The Reconquista

The Reconquista

Crusades Recap

• 1st Crusade only successful Crusade

• 2nd Crusade Crusaders spent more time fighting each other than the Muslims & lost

• 3rd Crusade Richard the Lionheart against Saladin, ended with truce

• 4th Crusade Sacked Constantinople in 1204, Crusaders never made it to Holy Land

Background

• Spain under Muslim control since 711• Moorish Kingdom– Multicultural kingdom with religious tolerance: Jews,

Christians (majority), & Muslims– Highly advanced Medieval civilization

Now that the Crusades are over, what do we do? I don’t wanna go back to my farm…

Sweet…

Let’s go fight the Muslims in Spain! We’ll get some more loot and get an

indulgence for our sins!!!

Intro

• Reconquista began in 700s & ended in 1492

• Led by Kingdoms of Aragon & Castile

Increased religious devotion after

Crusades

Christian knights went to Spain to

fight Muslims

Timeline

• 711: Muslim Invasion begins• 718: Muslim rule @ peak (incl. most of Spain and

part of France)• 718: Reconquista begins in far north • 756: Moorish Kingdom established• 1130: Half of Iberia has been reconquered• 1236: Cordoba (Moorish capital) captured• 1492: Reconquista completed; all Muslims &

Jews expelled (kicked out) from Spain

A picture is worth 1000 words

Portugal & Spain

• Portugal split off in 1139 & formed kingdom

• Ferdinand of Aragon & Isabella of Castile married in 1469 and founded Spain

Expulsion of Jews

• 1492 – Spain expelled all Muslims & Jews from country– Removed Spain’s

developing middle class

The Spanish Inquisition• Goal was to remove

heretics, witches & non-believers from the Church

• Frequently used torture to get confessions

• Led by Torquemada

Which leads us to…