Timeline of the Muslim presence in the Iberian peninsula
Conquest (710–756)
- 710 - The Berber General Tariq ibn Ziyad takes Tangier. Several Muslim expeditions raid across the straits into Hispania Baetica (modern Andalusia), including a fairly large one led by a Berber called Tarif ibn Malluk. Civil war is raging between rival kings in Visigothic Hispania.
- 711 - A Muslim force of about 7,000 fighters (mainly Berber with some Arabs) under Tariq ibn Ziyad, loyal to the Umayyad Emir of Damascus, Al-Walid I, enter the Iberian peninsula from North Africa.
- 712 - The Muslim governor of Northern Africa, Musa ibn Nusayr, follows Tariq ibn Ziyad with an army of 18,000 Arabs. He takes Medina-Sidonia, Seville and Mértola.
- 713 - Abd al-Aziz ibn Musa, Musa ibn Nusair's son, takes Jaén, Murcia, Granada, Sagunto.
- 714 - First Muslim campaigns in the lower Ebro valley and south East part of the Iberian Peninsula.
- 715 - By this year, virtually all of southern Iberia is in Muslim hands. Abd al-Aziz ibn Musa is left in charge and makes his capital the city of Seville, where he marries Egilona, widow of King Rodrigo, who encourages him to convert to Christianity. The Umayyad Caliph Sulayman ibn Abd al-Malik, orders Abd al-Aziz ibn Musa assassinated.
- 716 - Lisbon is captured by the Moors.
- 717 - Córdoba becomes the capital of Muslim Al-Andalus. During the wars between Christians and Muslims, Jewish courtiers are valued as diplomats, translators, and advisors to both sides.
- 718 - Pelayo, a Catholic Asturian noble and possibly, but not certainly, comrade-in-arms of King Rodrigo at the Battle of Guadalete leads the fight against the Moors in the Asturian region and establishes the Kingdom of Asturias. The Muslims set out destroy the Asturian fighters and surround Pelayo and 300 of his men in the Asturian mountains. The Muslims attack ruthlessly, but Pelayo evades capture and continues organizing the Christian forces.
- 719 - Muslims attack Septimania in southern Francia and become established in the region later known as Languedoc.
- 720 - Moorish conquest of Barcelona and Narbonne.
- 721 - A mixed force of Aquitanians and Franks under Duke Odo of Aquitaine defeat a Muslim army under the governor general of Al-Andalus, al-Samh ibn Malik al-Khawlani, at the Battle of Toulouse. The Franks quickly surround and critically wound al-Samh ibn Malik and destroy most of his force of 375,000 Arabs in what will be recorded as one of the worst military defeats in Muslim history, albeit it is very unlikely that the claimed number of Arabs is true.
- 722 - King Pelayo defeats a large force sent by Emir Munuza to annihilate him at the Battle of Covadonga in Alcama. He then leads an alliance of Asturian and Cantabrian mountaineers and Spaniards in the counter-offensive against the Muslims beginning what will be called La Reconquista. Pelayo will go on to become the founder of a dynasty of Iberian monarchs who will over the centuries recapture all of the Iberian lands from the Muslims.
- 725 - Muslim raids reach Autun in Frankish France.
- 729 - Berbers rebel in Cerdanya, but despite being allied with Duke Odo of Aquitaine, the rebellion is suppressed.
- 732 - A Muslim army led by Abdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi defeats an Aquitanian force under Duke Odo of Aquitaine on the Garonne near Bordeaux. The Moors then set about pillaging Aquitaine.
- 737 - Arabs take Avignon in the Rhône Valley.
- 739 - Berbers revolt in North Africa and Iberia.
- 740 - Berbers rebel against the ethnically exclusive Arab Umayyad Caliphate and refuse to support them with tax revenues.
- 741 - The 10,000 survivors of Kulthum's force arrive in Iberia under a new leader, Talaba ibn Salama; he and the Jordanians settle in Córdoba; the Homs contingent in Seville; the Damascus contingent in Elvira; Qinnasrin in Jaen, and Palestinians in Algeciras and Medina-Sidonia. Civil war erupts between the Syrians and the Iberian Muslims, the latter being supported by a contingent of African Muslims under Abd al-Rahman ibn Habib.
- 742 - Internal conflict in Al-Andalus continues for the next 4 years.
- 750 - Taking advantage of the plague, drought, and revolts preoccupying the Muslims, Alfonso I, Duke of Cantabria, creates the Christian Kingdom of Galicia in the far northwestern corner of Iberia.
- 755 - Abd ar-Rahman I of the Umayyad dynasty flees to Iberia to escape the Abbasids.
- 756 - Abd ar-Rahman I defeats Yusuf al-Fihri outside Córdoba.
The Umayyad Emirate of Córdoba (756–929)
- 756 - Abd ar-Rahman I , Umayyad commander of the Muslims of Al-Andalus, proclaims himself Emir of Córdoba.
- 757 - Fruela I becomes King of Asturias.
- 759 - The Moors lose the city of Narbonne (in France), their furthest and last conquest into Frankish territory. In capturing this city, King Pippin the Younger ends all Muslim rule north of Iberia.
- 763 - Abd ar-Rahman I suppresses an Abbasids inspired revolt.
- 764 - Abd ar-Rahman I takes Toledo from Hisham ibn Urwa.
- 766 - Said al-Matari rebels in Seville.
- 768 - Aurelio becomes King of Asturias.
- 768-777 - A Berber reformer rebels in central Iberia and occupies Merida and other towns to the north of the Tagus. The rebellion is suppressed after nine years.
- 771 - Syrians under Abd al-Ghaffar rebel against Abd ar-Rahman I, but the latter defeats the Syrians on the river Bembezar in 774.
