2. The Reconquest: Evolution
8th-9th centuries: Muslim Invasion; Christian
Resistance; Foundation of the first Christian States.
10th century: The Christian Kingdom’s reacherd as far
as River Duero.
12th century: The Christian Kingdom’s reached as far
as River Tajo
13th century: 1212 Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa. The
Reconquest is almost finished.
15th century: 1492 Conquest of the Nasrid Kingdom
of Granada. The Reconquest is over.
3. In the year 711, the Muslims invaded
the Iberian Peninsula and defeated
the Visigoth Kingdom of Toledo.
The Muslims conquered almost the
entire Iberia Peninsula, except the
northern ranges, and called it Al-
Andalus.
Only the mountains in Cantabria,
Asturias and the Pyrenees remained
free of Muslims. Many Visigoth nobles
took refuge there while the rest of the
population remained in Al-Andalus.
4.
5. Between the 8th and
9th centuries, the
Visigoth refugees
founded different
Christian states and
attempted a Reconquest
of the Iberian Peninsula.
6. The first Christian
states were:
The Kingdom of
Asturias and Leon
The County of
Castile
The Kingdom of
Navarre
The Aragonese
Counties
The Catalan
Counties
7.
8. THE KINGDOM OF ASTURIAS AND LEON
Founded in the mountain ranges
of Cantabria when Don Pelayo,
a visigoth nobleman, was chosen
king after defeating the Muslims
at the Battle of Covadonga
(722).
The court was established in
Oviedo.
They expanded by conquering
lands in Galicia and Alava and
moving south until reaching River
Duero.
Its most important king was
Alfonso III that conquered a lot of
territories, moved the capital to
Leon and changed the name of
the kingdom to the Kingdom
of Leon.
9. THE COUNTY OF CASTILE
This territory belonged to
the Kingdom of Leon until
the first half of the 10th
century when Muslims
attacked the Kingodm
and Count Fernan
Gonzaled declared the
County of Castile
independent.
It expanded and at the
beginning of the 11th
century it became the
Kingdom of Castile.
10. THE KINGDOM OF NAVARRE
When the Carolingian Empire disappeared, the Spanish
March dissolved. As a result, the Western part of the
Pyrenees was transformed into the Kingdom of Navarre by
the Jimena dynasty.
Navarre also comprised La Rioja and Alava.
King Sancho III, expanded the kingdom by conquering the
Aragonese Counties, Castile and part of the kingodm of Leon.
But after his death, most of these territories were lost.
11. THE ARAGONESE COUNTIES
They were also a part of the Carolingian’s Spanish March.
They belonged to the Kingdom of Navarre until the death of
King Sancho III, the Great, when Count Aznar Galindo
declared its independence.
12. THE CATALAN COUNTIES
Were also a part of the Carolingian’s Spanish March. After
the March dissolved, they became independent under
Wilfred, the Hairy.
13. At the beginning of the 10th
century, the Christian
Kingdoms had gained
control over one-third of the
Iberian Peninsula
conquering territories of Al-
Andalus.
Willing to obtain support
from the European
Kingdoms, these Christian
Kingdoms presented their
conquering of territories as a
reconquest of the
Visigoth’s territories that had
been invaded by the
Muslims.
14. The Reconquest
involved the
occupation of
territories advancing
south.
In the 10th centur y,
Christians Kingdoms
reached as far as River
Duero. It was easy
because the land was
desserted. Groups of
peasants colonized
those lands forming
small villages in a
process called
repopulation.
15. During the 12th
century, Christian
Kingdoms reached as far
as River Tajo taking
advantage of the
dissolution of the
Caliphate of Cordoba and
the taifas’ period.
To avoid attacks, the
Taifas’ kings paid parias
to the Christian Kings,
thereby strengthening
them.
16. The Kingdom of
Castile and the
Kingdom of Leon
jointly set up the
Crown of Castile
and Leon which
soon became the
most powerful
kingdom.
The County of
Portugal, which was
part of the Crown of
Castile, became
independent as the
Kingdom of
Por tugal.
17. The Kingdom of
Aragon and the
Catalan Counties,
jointly set up the
Crown of Aragon.
Its first king, Alfonso I,
the battler, set up the
border in the Ebro
valley.
The Kingdom of
Navarre could not
expand itself because
it was trapped
between the Crown of
Castile and the Crown
of Aragon.
18. Conquered territories
were divided into areas
dominated by a city.
The Kings gave these
cities privileges
through fueros to
encourage
repopulation.
However, most of the
land remained
underpopulated so the
kings gave them to
military order which
created large fiefs.
19. During the 13th
century, after the Battle
of Las Navas de
Tolosa (1212) the
Reconquest continued to
progress in the South.
The Christian Kingdoms
conquered almost all Al-
Andalus. Only the Muslim
Nasrid Kingdom of
Granada remained in
existence until the year
1492.
20.
21. THE CROWN OF CASTILE
Former Crown of Castile and
Leon.
It was a unified state with
the same institutions and
laws governing the whole
territory.
They conquered Andalucía
and Murcia.
Its economy was based on
agriculture and
stockbreeding. The high
quality of merino sheep was
exported and used in textile
industry strenghthening
Castile’s economy.
22.
23. THE CROWN OF ARAGON
It conquered Valencia and the Balearic Islands. With no more territories to
conquer in the Iberian Peninsula they expanded through the
Mediterranean Sea conquering Sicily, Sardinia and Naples.
Although the Crown of Aragon was a unified state, each territory (Aragon,
Valencia and Cataluña) kept its own institutions, customs and laws. The
king of Aragon could not establish new laws or taxes without the approval
of the Cortes (representatives of the population) of each territory.
Its economy was based on agriculture and trade throughtout the
Mediterranean Sea.
24. THE KINGDOM OF PORTUGAL THE KINGDOM OF NAVARRE
It conquered the It could not expand as it was
Algarve, in the south, trapped between the Crown of
remaining Castile and the Crown of
independent. Aragon.
25. During the 15th century,
Isabel I, queen of Castile, and
Ferdinand, king of Aragon, were
married. They were known as
the Catholic Monarchs.
Although the Crowns of Castile
and Aragon would be ruled by
them, each crown remained
independent and kept its own
laws, institutions and customs.
In the year 1492, the Catholic
Monarchs conquered the
Nasrid Kingdom of Granada,
thereby finishing the
Reconquest.
