Spain in the Middle Ages: Takeover by the Moors.

In the 4^th year of the rule of Justinian, the ruler or Caliph of the Arab empire then, his son succeeded him. This new Caliph was Wali the 1^st, one of the believers in the new religion, Islam. He then formed a small army and traveled over Arabia, converting many states and cities. They would circle a family or home and then demand recruits for his growing force, as well as supplies. Conquering and spreading their religion was very fast going with the Arabs, or Moors as they came to be called. In contrast with other armies, they could stay in the saddle all day. Their territory grew from Arabia to include the Middle East, Egypt, and North Africa. By the beginning of the 8^th century, they had almost reached Spain, which was only 20 miles away over the ocean from North Africa. Wali appointed Musa, another Arab, to be the new governor of North Africa. Musa decided to conquer Spain. He never suspected that it would be as easy as it was.

Meanwhile, the Visigoth kingdom (present day Spain) was in turmoil. Tisa, the Christian king of Spain for nine years, suddenly died. The church gathered together all the Barons to pick a new king. As you can probably imagine, the unexpected death of the king left a power vacuum. The church was very worried. A new king had to be found. Suddenly, a Baron and powerful chief named Roderick seized the palace with his officials and supporters. His power base was at the town of Merida, in southern Spain. He thought he could defeat the other Barons and take the title of king, and this was his chance. He rounded up a small army and marched to the capital to confront the other Barons. Even then, he could not survive without the Bishop’s blessing. They were so desperate for a new king that they gave in and blessed him.

The beginning of a new reign was always a sensitive time for the new king; he could be challenged and have to prove himself in battle. This was very true for Roderick. Legend has it that when every new king started his reign, he should go to the House of Wisdom, and add another lock to the door of the room that held secrets. Being an impatient man, not given to rituals, Roderick went into the house and unlocked the door to that room. There on a table was a beautiful casket inlaid with gold and precious stones. Inside that was a parchment with a prophecy on it that read: “When this scroll shall be opened, the name of this kingdom shall be blotted out.” Roderick was filled with remorse for what he had done. But all traces of that were forgotten when he had to go to settle a rebellion of Basques in the far south of Spain. He knew that if he left them alone, more and more cities and tribes would break away and his whole nation would crumble. But even as he went to settle the Basques, the real danger was even then moving in.

Tariq, the Moorish commander appointed by Musa, was landing on the shores of southern Spain. He landed by a large rock, which today is still named after him, Gibraltar (Tariq’s rock). It was then he made a rousing speech to his nervous men. “Oh, my warriors, whither would you flee? Behind you is the sea, before you, the enemy” So, heartened by Tariq’s brave words, they marched off to do battle with the last of the Visigoths.

As they got closer and closer to where Roderick and his force of royal guards were stationed, a messenger from one of the nearby villages was dispatched to warn him about the coming danger. Roderick, hearing that the enemy force consisted of only a few hundred men in contrast to his many, decided to march to meet them right away. It was the worst thing he ever did.

Now, to understand this crucial part in the story, you need to understand both sides’ battle techniques. The Visigoths’ traditional tactics were to charge, straight on, using their numbers as a key factor to help them win. The Moors, few as they were, did the exact opposite. Circling the Visigoths, they went straight for the heart of the troops- Roderick. Tariq stood to the side, watching proudly as his men won the day. What was left of those still loyal to Roderick took refuge in the town of Merida. Tariq’s troops laid siege to the town until the people there were forced to surrender. He dealt a fierce punishment to them, killing the men and enslaving the women and children. The last Visigothic kingdom had been soundly defeated.

Although the remaining Spanish population thought this conquest a bad thing, it actually shaped the future of Spain. The Moors imported much knowledge in the way of Greek science, philosophy, medicine, art, literature, and many volumes of Islamic poetry. They even had a type of encyclopedia! The Moors allowed the Spanish population to keep their religion as well as providing them with amazing knowledge. The Spanish people were in the middle of an almost pre-time renaissance.

The Moors, effective as they were, eventually got kicked out of Spain by the ungrateful Spanish, who couldn’t see just how they tied in with their now scholarly kingdom.

Today

The many troubles of yesterday are, in fact, still valid today. The long years of conflict between the east and west have continued through time to become a new holy war, basing on long forgotten arguments. These facts should make us wonder if this war is really necessary and if the lives of many, deemed honorably spent, were really spent for the wrong cause.