the rest of Europe wanted to access the lemon tree. Initially considered a wild plant, it had limited functions in the society because other parts of Europe never identified its medicinal functions.
The waterwheel helped in reducing workload because the Spanish created the machinery for the same purpose. The Umayyad dynasty equally commanded a hug army of Muslims in Syria, but the country’s development could not compare to Spain. Spain used international relations to promote the western civilisation.
According to the rest of Europe, it was important to develop relations with countries such as Spain because the long-term relationship determined equal stability in other countries.
By establishing long-term relations between Spain and other countries and Europe, the countries had the assurance of enjoying the innovative products from the Spanish empire. Islamic Spain also led through peaceful means that attracted other European states enabling them to develop mutually beneficial relationships with Spain.
People identify the Moors with their art and ability to use the precious stones for beautifying edifices and ornaments. They included jasper and porphyry among other precious stones, which they also sold to the neighbouring Poland and Bosnia. Art only formed a section of the western civilisation that the Moors promoted.
Agriculture was another source of recognition for the Moors because they also introduced the lemon tree, oranges, avocados, dates, cotton, and rice among many cash crops and fruits.
The Moors did virtually everything to ensure that western civilisation survived even without the recognition of the group of people. Though situated in Al-Andalus and Cordoba the Moors introduced many things in Spain. The Muslims had influence because they commanded many territories in the country providing them with requisite support from the population in Spain.
Formal education
When the Moors first came to Spain, they had the responsibility of introducing formal education considering the population considered many illiterate, but creative individuals. Without the reading and writing capabilities, it was difficult to spread innovation to other parts of Europe. People referred to the era of the Moors as the period of the Renaissance after the Dark Ages.
Formal education found acceptance in Spain at a very slow rate and the Moors already had 17 higher education institutions in various territories they acquired in Spain. This contributed to the spread of the reading and writing cultures in Spain. Some of the territories that benefited from the Universities included Cordoba and Granada.
Through formal education, it was easy for the Spanish population to document their innovative stories. In educating the population, Arabic words found way into the Spanish language. After introducing the Al-Andalus, many people began relating to the Arabic language because some words had to begin with the prefix (Alexy 90). Formal education helped the society in sharing ideas and the civilisation spread throughout Europe.
Philosophers such as Aristotle found a way of communicating their ideas in a common language that people across Europe could understand because they went through informal schools, but were capable of interpreting facts through people who studied in formal schools.
The end
The Moors’ end came in the 15th century around the same time as the Islamic Spain. The Arabic language started to gain prominence because the Moors spread their texts throughout the land. Before the end of their term in Spain, Christians, particularly the Catholics destroyed the materials making it impossible for the Arabs to control Spain.
The Christian invasion caused the downfall of both the Moors and the Islamic Spain (Bollacasa and Althea 41). Catholics targeted the territories that experienced the influence of the Moors including Granada and burnt about 100, 000 religious texts. This completely interfered with the spread of the Moorish culture in the region.
It took many years of sacrifice for various intellects to write the texts and destruction of the same discouraged them from continued production of Arabic literature.
Christians wanted to dominate Spain as they did before and during the Dark Ages. Enlightenment was good for the people, but the Moors had not room to convert almost 79% of the population. This would result in the disappearance of the traditional Spanish culture, which Christians could not allow.
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