- 774 - Silo becomes King of Asturias. In this period this is a lot of unrest in Galicia towards the rule of Asturias.
- 777 - Abd ar-Rahman I suppresses an Abbasid-inspired revolt.
- 778 - The Franks led by Charlemagne attack Zaragoza, but are forced to withdraw. Basques ambush Charlemagne's army as it crosses the Pyrenees out of Iberia. The Basques maul the Frankish rearguard, killing many of the commanders including the Breton Markgraf Hruotland (also called Roland), and loot the baggage train.
- 781-881 - 100-year intermittent insurrection against the Muslims erupt in Zaragoza from 781 to 881.
- 783 - Mauregato the Usurper becomes King of Asturias. He was an illegitimate son of Alfonso I of Asturias, supposedly by a Moorish woman.
- 785 - Building of the Great Mosque of Córdoba begins on the grounds of a Visigothic church; it is completed in 976.
- 788- Death of Abd ar-Rahman I, founder of the Umayyad Emirate of Córdoba. His successor is Hisham I.
- 791 - Alfonso II becomes King of Kingdom of Asturias|Asturias in Oviedo and takes a number of Moorish strongholds and settles the lands south of the Douro River.
- 792 - Hisham I, Emir of Córdoba, calls for a Jihad against the infidels in Al-Andalus and France. Tens of thousands from as far away as Syria heed his call and cross the Pyrenees to subjugate France. Cities including Narbonne are destroyed, but the invasion is ultimately halted at Carcassonne.
- 794 - Asturians defeat the Muslims at the Battle of Lutos.
- 795 - An Umayyad force occupies Astorga.
- 796 - Al-Hakam I, becomes Emir of Córdova.
- 798 - In a raid on Muslim lands, Alfonso II of Asturias enters Lisbon but cannot occupy it.
- 799 - The Basques revolt and kill the local Muslim governor of Pamplona.
- 800 - Charlemagne takes Barcelona. He is granted the title of "Holy Roman Emperor" by Pope Leo III in order to guarantee his protection of Rome against the invading Lombards."
- 800 - A 10 year Rebellion againsts the Muslims breaks out in the fringes of Al-Andalus (Lisbon, Merida, Toledo). Each rebellion is bloodily suppressed by the central Islamic authorities.
- 801 - Louis the Pious, Charlemagne's son of France takes Barcelona from the Moors.
- A frontier buffer between Frankish France and Muslim land is formed and is called the Marca Hispanica (Hispanic Border).
- 803 - Revolt of Banu Qasi in Tudela is suppressed.
- 805 - Insurrection against the Muslims erupts in Córdoba and Merida.
- 806 - Frankish conquest of Pamplona.
- After another revolt in Toledo, 700 men, women and children are beheaded by the Muslims.
- 808 - Franks fail to take Tortosa.
- 809 - An Umayyad prince defeats and executes Tumlus, a Muslim rebel who had seized power in Lisbon some years before.
- 811- Another insurrection against the Muslims erupts in Toledo lasting 8 years.
- Charlemagne gains control of all of Catalonia, which is designated "the Hispanic Mark" until 874.
- 813 - The grave of James the Apostle is "discovered" near Santiago de Compostela, in Galicia, beginning the cult of St. James that would unite Iberian Christians of many different petty kingdoms.
- 818 - The revolt in Córdoba against the Muslims is punished by three days of massacres and pillage, with 300 notables crucified and 20,000 families expelled.
- 819 - The Franks suppress revolt in Pamplona.
- 822 - Abd-ar-Rahman II becomes Emir of Córdoba.
- 824 - Pamplona rebels again. The Basques rebel again and destroy a Frankish army at the second Battle of Roncesvalles. Kingdom of Pamplona established.
- 825 - Muslims attempt to invade Christian territory from Coimbra and Viseu but are driven back.
- 827 - Bernat of Septimania holds Barcelona against Gothic rebels who have Umayyad assistance.
- 828 - Insurrection against the Muslims erupts in Merida.
- 829 - Another insurrection in Merida.
- 839 - Alfonso II of Asturias commands a military force in the region of Viseu.
- 842 - Ramiro I becomes King of Asturias.
- 844 - Vikings raid the Galician estuaries, are defeated by Ramiro I, attack Lisbon, and sack Seville, but are shortly afterwards wiped-out by a Cordoban relief army.
- Battle of Clavijo, a legendary battle between Christians led by Ramiro I of Asturias and Muslims, where St. James is reputed to have aided the Christian Army.
- 848 - William, son of Bernat of Septimania, seizes Barcelona.
- 850 - Ordoño becomes King Ordoño I of Asturias in Oviedo. Beginning of Christian repopulation. Rise of the county of Castile.
- 850-859 - Perfectus, a Christian priest in Muslim-ruled Córdoba, is beheaded after he refuses to retract numerous insults he made about Muhammad. Numerous other priests, monks, and laity would follow as Christians became caught up in a zest for martyrdom.
- Forty-eight Christians men and women are decapitated for refusing to convert or blaspheming Muhammad. They will be known as the Martyrs of Córdoba.
- 852 - Death of Abd ar-Rahman II.
- Muhammad I becomes Emir of Córdoba.
- 855 Ordono I captures León from the Moors.
- 859 - Vikings raid the Iberian coast. They capture and ransom King Garcia I of Pamplona.
- 859 - Ordoño I of Asturias defeats Musa ibn Musa at Albelda.
- 866 - Alfonso III the Great, son of Ordoño I of Asturias, becomes King of Asturias. He initiates the repopulation of Porto, Coimbra, Viseu and Lamego.
