Lecture 6 - The Spain of the Three cultures: Politics and Society in Medieval Iberia

Question 1

what is “Reconquista”

Answer 1

” a polemical concept: TA 19th Century historiographical concept linked to (1) the idea of the political unity of Spain under a Catholic Monarchy going back to the Visigoths; and (2) the alleged historical continuity of the Spanish people/nation. This notion consolidated duringFranco’sdictatorship

Question 2

is the reconquista an Anti-Muslim Sentiment

Answer 2

Anti-Muslim texts were far less common in the first centuries of the Middle Ages than previously thought – An exception was set by the Christian Chronica Prophetica (883–884), a document stressing the Christian and Muslim cultural and religious divide in Iberia and the necessity to drive the Muslims out, but its influence was limited

Question 3

explain War and Alliances in the Middle Ages with regard to the “reconquista”

Answer 3

Both Christian and Muslim rulers fought with each other and amongst themselves. Alliances between Muslims and Christians were not uncommon. Blurring distinctions even further were the mercenaries from both sides who simply fought for whoever paid the most – No unified purpose

Question 4

who was El Cid

Answer 4

The example of Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, El Cid Campeador (1043-1099)
Muslims called him “Cid” which meant the Lord (probably from the original Arabic al-sayyid, السَّيِّدn

Christians called him El Campeador, which stood for “The Battlefielder,” “Outstanding Warrior,” or “The one who stands out in the battlefield”

In history, he served both Christian and Muslim rulers (especially those who opposed the Almoravids) – He conquered the Muslim kingdom of Valencia

In poetry, He is the protagonist of the most famous Spanish ballad of the Middle Ages “El Cantar del Mío Cid” (The Song of Mio Cid) – Late 12th Century – It presents El Cid as an ideal Christian knight and faithful vassal of his King – The poem was certainly directed to legitimate the minor nobility vis-à-vis the high nobility and the monarchy

Question 5

Holy War in the Peninsula: who fought

Answer 5

Reconquista vs. Crusade vs. Jihad

Question 6

explain The Christian Crusade and the Almoravid/Almohad Jihad (holy war in the peninsula)

Answer 6

A turning point. The idea of a Holy War against the Christian/Muslim enemy started late in the late 11th Century with the first Crusade (on the Christian side) and with the Almoravid/Almohad invasion (on the Muslim side) – Foreign European knights came to assist the Christian kingdoms as part of the Crusade – Arab rulers called in the Almoravids (Berbers) to help them

Question 7

explain Pragmatists vs. Radicals during the holy war in peninsula

Answer 7

Foreign fighters (either Christian or Muslims) were far more ideologized and radical than Christians and Muslims living in the Iberian Peninsula – They were therefore looked with suspicion by both the local Muslim and Christian aristocracy, but wanted their military expertise [see ”Dangerous friends”]

Question 8

explain The Reconquista put “on ice (holy war in the peninsula)

Answer 8

After the victory of the Navas de Tolosa (1212) and the end of Almohand rle, the Reconquista was no longer a political priority neither for Castile or Aragon. Castile underwent a period of intense political instability - Aragon concentrated on its Mediterranean expansion, especially in Italy -

Question 9

what was the new threat during/after the holy war in the peninsula

Answer 9

The Ottoman empire: A new threat. The Fall of Constantinople, the Mediterranean expansion of the Ottoman Empire, and the unification of the Crowns of Castile and Aragon together with an increasing religious dogmatism in the Western Christendom explains the Fall of Granada , the last Muslim kingdom, in 1492.

Question 10

explain The expulsion of the “moriscos:” (holy war in the peninsula)

Answer 10

Accused of having falsely converted to Christianity and deemed a security risk in light of Ottoman advances, the remainng converted population of Muslim origin known as “moriscos” were expelled from Spain in 1609. The expulsion of the moriscos marked the end of the influence of Muslim culture in the Iberian Peninsula.

