The History of Andalucia.
Lower Spain (Andalucia) played a vital role in the golden age history and the reconquista. During the reign of the Catholic Kings, Isabel and Fernando, Andalucía was the connecting point of Spain’s supreme moment as a world ruling power during the discovery of the Americas and has a vast patrimonial inheritance full of myth and legend. Iberian Prehistory.Discoveries of Prehistoric cave art in Altamira 15,000 BCE and Palaeolithic archaeological remains in Atapuerca confirm modern man had settlements on the Iberian Peninsular.Ancient Greek historians recorded that the Iberians originated from Africa.
On the Mediterranean side (the meseta), in Levante and in Andalucía, they mixed with the Iberians and became known as Celtiberians. Galicia and Portugal stayed independent of the Iberians. Another ethnic group inhabited the western area of the Pyrenees, and was known as Basques.
Coastal colonies grew. A semi-mythical, vanished harbour city: Tartessos was situated in western Andalucía (believed to be buried beneath the wetlands of Doñana)... The Tartessians and Phoenicians imported and exported, (Phoenicians built their own harbour, Gades – Cadiz, Andalucia).) Cadiz was a pupose-built city, constructed on the water for heightened enemy-observation. Phoenicians were referred to as the "phoinikes" by the Greeks.
Phonix meant purple-red. Renowned for their fabric-tinting skills, the Phoenicians had the monopoly on a particular Purple-red colour, which was their characteristic dress colour.
This distinctive dye was obtained from a small sea-snail: Murex brandaris. The tint extracted was called Tyrian Purple or imperial purple; was more expensive than gold to obtain. Breathe-holding divers harvested the Murex sea-snails. It was an expensive source for dye, its price was exhorbitant. The purple-red colour became identified as a "royal colour", only the very rich could afford it. The use of Tyrian purple continued by emperors until the final collapse of the Eastern Roman Empire in 1453. Meanwhile in Europe, Medieval Kings wore Royal Purple which is bluer. The Phoenicians were merchants. They exploited the tin route, shipping and supplying the Mediterranean with precious merchandises of gold, silver, minerals and bronze: They created a successful bartering-system and reaped enormous prosperity. Financial freedom enabled them to develop numerous coastal colonies: Sicily, Sardinia and in Iberia.
The Greeks seeking advantage began trading with the Tartessians. Greeks created other littoral colonies, such as: Malaga, Alicante, Ampuira, Rosas, Mainaké and others. Greeks and Phoenicians fell in crises over the Mediterranean’s jurisdiction.
The Carthaginians razed the Tartessians and enslaved some of the Iberian territory. (Three members of the Carthaginian dynasty were: Amilcar, Asdrúbal and Hannibal.) Amilcar Barca created and ruled Barcelona, Asdrúbal founded Cartago Nova (Cartagena), and Hannibal reached the Ebro. By the end of the 3rd Century the lower half of Spain was under Carthaginian dominion. The second Punic war evolved as Hannibal advanced towards Italy. The Romans reacted and pushed back the Carthaginians, defeating them. Iberian dominion was lost as a result. Cartago was completely destroyed when the third Punic war began.
In 197 BC, Iberia was divided into two principle provinces: Lusitania (Portugal) and Celtiberia.
Augusto reorganized the country into two imperial provinces: Lusitania, with Merida as its capital and Tarraconesis, with Tarragona as the capital. The north and northeast (Celtic Galicia and the Basques kept their customs and habits, Roman influence did not reach these areas.) Romans maintained supremacy for over 500 years. The Romans organised Spain as a New Rome. The colonization effects were impressive; many of their buildings remain to this day:
Commercial trading improved and the country prospered. Spain became Rome’s granary. Principal Roman exports were: gold, olive oil, wool and wine. The legal system laid down at this period, largely remains, as indeed the conversion persuasion to Christianization, which developed into the main religion. The prosperous Roman Empire fell into decline and was invaded by various Germanic tribes.
The Suebi, Vandals and the (Sarmartian) Alans, had invaded the Roman Empire and then crossed the Pyrenees at different points. The barbarians terrorized wherever they passed. They carved-up the country:
The Vandals were persuaded to leave there when the Visigothic invaders (also allies to them) arrived, to take their place. The Vandals then went further south and entered North Africa.
