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The muslims established their capital in Córdoba, as it became one of the most important cities in the mediterranean. During its period of muslim rule, the politicalorganisation of Al-Andalus evolved.
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From 711, during the Umayyad caliphate, Al-Andalus was a dependant emirate, and an emir governed it
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The Muslims came to the Iberian Peninsula in 711 and defeated the Visigoths at the Battle of Guadalete. Muza, governor of North Africa, led this advance. The Visigoths were in a civil war after King Witiza died. One successor, Agila, asked the Muslims for help against Don Rodrigo. The Muslims occupied the Iberian Peninsula, calling it Al-Andalus, during rapid Islamic expansion. They advanced north but were stopped by the Franks at the Battle of Poitiers (732). -
It took the Muslims just seven years to occupy almost the entire territory of the Iberian Peninsula. Only a few regions within the Cantabrian Mountains were able to resist. Some Visigothic nobles and clerics took refuge in these regions. The Muslims were able to move quickly because the Visigothic Kingdom was weak and there was little opposition from the population. Many nobles made submission treaties with the conquerors in order to keep their lands and conserve their power.
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A number of visigoths, mainly frim the noblity sough refuge in the mountains after fleeing the Muslims.
Finding protection, they were mixed with locals.
Don Pelayo, the first king of asturias (718) was a visigothic noble.
He led the christian resistance during the Battle of Covadonga (722) -
There were places along the cordillera cantábrica and the Pyrenees with avoided muslim control.
The two main areas of the christian resilience developed within them these regions represent the origins of the christian kingdoms -
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In 756, Abd al-Rahman I, escaping death at the hands of the Abbasids, fled to the Iberian Peninsula. He seized power, proclaimed himself Emir and refused to recognise the political authority of the Caliph. He continued to recognise their religious superiority. Al-Andalus was an independent emirate of the Islamic Empire.
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Southern border of the kingdom of the Franks.
In 778 the basques atacked frankish troops during the battle of Roncesvalles.
Thus creating the Kingdom of Pamplona thanks to the win.
Only eastern pyrenees were still controlled by franks. these represented hispanic march and included catalan countries -
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In 929, Abd al-Rahman III proclaimed himself Caliph of the Caliphate of Córdoba. In addition to political power, he also held the highest religious authority. The golden age of Al-Andalus developed.
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During the rule of Caliph Hisham II, Almanzor served as chief minister and de facto ruler of the Córdoba Caliphate. During this time, he carried out military campaigns against the Christian kingdoms. When he died in 1002, the caliphate entered a period of instability that lasted until its disintegration in 1031.
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After its disintegration, the caliphate divided and became Taifa kingdoms, which former governors of the territories ruled. The Taifa kingdoms were weak, so they had to pay parias to the Christian kingdoms to stop them invading. Despite this agreement, Alfonso VI captured Toledo from the Muslims in 1085.
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Stop Christian advance, Muslims sought help from Almoravids, a North African dynasty ruling a vast empire from Marrakech. Arrived in the Iberian Peninsula in 1086, halting the Christian kingdoms’ expansion, taking control of the weakened Taifa kingdoms. In the 12th century, the Almohads, another North African dynasty, defeated the Almoravids and ruled Al-Andalus from Seville. However, in 1212, the Christians triumphed at the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa, leading to the Almohad Empire’s collapse
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Eventually, the Christian advance limited the Muslim territory on the Iberian Peninsula to the Nasrid Kingdom of Granada. For the next two centuries, it paid parias to Castile to avoid military confrontation. The Nasrid Kingdom of Granada was eventually conquered by the Catholic Monarchs in 1492.