- 868 - Establishment of the first county of Portugal, a fiefdom of the Kingdom of Asturias, by count Vímara Peres, after the reconquest from the Moors of the region between the Minho and Douro Rivers. Count Vímara Peres founded the fortified city that bears his own name Vimaranis, later Guimaranis, present day Guimarães, considered "The Cradle City" of Portugal.
- Insurrection against the Muslims erupts in Merida.
- 870 - Battle of Padura/Arrigorriaga between the Basques led by Lope Fortún, first lord of Biscay and Sancho de Estigiz, lord of Durango, and the Leonese led by Prince Ordoño, the son of King Alfonso III and future King Ordoño II.
- 871 - The city of Coimbra is retaken from the Moors. Hermenegildo Mendes is made Count of Coimbra.
- 873 - Over the next 25 years Wilfred the Hairy, Count of Barcelona, sets up a Christian kingdom with a certain degree of independence from the Frankish kings.
- 878 - The region of Coimbra (today, Central Portugal) is incorporated in the Kingdom of Asturias by the Count Hermenegildo Guterres.
- 886 - Al-Mundhir becomes Emir of Córdoba.
- 888 - Abdallah ibn Muhammad becomes Emir of Córdoba.
- 905 - Sancho I of Pamplona creates a Basque kingdom centered in Navarre.
- 909 - Alfonso III of León is deposed by his sons yet also proclaimed Emperor.
- 910 - Alfonso III dies and his kingdom is divided among his sons into the dependent kingdoms of Astúrias, León, and Galicia.
- 912 - Abd al-Rahman III becomes the Emir of Córdoba. Every spring, Muslims launch raiding campaigns against the Christian frontier.
- 913 - An expedition commanded by Ordoño II of León takes Évora (Talavera) from the Muslims.
- 914 - Ordoño II of Galicia becomes King of León after the death of his brother Garcia I of Leon.
- 916 - Ordoño II of León is defeated by Emir Abd al-Rahman III in Valdejunquera.
- 917 - Battle of San Esteban de Gormaz. Ordoño II defeats an army under Emir Abd al-Rahman III.
- 918 - Battle of Talavera where Muslims under Abd al-Rahman III defeat the Christians.
- 920 - Battle of Valdejunquera, where the armies of Abd al-Rahman III defeat the armies of the Kingdom of León.
- 920 - Muslim forces cross the Pyrenees, enter Gascony, and reach as far as the gates of Toulouse. The garrison of Muez is killed.
- 923 - The city of Pamplona is destroyed by Muslim forces.
- 924 - Fruela II becomes King of León.
- 925 - Sancho Ordonhes, son of Ordoño II of Leon, becomes vassal king of Galicia until 929.
- 926 - Ramiro II of Leon takes residency in the city of Viseu.
The Umayyad Caliphate (929–1031)
- 929 - Abd al-Rahman III, faced with the threat of invasion by the Fatimids, proclaims himself Caliph of Cordoba, breaking all ties with the Abbasid Caliphate in Baghdad. Under the reign of Abd al-Rahman III Muslim Al-Andalus reaches its greatest height before its slow decline over the next four centuries.
- 930 - Over the next 20 years Ramiro II of Leon, defeats Abd al-Rahman III at Simancas, Osma, and Talavera.
- 931 - Ramiro II of Leon becomes King of León.
- 933 - Battle of Osma where Castilian-Leónese troops, under Count Fernan Gonzalez, defeat the Muslim army of Abd al-Rahman III.
- 939 - Battle of Simancas where Ramiro II of Leon defeats Abd al-Rahman III. Christians defeat Al-nasir at Alhandega.
- 939 - Madrid is recaptured from Muslim forces. The encounter between the two rulers finally took place in 939, when, at the so-called ditch of Simancas (Shant Mankus), Ramiro II of Leon severely defeated the Muslims, and Abd al-Rahman III narrowly escapes with his life. After that defeat Abd al-Rahman III resolved never to take personal charge of another expedition
- 940 - Hugh, Count of Provence, gives his protection to Moors in St. Tropez if they agree to keep the Alpine passes closed to his rival Berenger.
- 946 - The county of Castile becomes a Kingdom.
- 950 - Ordono III becomes King of León.
- 953 - Emperor Otto I sends representatives to Córdoba to ask Caliph Abd al-Rahman III to call off some Muslim raiders who had set themselves up in Alpine passes and are attacking merchant caravans going in and out of Italy.
- 955 - Ordono III of Leon attacks Lisbon.
- 956 - Sancho I becomes King of León.
- 958 - Sancho I of Leon is deposed.
- 960 - Hasdai ben Shaprut, the personal physician of Caliphs Abd al-Rahman III and Al-Hakam II, and inspector-general of customs and an adviser in foreign affairs, begins a correspondence with Joseph, the Jewish King of Khazaria.
- 961 - Al-Hakam II becomes Umayyad Caliph of Córdoba.
- 962 - Count Gonçalo Mendes da Maia of Portugal rebels against Sancho I of Leon.
- 966 - Count Gonçalo Moniz of Coimbra rebels against Sancho I of Leon.
- 967 - Ramiro III becomes King of León.
- 971 - Another minor Viking raid in Galicia.
- 974 - A Cordoban expedition under Ibn Tumlus crushes a rebellion in Seville.
- 976 - Caliph Al-Hakam II dies, and Al-Mansur takes over in the name of his protégé Hisham II, becoming a military dictator usurping caliphal powers and launching a big number of offensive campaignes against the Christians. The Christians take advantage of the resulting confusion and commence raids into Muslim territory.
- 977 - Al-Mansur volunteers to lead the army against the Christians, and is successful.