Visigoths were Arian Christians. The Visigoths Kingdom’s capital became Toledo. The Vandals and Alans marched on down and proceeded to invade North Africa. Visigoth impact on the Iberian society was not as impressive as had been during the Romanic occupation. However, it lasted well over 200 years. In itself, there was a continuously (renewing distraction) ongoing insurrection for the Visigoth Kingdomship. The Catholic Church during this ruling played an important and oppressive role. Until the Moors invaded, the Visigoths had barely mixed with the Catholic society. Jews were mercilessly persecuted by the Arian invaders and by Spanish Orthodox Christians (regardless of their sect). This reign of terror for the Jews, resulted in an exodus of many Spanish Jews to Ceuta and these very Jews, formed an alliance with some Berbers. During the reign of King Roderick, an "unglorious" crime was commited. The consequences of this crime, flung Spain into seven hundred years of chaos.
King Roderick’s vassal was Julian, the count of Ceuta. Julian had sent his daughter Florinda, to the Toledo court for her education. She was raped, dishonoured and impregnated by King Roderick. Thereafter, she was ignominiously nicknamed as “La Cava”: (the harlot), blame was hurled and heaped onto her, as the responsible party, for “the loss of Spain”. Outraged at the continually abusive ‘status quo’ Julian, (with allegiances to other aristocratic fleeing adversaries of the Visigoths), bargained with the North African Muslim governor (Tarik ibn Ziyad) to go on a journey with the intention of deposing King Roderick and liberating Spain. This was agreed in exchange for the conquered lands by the Moors: Julian's side of the bargain was to provide shipping for the Moorish troops, enabling them to cross the Straits of Hercules (Gibraltar – then known as the European Pillar of Hercules).
In the spring of 711, the Moors invaded. The Moors experienced a small successful attack in Tarifa. Algeciras was overthrown... many allies flocked to the Muslims aid, especially the persecuted Jews, discontented serfs and slaves (Visigoth surrogate fighters) who loathed King Roderick, even some Visigoths pledged their loyalty and the Bishop of Sevilla, (who was Julian's brother). Although the idea of invasion had started out as a reconnaissance trip. To Tarik’s amazement, victories were easy (and after some indecision), the Moors morphed into Spain's conquerors and continued to penetrate inland, being constantly victorious. They vanquished the Spaniards further and further inland. King Roderick was caught unaware and unprepared. Despite the fact that Christian solidiers were over ninety thousand, against some twelve thousand Moors. It was the fervent spirit of the Moors (fresh from conquering: Syria, Eygypt, Persia and the Eastern Empire) that finalised the outcome at the The Battle of Guadalete, where King Roderick fell at the sword of Tarik, doubt prevails he actually perished there. Palaces and priceless treasures fell into their hands, countless churches and cathedrals were seized. Taxes were established - but with a huge degree of tolerance. Spanish history had been wrought by a general persecution/horror behaviour of their invaders: the Romans, the Carthaginians, the Visigoths etc: with an intentional decimating destruction, pillage, plunder, murder, enslavement...
Christians observed astonished how their places of worship were respected intact. To say, Spain cohabitated peacefully under Moorish rule was the Golden Age Moorish myth (and incompatible with a modern conception of equality). The Moors invasion proceeded (as a classical Muslim holy war). To maintain control there was substantial plunder, enslavement, deportations and killings. However, according to the myth, an era of unaccustomed cohabitation began, especially of the three monotheistic religions. Churches had to donate half their building, to become a mosque. In stable areas, unconverted al-Andalus Christians, were denominated dhimmi or Mozarabs. For them land taxes were high. They had the choice to convert to Islam, face the death penalty or, be protected by the special jizya taxation - applied especially to the nobles. Dhimmi were (otherwise) referred to, as "people of the book". An area could exist a long period without fighting but there were frequent opressive incursions towards the Christians. If one dhimmi hurt a Moor, the whole community were tyrannicaly sanctioned and set as an example to the other Christians of Spain. Within the space of seven years, most of Spain was absorbed into the Umayyad Empire. Territory conquered was referred to as al-Andalus. The Moor advances came to a standstill at Poitiers, outside Paris, (France) where they were finally defeated. All of Spain succumbed to Moorish jurisdiction except for the Kingdom of Asturias. Spain became a province in the caliphate of Damascus in 716. The Umayyad caliphate appointed governors for a three year period to rule al-Andalus. The Umayyads had bitter enemies: the Hashims. The Abbasid family (members of the Hashim clan), revolted and overthrew the Umayyad caliphate. Damascus fell to the power of the Abbasids. In 750, the Umayyad Damascus ruling family was brutally murdered by their enemies. A young prince (abd-ar-Rahman) escaped. For over five years he sought refuge travelling further and further from Damascus, while mercilessly pursued by his over-throwers. The young prince arrived at the furthest frontier of the new regime and crossed the African straights with the intention to settle in the new territories of al-Andalus Life in the'Thousand and One Nights. The mythical depiction delineates the heights of Moorish Spain's Golden Ages. A highly intellectual and sophisticated era followed...
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