Was the Christian conquest of al-Andalus irreversible?

The consideration of the battle of Las Navas de Tolosa as a turning point in history must necessarily be contemplated within the larger framework of the incapacity shown by Andalusi society to oppose the conquering dynamics manifested by the Iberian feudal aristocracies and monarchies since the conquest of Toledo (1085). This is a crucial matter that cannot be seen in isolation from the wider context of the expansion of Latin Christendom. In this regard, the present article suggests a comparison between the disparate fortunes of the Iberian kingdoms and the Latin principalities in the East through the critical assessment of three factors: (i) dissemination of, and role played by the ideolog…

Producció, reproducció i colonització: uns comentaris a propòsit de l'obra de Pierre Guichard "Les musulmans de Valence et la reconquête"

La exterioridad del poder legal y los estados andalusíes: elementos para una discusión

The eastern regions of Al-Andalus before the conquest by Catalonia-Aragon: An overview

This article sets forth a highly schematic synthesis of current knowledge on the history of the eastern regions of Al-Andalus, particularly Tortosa, Valencia and the Balearic Islands, before they were conquered by the Crown of Aragon between the 12th and 13th centuries. After presenting the informational records on this region, we shall describe the main features in the construction of a society and a political order grounded on Arab-Berber immigrants and the creation of a new agrarian ecosystem. Finally, we shall offer observations of the nature of the legal power and the forms in which authority was exercised.

Maldîna Balansiya: La Valencia andalusí. Siglos VIII-XIII

Mossàrabs en temps de conquesta. Observacions historiogràfiques

En els darrers anys la crítica historiogràfica envers la representació dels mossàrabs com a factors de continuïtat identitària, religiosa i lingüística ha estat objecte d’un canvi important. L’atenció ja no es dirigeix tant a la capacitat de pervivència de les estructures eclesiàstiques i les comunitats locals, com a l’abast de l’arabització i la pèrdua dels referents culturals llatins. La rapidesa i la intensitat de l’assimilació lingüística dels cristians d’al-Andalus són tan notables que permeten plantejar la qüestió de la convergència de les seues formes d’organització social amb les dels musulmans i, per tant, el distanciament respecte a aquelles pròpies dels cristians del nord. El fet…

De la Madîna a la ciutat: les pobles del sud i la urbanització dels extramurs de València (1270-1370)

Al-Tābisī and His Descendants: The Failed Integration of a Military Andalusi Family into the Christian Society of the Kingdom of Valencia (1238–1283)

Although the life of al-Tābisi is shrouded in mystery, the evidence suggests that he was the descendant of one of the Andalusi military lineages that abandoned the Lower Ebro after the Catalonian occupation in the mid-twelfth century. During the Conquest of Valencia, al-Tābisi collaborated with the King of Aragon (probably as a member of the entourage of the sayyid Abū Zayd), with whom he participated in the siege of the city of Valencia (1238) and the subsequent war against al-Azraq (1258). His services were rewarded with land in the Huerta of Valencia, as well as several castles in the southern frontier of the kingdom. His descendants converted to Christianity, preserving references to th…