- 981 - Al-Mansur defeats his old friend Ghalib in a confused battle near Atienza. Al-Mansur force includes Berbers, Christian mercenaries, and Andalusian troops from Zaragoza under Man ibn Abd al-Aziz al-Tujibi. Ghalib's force includes Andalusians and a Castilian contingent under the Count Garcia I Fernandez. Ghalib is killed in the battle. Al-Mansur subsequently kills off both Ibn al-Andalusi and Man ibn Abd al-Aziz al-Tujibi.
- 982 - Bermudo II becomes King of León, having been acclaimed by the Counts of Galicia and anointed in Santiago de Compostela.
- 983 - After failing in a rebellion in the Maghreb, the Berber Chief Zawi ibn Ziri, of the Tunisian royal family, brings a formidable force of Sanhaja horsemen to join Al-Mansur. However, they are not allowed to cross the straits for many years (sometime 1002-1008).
- 985 - Under Al-Mansur and subsequently his son, Christian cities are subjected to numerous raids.
- 985 - Al-Mansur sacks Barcelona.
- 986 - Al-Mansur burns down the monastery of San Cugat de Valles.
- 987 - Al-Mansur lays waste to Christian Coimbra.
- 988 - Al-Mansur razes León to the ground. He sacks Leon, Zamora, and Sahagun, and sets fire to the great monasteries of Eslonza and Sahagun.
- 989 - Al-Mansur seizes Osma.
- 994 - The monastery of Monte Cassino is destroyed a second time by the Moors.
- 995 - Despite stout resistance by the Beni-Gomez clan - Christian counts of Saldaña, Liébana, Carrion, and Zamora - Al-Mansur destroys their capital, the city of Santa Maria de Carrion.
- 997 - Under the leadership of Al-Mansur, Muslim forces march out of the city of Córdoba and head north to capture Christian lands.
- 998 - Wadih, a Slav and the best Andalusian commander of the time, takes Fez in Morocco with a large force.
- 999 - Alfonso V becomes King of León.
- Muslims briefly attempt to establish a garrison at Zamora.
- 999-1018 - Alfonso V of Leon reconstructs his kingdoms.
- 1000 - Sancho III of Navarre, inflicts major losses on the Muslims, and nearly clinches a remarkable victory.
- 1000-1033 - Sancho III of Navarre gains control of Aragon and Castile, uniting the three kingdoms. But on his death, he splits the kingdom and leaves Navarre to his son García III of Pamplona, Castile to Fernando I, and Aragon to Ramiro I.
- 1002-1008 - Al-Mansur's son Al-Muzaffar conducts annual raids against the Christians.
- 1002 - Al-Mansur raids into La Rioja.
- Al-Mansur's army is crushed by a coalition of Christian armies at the Battle of Calatañazor
- Al-Mansur dies from his wounds in the village of Salem.
- Power in Al-Andalus subsequently divided between the old Arab nobility, the Berber mercenaries, and the Slav slaves.
- 1003 - Moors lay waste to the city of León.
- 1004 - Arab raiders sack the Italian city of Pisa.
- 1008 - On the death of al-Muzaffar, Abd al-Rahman ibn Al-Mansur, another son of Al-Mansur, takes over the role of unofficial ruler. In winter he leads his army against the Christians.
- Vikings raid Galicia, killing Count Gonçalo Mendes da Maia of Portugal.
- Muhammad II – great-grandson of Abd al-Rahman III – deposes Hisham II as Caliph and destroys Al-Mansur's palace complex of al-Madinat al-Zahira near Córdoba.
- Mohammed II al-Mahdi becomes Umayyad Caliph of Cordoba.
- The period of anarchy over the next 23 years out of which emerged approximately two dozen small states.
- 1009 - Muslims lay waste to León again.
- 1010
- Having fled to Toledo Mohammed II seeks the aid of Ramon Borell, Count of Barcelona and Urgel. The Catalan army defeats Sulaiman II's Berbers at Aqabat al-Baqar and again near the river Guadiaro (near Ronda).
- Mohammed II reclaims Córdoba supported by the Slav General al-Wadih, but is assassinated.
- Hisham II is restored as Umayyad Caliph of Córdoba by slave troops of the Caliphate under al-Wahdid.
- 1012 - Berber forces capture Córdoba and order that half the population be executed.
- 1013 - A Berber reign of terror in Córdoba that kills the deposed Hisham II.
- The powerless Sulaiman II is forced to hand out provincial governorships to the Berber chiefs.
- Jews are expelled from the Umayyad Caliphate of Córdoba, then ruled by Suleiman II.
- Halevi flees to Málaga when Suleiman attacks Córdoba.
- Halevi becomes vizier to the Emir of Granada, as does his son, Jehoseph Ha-Nagid. Many other Jews flee to Granada.
- Caliphate of Córdoba begins to break up. Many Taifas (independent Moorish kingdoms) begin to spring up.
- 1014 - The Berber chief Zawi ibn Ziri – leader of the Sanhaja confederation, and a member of the Tunisian royal family – makes Granada his capital.
- 1015 - The Emir of Denia, Mujahid al-Amiri, sets out from his base in the Balearic Islands with a fleet of 125 ships in an attempt to take Sardinia.
- 1016 - Norman invaders ascend the Minho river and destroy Tuy in Galicia.
- 1018 - Self-proclaimed Caliph Ali ibn Hammud assassinated in Córdoba. His brother Al-Qasim replaces him. The Zirids of Granada defeat an Andalusian army of 4,000 under Abd ar-Rahman IV al-Mutada - the Umayyad claimant.
- 1021 - Abd-ar-Rahman IV becomes Umayyad Caliph of Córdoba.
- Yahya, the son of Alí ibn Hammud, rebels in Málaga with the support of the Berbers.
- 1022 - Abd-ar-Rahman V becomes Umayyad Caliph of Córdoba with the support of Berber troops.
