What were the reasons behind fall of 800 years old Muslim rule?
Muslim Spain produced buildings like Alhamra, Qartaba Masjid and scholars like Ibn e Rushd, Jabir Ibn e Aflah, Alzahriwi, etc?
Were the reasons were due to internal distinctions like Arab / Non-Arab or external from Jews and Christians?
Re: Muslim Spain - Reasons behind Fall
Internal conflict and arrogance. Muslim Spain effectively consisted of lots of little states competing with each other for supremacy, and they got picked off one by one. They never considered the possibility that Muslims would be removed from Spain altogether until it was far too late.
Re: Muslim Spain - Reasons behind Fall
yes I heard that before final defeat of Muslims at Gharnata, other major states including Corodaba (Qartaba),Castile were occupied by Christians many decades ago.
Wasn't there a single / central state at any time during Arab rule?
Re: Muslim Spain - Reasons behind Fall
yes I heard that before final defeat of Muslims at Gharnata, other major states including Corodaba (Qartaba),Castile were occupied by Christians many decades ago.
Wasn't there a single / central state at any time during Arab rule?
There was, during the Ummayad Caliphate period. After the Abbasids overthrew the Ummayads, the last surviving member of the Ummayad family fled to Spain, where he declared that by the legitimate Ummayad caliphate still held power in Spain. In doing so, Spain broke away from the rest of the Muslim world (or, from the Ummayad perspective, the rest of the Muslim world broke away from Spain).
After about 1 century centralised rule in Spain broke down (in a similar way to what happened in the Abbasid caliphate shortly thereafter). Muslim spain broke into many smaller states called ta'ifs. During their infighting, they not only failed to unit against the Christian reconquest of Spain, but some Muslim princes actively tried to use the crusaders against other Muslim states.
Re: Muslim Spain - Reasons behind Fall
I think one question to ask is whether the Muslims declined or the Europeans rose?
Argument can be made that the Muslim rule ended there because of European Renaissance which made Muslims backward in technology.
Re: Muslim Spain - Reasons behind Fall
I don't believe spaniards were more advanced than the moors, much more than americans were better than the germans. In fact, it is said that the reason Spaniards lost the race in the new world and didn't contribute much to sciences was because while they were engaged in purging jews and muslims, english, germans and the dutch were expanding upon what they learned from their arab tutors in Spain or even when Toledo won a brief respite from the spanish kings to allow jews, muslims and christians to work together.
As for the loss, the muslims were still stuck in the hereditary fiefdom fights, but the spaniards with marriages between crowns were able to unite for the cause of "liberating" spain. I don't know why didn't the ottomons decide to bolster muslims in spain, as their navy did use to pick up the expelled muslims and jews from spain. I know some people hate hassan nisar, but the muslim history is quite telling in some ways as how rulers selfishly ruled for themselves just like what we have in Pakistan today. I wonder what historians would write about today's muslim rulers like in Pakistan couple of centuries from now.
Re: Muslim Spain - Reasons behind Fall
I think one question to ask is whether the Muslims declined or the Europeans rose?
Argument can be made that the Muslim rule ended there because of European Renaissance which made Muslims backward in technology.
During the 13th, 14th, and 15th centuries, Muslim military and industrial technology was on par, or even superior to European methods. Europe's advantage only began from the 18th century onwards.
Technology was not a factor behind Muslim Spain's decline. The Rennaissance began after Muslim rule in Spain was ended.