Question 11

how does Henry of Burgundy relate to the old war in the peninsula

Answer 11

Remember. One of those knights was Henry of Burgundy (1066-1112), who became Count of Portugal in 1096, married an (illegitimate) daughter of Alphonse VI, raised against the King of Castile and Leon, and
was the first member of became the father of the country’s first king, Afonso Henriques.

Question 12

what was the capital in christian spain

Answer 12

Toledo had been the old capital of the Visigothic Kingdom – It was conquered by the Christians in 1085 - It carried much symbolic value - Under the Castillian kings, Toledo continued to be a meeting point for Christians, Jews, and Muslims

Question 13

explain The School of Translators

Answer 13

Toledo became famous for the establishment and development between the 12th and 13th century of the group of schlars known as the Toledo School of translators.

Question 14

what were the 2 phases of the Toledo School of translators

Answer 14

12th Century: ArchbishopRaymond of Toledopromoted the translation of philosophical and religious works, mainly from classical Arabic into Latin, including Greek works that had been translated into Arabic

13th Century: Under, KingAlfonso X, the Wise, translators no longer worked withLatinas the final language, but translated into a revised version ofCastilian. This resulted in establishing the foundations of the modernSpanish language.

Question 15

what was the new legal code of the christian spain

Answer 15

King Alphonse X codified the most important legal code of the Middle Ages: Las Siete partidas (Seven Part Code) which would help in later centuries solidify the power of the Monarchy - This Code has been described as a “humanist encyclopedia,” as it addressesphilosophical, moral andtheologicaltopics as well, including theGreco-Roman,Judeo-ChristianandIslamic viewpoints

Question 16

what was the Medieval Music of the christian spain

Answer 16

The Canticles of Santa María are 420 devotional poems with musical notation, written in the medieval Galician-Portuguese language during the reign of Alfonso X of Castile El Sabio (1221–1284) and often attributed to him. It is one of the largest collections of monophonic (solo) songs from the Middle Ages. They are composed in honor of the Virgin Mary.

Question 17

what is The University of Salamanca

Answer 17

The University of Salamanca is the oldest university in the Hispanic world, and the third oldest university still in operation (the other two are the University of Bologna and the University of Oxford)

Question 18

what is the origin of the University of Salamanca

Answer 18

Its origin, like all older universities, was a Cathedral School, whose existence can be traced back to 1130. The university was founded in 1134 and recognized as a “General School of the Kingdom” by theLeoneseKingAlfonso IXin 1218. Granted Royal Chart by King Alfonso X, dated 8 May 1254, as the University of Salamanca this established the rules for organization andfinancial endowment.

Question 19

what was the important role of The University of Salamanca

Answer 19

As Spain became an empire It would play a fundamental role in the creation of an administrative class - It would also have a leading role in the development of international law and neo-scholasticism

Question 20

As a city Salamanca benefitted from its position as a city in what way

Answer 20

one of the main paths of the Camino de Santiago, Saint James Way

Question 21

what is The Legend of Saint James (Santiago de Compostela and The Way of Saint James: Religion and Culture in the Spanish Middle Ages)

Answer 21

St. James preached the gospel in Spain, as well as in the Holy Land; second, that after his martyrdom at the hands of Herod Agrippa,his body was carried by sea to Iberia, landing on the coast of Galicia, then took it inland for burial at Santiago de Compostela.

Question 22

explain The rediscovery of the Saint relics (Santiago de Compostela and The Way of Saint James: Religion and Culture in the Spanish Middle Ages)

Answer 22

The tradition at Compostela placed the discovery of the relics of the saint in the time of king Alfonso II (791-842) and of bishop Theodemir of Iria. These traditions were the basis for the pilgrimage route that began to be established in the 9th century, and the shrine dedicated to James at Santiago de Compostela, in Galicia in Spain,

Question 23

Santiago de Compostela and The Way of Saint James: Religion and Culture in the Spanish Middle Ages
explain “A pan-European meeting place)

Answer 23

The Way of St. James became one of the most famous pilgrimage site in the Christian world. It is a trio of routes that cross Western Europe and arrive at Santiago through Northern Spain. Eventually James became the patron saint of Spain.