- The Taifa (independent Moorish kingdom) of Lisbon emerges. It will be anexated by the Taifa of Badajoz.
- 1023 - Muhammad III becomes Umayyad Caliph of Córdoba with the support of Berber troops.
- The Abbadid Emir of Seville, Abu al-Qasim Muhammad ibn Abbad, declares independence from Muhammad III, Umayyad Caliph of Córdoba.
- 1025 - Abu al-Qasim Muhammad ibn Abbad, Abbadid Emir of Seville, captures two castles at Alafões to the north-west of Viseu.
- 1027 - Hisham III becomes Umayyad Caliph of Córdoba.
- 1028 - Alfonso V, king of Asturias and León, lays siege to Viseu but is killed by a bolt from the walls.
- 1031 - Sancho III of Navarre declares war on Bermudo III of León. Navarre, sometimes assisted by Galician rebels and Normans, ravages the lands around Lugo in Galicia.
- The Moorish Caliphate of Córdoba falls.
The Almoravides Era (1031–1130)
- 1031 - The Moorish Caliphate of Córdoba falls.
- 1033 - The Taifa (independent Moorish kingdom) of Mértola becomes independent.
- 1034 - The Leonese destroy a raiding force under Ismail ibn Abbad of Seville. Ismail ibn Abbad flees to Lisbon.
- 1035 - Sancho III of Navarre dies. Bermudo III of León reclaims the Leónese crown, and Sancho's sons inherit his other territories; Garcia IV in Navarre including some territory of Old Castile; Ferdinand I in the new kingdom of Castile; Ramiro I in the new kingdom of Aragon.
- 1037 - Ferdinand of Castile, son of Sancho III of Navarre, acquires the Kingdom of León in the Battle of Tamarón. The first Castilian king, Ferdinand I, defeats and kills his father-in-law, Bermudo III of León, thus inheriting his kingdom.
- 1038 - Granadine armies under the vizier wage almost continuous war against their Muslim neighbours, primarily Seville.
- 1039 – Ferdinand I of Castile-León proclaimes himself Emperor of all Hispania.
- 1040 - The Taifa of Silves becomes independent.
- 1043 - Zaragoza and Toledo fight over the border city of Guadalajara. Toledo pays the Navarrese to raid into Zaragoza; similarly, Zaragoza pays the León-Castilians to raid into Toledo. The Christian armies ravage the respective Muslim lands unchecked.
- 1044 - Abbad III al-Mu'tamid, son of the Abbadid Emir of Seville Abbad II al-Mu'tadid, retakes Mértola, since 1033 an independent Taifa.
- 1050 - Count Mendo Nunes of Portugal is killed in battle sometime during this period. Nuno Mendes, son of Count Mendo Nunes, becomes Count of Portugal.
- 1051 - Yusuf ibn Hud, the Banu Hud Emir of Lerida, is paying the Catalans to protect against his own family in Zaragoza.
- 1053 - Emir Al-Mutadid of Seville drives Berbers from Arcos, Morón and Ronda.
- 1053–1071 - Book of Usage is written in Barcelona, defining legal status and privileges of Jews. It put the protection of the Jews under the King, who would decide the punishment for any harming or killing a Jew. Castile has similar laws.
- 1054 - Battle of Atapuerca. The army of Ferdinand I of Castile defeats that of his brother García IV of Navarra, near Burgos). Several disaffected Navarrese knights join the Castilians before the battle and one of these men is believed to have killed Garcia. Garcia's son Sancho is proclaimed King on the field of battle and the war continues.
- Diego Lainez de Vivar, father of Rodrigo Diaz, captures the castles of Ubierna (5 miles north of Vivar), Urbel (10 miles north-west of Ubierna), and La Piedra (12 miles north-west of Ubierna), then in 1055 defeats the Navarrese in a pitched battle.
- 1055 - Emir Al-Mutadid of Seville drives Berbers from Algeciras.
- 1056 - The Almoravides (al-Murabitun) Dynasty begins its rise to power. Taking the name "those who line up in defense of the faith", this is a group of fundamentalist Berber Muslims who would rule North Africa and Islamic Iberia until 1147.
- 1057 - Emir Al-Mutadid of Seville drives Berbers from Carmona.
- Ferdinand I of Castile-León takes Lamego from the Moors.
- 1058- Emir Al-Muzaffar al-Aftas (Abu Bekr Muhammad al-Mudaffar - Modafar I of Badajoz, Aftid Dynasty) pays the Christians to leave Badajoz, but not before Ferdinand I of Castile-León takes Viseu.
- 1060–1063 - Council (Ecumenical Synod) of Santiago de Compostela.
- 1060 - The heretic Berghouata Berbers set up a Taifa in Ceuta, but are eventually crushed by the Murabitun.
- Ferdinand I of Leon imposes an annual tribute on Muslim Zaragoza. Emir Al-Muktadir ibn Hud of Zaragoza drives Slavs from Tortosa when the Tortosans rise against their Slav ruler.
- 1062 - Ferdinand I of Castile and León invades Muslim Toledo with a large army. Emir Al-Mamun becomes a tributary of Castile. Ferdinand then invades Muslim Badajoz, and extracts tribute from Emir Al-Mutadid of Seville.
