The history of the Middle Ages is full of events associated with the collapse and formation of states, with the struggle between religions: Islam and Christianity, with the rapid growth in the number of colonies and wars of liberation. One of these states that emerged in the medieval era is the Emirate of Cordoba on the territory of the Iberian Peninsula. After the emirate, the Caliphate of Cordoba existed on these lands. It is important to define these concepts.
Emirate of Cordoba: what is it?
We are talking about a state that was formed on the territory of modern Spain in the Middle Ages. The center of the emirate was the city of Cordoba in Spain. The state religion of this entity was Islam
The formation of the emirate is associated with the name of Emir Abd ar-Rahman I of the Umayyad clan. The state was founded by him in 756. The Emirate of Cordoba existed for about 170 years.
So what is an emirate? This is a type of Islamic state, the head of which is the emir. In this case, the Emir of Cordoba. In contrast to this possession, in the caliphate the headis caliph.
The aggressive campaigns of the Arabs, as a prerequisite for the formation of the emirate
The history of the Arab conquests in European territories began with an act of retribution by the ruler of the city of Ceuta Julian. Ceuta at that time belonged to Byzantium. It was the only city that fiercely resisted the Arab ruler Walid I, who expanded the borders of the Arab Caliphate to the ocean coast.
Such a neighborhood for Christian Europeans was very dangerous. Julian decided to surrender Ceuta to the Arabs after the Visigothic king Roderic dishonored his daughter Kava, who was sent to the court in Toledo for training and education.
Julian and Walid I united and sent an army against Roderich. During the hostilities, which lasted a total of four years, almost the entire Iberian Peninsula was subordinated to Arab power.
Three years later, Narbonne was captured by the Arabs, and eight years later, the Aquitanian possessions of Nimes and Carcassonne.
A special place in the Arab-European wars was occupied by Abd ar-Rahman I, who de alt with his compatriot opponent Utman ibn Naissa (Munuza). Then he sent his troops against his ally Ed of Aquitaine and captured the cities of Albijoie, Rouergue, Gevaudan, Velay, Autun, Sens, Oloron, Lescar, Boyonna, Auch, Dax, Eure-sur-Adur, Bordeaux, Garonne, Limousin, Perigueux, Sainte, Angouleme, the provinces of Bigorre, Comminges, Labourg, the abbeys of Saint-Sever and Saint-Savin. His army reached Burgundy and repeatedlyinvaded Gaul.
This period of active hostilities ended thanks to the military alliance of Ed the Great and Charles Martel with the temporary success of the Europeans and the balance of political forces achieved.
Stages of formation
| Chronological frames | Events |
| 711 - 718 | The province of the Umayyad Caliphate (center in Baghdad) was founded with the capital in Spain in the city of Cordoba, ruled by the emir. The latter was appointed by the African governor. |
| 750 - 755 | The fall of the Umayyad state and the flight of the last ruler of this kind to Egypt, and then to the Maghreb. Power in the emirate passed to the Abbesid dynasty. |
| 755 - 756 | The capture of Cordoba by Abd ar-Rahman I and his assumption of the title of Emir. Founding of the emirate. |
| 792 - 852 |
Abd ar-Rahman II brought the government into an orderly system in the state, regulated the activities of the viziers. Displaced almost all Christians from the Iberian Peninsula. Created an independent emirate. |
| By 912 | The emirate of Cordoba has fallen into decay. The struggle between the Berbers and the Arabs continued. |
| Ser. 8th century - 1492 | Reconquista of Spain and Portugal for the reconquest of the lands of the Iberian Peninsula. |
| 891 - 961 | Abd ar-Rahman III led a successful fight against the rebels, organized successful military campaigns against Christians. announcedstate of the caliphate. |
Under the last ruler, the Emirate of Cordoba reached its peak.
Reconquista and Emirate
In the first half of the VIII century. most of the lands of the Iberian Peninsula were conquered by the Arabs, who came there primarily from Africa and Iraq. In connection with the acute internecine struggle between the major feudal powers of Western Europe, the rulers of European states had to enter into temporary unprofitable political alliances with Muslims. The Catholic Church and chivalric orders staged crusades against the Arabs.
The same happened in terms of civil strife and between the Arab rulers. And they also organized their retaliatory military operations against Christians.
The successful decision of the Europeans during the Reconquista was the conclusion of a dynastic union between Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon. As a result of the unification of their armies, it was possible to end the war, the purpose of which was to conquer the Iberian Peninsula from the Arabs and drive them out of Europe. Spanish lands became Christian territories.