- 1063 - Battle of Graus. During spring, Ramiro I of Aragon besieges Muslim Graus in Zaragozan territory. The Emir al-Muqtadir of Zaragoza leads his army north accompanied by a Castilian contingent under Prince Sancho (the future Sancho II). Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar later known as El Cid is probably in the Castilian contingent. The opposing armies meet and after a protracted struggle Ramiro I is killed and the Aragonese flee (8 May 1063). Pope Alexander II sends an international force to Spain under his standard bearer William of Montreuil. It includes Italian knights, Normans (Robert Crespin, Baron of Lower Normandy), Frenchmen (Wiliam, Count of Poitiers and Duke of Aquitaine), and Iberians (Bishop of Vic; Count Ermengol II of Urgel). At the start of July the expedition besieges Barbastro in the Muslim Kingdom of Lerida. The Emir of Lerida (the brother of Muktadir of Zaragoza) makes no attempt to relieve the siege and after 40 days the defenders are forced to surrender when a large stone falls from the walls and blocks the only water supply. 50,000 inhabitants are massacred or enslaved. Count Ermengol II of Urgel is left as governor on behalf of Sancho Ramirez of Aragon. Seville feels obliged to pay Christians tribute.
- 1064 - Some time during this period Ferdinand I of Castile and León retakes the area of Old Castile that had been annexed to Navarre by his father Sancho the Great.
- Ferdinand I of León-Castile besieges Muslim Coimbra from 20 January 1064 until 9 July 1064. The Muslim governor who surrendered is allowed to leave with his family, but 5,000 inhabitants are taken captive, and all Muslims are forced out of Portuguese territory across the Mondego river.
- The Mozarabic (Christian) general Sisnando Davides, who lead the siege of Coimbra, becomes Count of Coimbra.
- The Hispanic calendar is adopted.
- 1065 - Civil War in Castile-León. In April Emir Al-Muqtadir of Zaragoza, aided by 500 Sevillian knights, besieges Barbastro. The governor, Count Ermengol II of Urgel, is killed in a sortie, and a few days later the city falls, whereupon the Iberian and French garrison is put to the sword, thus bringing an end to Pope Alexander II's prototype crusade. At around the same time Emir Al-Muqtadir breaks off relationships with Castile, and Ferdinand I leads a punitive expedition into Zaragoza - taking Alquezar - and then into Valencia. Despite him being a tributary of Castile, Emir Mamun of Toledo leads to force in support of his son-in-law Emir Abd al-Malik. Mamun subsequently dethrones Abd al-Malik and incorporates Valencia into the Kingdom of Toledo. Ferdinand falls dangerously ill and retires from the field. King Ferdinand dies in León on 28 December 1065, and his empire is divided between his three sons: Sancho II in Castile, Alfonso VI in León, and Garcia in Galicia.
- 1065 - Independence of the Kingdom of Galicia and Portugal is proclaimed under the rule of Garcia II of Galicia.
- 1066 - Joseph ibn Naghrela, son of the Jewish Vizier Samuel ibn Naghrela Ha-Nagid, invites Al-Mutasim of Almería to come and rule in Granada. The Zirids of Sanhaja defeat the attempt and instigate a pogrom of the Jews in Granada.
- Joseph and other Jews in Granada are attacked and murdered; many escapees flee to the north. "More than 1,500 Jewish families, numbering 4,000 persons, fell in one day, December 30, 1066."[1]
- 1067 - The Castilian army under Sancho II and the Alferez Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar – already known as El Cid by this time – besiege Zaragoza. The siege is lifted after Emir Al-Muqtadir pays a large ransom and promises tribute. War of the three Sanchos: Castile versus Aragon and Navarre. Aragon severely mauls the Castilians at Viana, however status quo is restored when the Zaragozan Vali of Huesca invades Aragon from the south.
- 1068 - The Battle of Llantada was arranged to be fought on 19 July 1068 by the banks of the Pisuerga River on the boundary between León and Castile. The Castilians under Sancho II and Rodrigo Diaz defeat the Leónese and Alfonso flees. Alfonso VI of León leads a campaign against Badajoz, but withdraws when Emir Mamun ibn Dhi-I-Nun of Toledo intercedes. Badajoz becomes tributary to León. Later the Emir of Badajoz dies and his two sons dispute the succession.
- 1069 - Alfonso VI of León overruns Badajoz early in the year. Seville takes Córdoba. The army consists of an advance guard of 300 horses and a main body of 1000.
- 1070 - Count Nuno Mendes of Portugal rises against King Garcia II of Galicia.
- 1071 - Battle of Pedroso (between Braga and the River Cávado) where Garcia II of Galicia suppresses the rebellion of his Portuguese subjects under Count Nuno Mendes, last count of Portugal of the Vímara Peres House. Count Nuno Mendes is killed and Garcia II of Galicia proclaims himself King of Portugal. Sometime after 18 January 1071 and before May, Garcia II of Galicia is captured by his brother Sancho II of Castile (It is unclear if Garcia was captured in open battle at Santarém or by trickery). Garcia purchases his release and retires to the court of his tributary Al-Mutamid of Seville. Galicia is divided between his brothers Sancho and Alfonso.
- 1072 - Battle of Golpejera. Sancho II of Castile defeats his brother, Alfonso VI of León over the Carrión River (9 miles south of the city of Santa Maria de Carrion – the capital of the Beni-Gomez – Christian counts of Saldaña, Liebana, Carrion, and Zamora). The battle starts at dawn and after a hard fight the Castilians are driven from the field. Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar manages to encourage both King and army, and leads them in a new attack the following morning. Alfonso is captured and seeks refuge in Toledo. But Sancho is assassinated when attacking Alfonso's men in Zamora. Alfonso inherits the joint Kingdom of Leon-Castile.
- 1073 - The Emir of Granada rejects the Castilian demand for tribute, however, Abbad III al-Mu'tamid, the Emir of Seville offers to pay instead. Consequently a joint Muslim-Castilian force builds the fortress of Belillos, from which the garrison raid into Granada.
- 1074 - El Cid marries Jimena, niece of Alfonso IV of Castile and daughter of the Count of Oviedo.
- 1075 - Toledo takes Córdoba from Seville with the help of Castilian troops.
- 1076 - Emir Ahmad al-Muqtadir drives Slavs from Denia. Ferdinand I of León-Castile besieges Muslims and takes Coria in Badajoz. After the Emir of Toledo dies, Seville takes Córdoba back from his son al-Qadir.
- 1077 - Alfonso VI of Castile and León proclaimes himself Emperor of all Spains.
- 1078 - Ibn Ammar acquires Murcia nominally on behalf of Seville but in reality as his own. Seville takes Valencia from Toledo. As a result Al-Qadir of Toledo is forced from the city by a coup and his opponents acknowledge al-Mutawwakil of Badajoz as their new ruler. The Al-Murabitun (Almoravides) take Tangier. Ceuta hangs on as the last Zanata outpost because its fleet can supply it from sea.
- 1079 - Battle of Cabra. Rodrigo Díaz, defeats the Emir Abd Allah of Granada, who was helped by the Castilian Count García Ordíñez.
- Battle of Coria. Alfonso VI (already king of Castile and León) defeats the Muslim Emir of Badajoz, Al-Mutawwakkil. Al-Mutawwakkil renounces control of Toledo and al-Qadir is reinstated. A Leonese garrison is established at Zorita to the east of Toledo.
- 1080 - Ibn Ammar forced to flee Murcia (??).
- 1081 - El Cid, now a mercenary because he had been exiled by Alfonso IV of Castile, enters the service of the Moorish king of the northeast Spanish city of Zaragosa, al-Mu'tamin, and would remain there for his successor, al-Mu'tamin II.
- 1082 - Battle of Almenar. Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, leading the army of Al-Mutamin of Zaragoza, defeats a combined army of the kings of Valencia (Al-Mundhir), Lerida (Al-Hayib), Aragón (Sancho Ramírez), and the Count of Barcelona (Berenguer Ramón II, who is captured). When Emir Al-Mutamid of Seville pays his tribute in debased coinage, Alfonso of Leon-Castile leads an expedition in Muslim territory.
- 1083 - In June-July Al-Murabitun take Ceuta - the last outpost of the Zanata - and put to death the ruler, al-Muizz ibn Suqut. Ships from Seville may have aided the attack. The same summer Alfonso of Leon-Castile reaches Tarifa overlooking the Straits of Gibraltar.
- 1084 - The Muslim army of Zaragoza under El Cid defeats the Aragonese. In autumn the Castilians start a loose siege of Toledo.
- 1085 - Christians take Salamanca.
- Castile under Alfonso VI of Castile, Emperor of all Spains, takes Toledo. Joseph Nasi Ferruziel (called Cidellus) is Alfonso VI's physician and Nasi of all the Jews in the kingdom. He owns large estates in and around Toledo, confiscated by the crown on his death.
- 1086 - Several Muslim Emirs (namely Abbad III al-Mu'tamid) ask the Almoravides leader Yusuf ibn Tashfin for help against Alfonso VI of Castile. In this year Yusuf ibn Tashfin passed the straits to Algeciras and inflicted a severe defeat on the Christians at the Battle of az-Zallaqah (North of Badajoz). He was debarred from following up his victory by trouble in North Africa which he had to settle in person.
- Raymond of Burgundy, son of William I, Count of Burgundy, comes to Iberia for the 1st time to fight against the Moors, bringing with him his younger cousin Henry of Burgundy, grandson of Robert I, Duke of Burgundy.
- In spring the Castilians besiege Zaragoza, but the siege is called off when the Murabitun land in the south. In June the Murabitun advance guard of 500 men take possession of Algeciras. The remaining 12–20,000 soon follow. Castilians under Alvar Fañez install al-Qadir as Emir of Valencia.
- Fanatic Muslims, the Almoravides, rampage through parts of Iberia, especially Granada and Lucena. There are persecutions and massacres. During the bad times, the wealthier Jews flee to Christian-held Iberia.
- The Christian advance obliges the Muslim kings of Granada, Seville and Badajoz to call to their aid the Almoravides.
- Battle of az-Zallaqah: At Sagrajas (Friday 23 October 1086) north-east of Badajoz, the Murabitun (12,000 or 20,000 men) under Yusuf ibn Tashfin and Andalusians (including Kings of Seville, Granada, Málaga, and Badajoz) defeat a predominantly Leonese-Castilian army (possibly 50-60,000 men including Jews, Aragonese, Italian and French) under Alfonso VI of Castile. The Andalusians encamp separately from the Murabitun. The Christian vanguard (Alvar Fañez) surprise the Andalusian camp before dawn; the men of Seville (Al-Mutamid) hold firm but the remaining Andalusians are chased off by the Aragonese cavalry. The Christian main body then attacks the Murabitun, but are held by the Lamtuma, and then withdraw to their own camp in response to an outflanking move by ibn Tashufin. The Aragonese return to the field, do not like what they see, and start a withdraw which turns to a rout. The Andalusians rally, and the Muslims drive Alfonso to a small hill. Alfonso and 500 knights escape in the night to Toledo. Al-Mutamid proposes that the Christians are pursued and crushed, but Ibn Tashufin retires back to his African domains leaving only 3,000 troops to defend the east of Al-Andalus. Al-Mutamid and the Murabitun generals Sir ibn Abi Bakr and Dawud ibn Aisha are reported to have fought well during the battle.
- 1087 - Alfonso VI of Castile takes the fortress of Aledo in the territory of Murcia, blocking the route from Seville and Granada to the eastern provinces.
- 1088 - Yusuf ibn Tashfin arrives back in Algeciras (May-June) and is joined by al-Mutamid of Seville and Abd Allah of Granada, plus support from Almería and Murcia (but not the Emirs). The combined army besieges Aledo for 4 months, but Yusuf ibn Tashfin returns to Africa unsuccessful.
- 1090 - Yusuf ibn Tashfin returns to the Peninsula for the third time, takes over the kingdoms of Granada and Málaga in September and is back in Africa by the end of the year. However, this time his nephew Sir ibn Abi Bakr is left to continue the conquest. Between 30 April 1090 and 8 May 1090, Christian troops enter Santarém, Lisbon and Sintra. These were recently ceded by the Al-Mutawwakil of Badajoz in return for protection from the Murabitun.
- 1091 The Murabitun led by Muhammad ibn al-Hajj take Córdoba and the Guadalquivir valley early in the year, and then defeat a Castilian force under Alva Fañez who were attempting to aid Al-Mutamid of Seville. In September Seville surrenders without much of a fight to Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr. Subsequently other Murabitun armies take Aledo and Almería. Ronda also falls and the Murabitun commander Garur executes al-Radi (the son al-Mutamid of Seville).
- 1092 - With El Cid away in Zaragoza, the Valencians under the qadi Ibn Jahhaf and supported by a small Murabitun force, drive the Castilian garrison out and execute their Emir al-Qadir. Ibn Jahhaf promptly sets himself up at Emir and starts negotiating with both El Cid and the Murabitun.
- 1093 - An Murabitun army (Abu Bakr ibn Ibrahiim) approaches Valencia but then retreats without striking a blow.
- 1094 - Alfonso VI of Castile grants Henry of Burgundy the government of Portugal and Coimbra, who marries Alfonso VI of Castile's illegitimate daughter Teresa of León.
- Almoravid Sir ibn Abi Bakr takes Badajoz and Lisbon. Fall of the Taifa of Badajoz.
- El Cid captures Valencia from the Moors, carving out his own kingdom along the Mediterranean that is only nominally subservient to Alfonso VI of Castile. Valencia would be both Christian and Muslim, with adherents of both religions serving in his army.
- The Almoravids from Morocco land near Cuarte and lay siege to Valencia with 50,000 men. El Cid, however, breaks the siege and forces the Almoravids to flee – the first Christian victory against the hard-fighting Africans.
- 1095 - Establishment of the 2nd County of Portugal by Count Henry of Burgundy.
- 1097 - El Cid defeats Murabitun (Ali ibn al-Hajj) at Bairen south of Valencia.
- Murabitun (Muhammad ibn al-Hajj) defeat Castilians (Alfonso VI) at Consuegra. El Cid's son, Diego, is one of the dead.
- Murabitun (Muhammad ibn Aisha) defeat Castilians (Alva Fañez) at Cuenca before ravaging the lands of Valencia.
- Yusuf ibn Tashfin assumes the title of Amir al Muslimin (Prince of the Muslims).
- 1099 - The Murabitun besiege El Cid's Valencia, where he dies on 10 July 1099.
- 1100 Molina falls to the Reconquista and will remain in Christian hands thereafter
- 1102- The followers of El Cid leave Valencia and the Muslims occupy the Peninsula as far as Zaragoza.
- Main Muslim mosque in Toledo converted to a church, Muslim population is sparse. Jews live in southwest corner of the city, which also contains a fortress.
- Diego Gelmírez, Bishop of Santiago de Compostela, uses force to carry off the relics of St. Victor and St. Fructuosus of Dumes from Braga - recently reinstated as a Metropolitan See.
- Christians evacuate [Valencia in April-May. Murabitun (Mazdali, presumably ibn Tilankan; Muhammad ibn Fatima) occupy the city. Of the Taifa states only Zaragoza, Majorca, and Albarracin remain independent.
- 1103 - Ali, the brother of the Murabitun governor of Granada, Muhammad ibn al-Hajj, is killed in battle with the Castilians near Talavera.
- 1105 - The Almohades, founded by Ibn Tumart, began as a religious movement to rid Islam of impurities. Most specifically, the Almohades were opposed to anthropomorphisms which had slipped into Iberian Islam. Ibn Tumart's successor, Abd al-Mu'min, turned the movement against non-Muslims, specifically Jews and Christians. Sweeping across North Africa and into Muslim Iberia, the zealous Almohades initiate riots and persecutions of both Muslims and non-Muslims. In some towns Jews and Christians are given the choice of conversion, exile, or death.
- 1106 - Yusuf ibn Tashfin dies and his son, Ali, takes over the Murabitun empire.
- 1107 - Count Raymond of Burgundy dies. The Kingdom of Galicia passes on to his son Alfonso Raimúndez.
- 1108 - The Murabitun under Tamim ibn Yusuf ibn Tashfin, the brother of the ruler; another general is Muhammad ibn Fatima, the grandson of Sir ibn Abi Bakr) take the small town of Uclés to the east of Toledo, but a ridge top fortress holds out. Alfonso VI of Castile sends a relieving army under Alvar Fañez. The Murabitun decisely beat the Castilians and many leaders are killed, including Sancho, Alfonso's only son (by Zaïda, a muslim princess) and heir. Subsequently, the Murabitun pretend to withdraw then launch a successful surprise attack on the castle. As a result the Christians abandon Cuenca and Huete.
- 1109 - Alfonso VI of Castile and León dies. Urraca of Castile, Count Raymond of Burgundy's widow, is his only surviving legitimate child and marries King Alfonso I of Aragon.
- Murabitun (Tamim ibn Yusuf ibn Tashfin) storm Talavera on the Tagus to the west of Toledo. The country to the north and south of Toledo is ravaged and the city unsuccessfully besieged for a month. Alvar Fañez leads the defence. Emir Ali ibn Yusuf ibn Tashfin joined this year's Jihad but does not mention him in the actions.
- 1110 - Al-Mustain of Zaragoza leads an expedition against the Christians, but is killed at Valtierra. His son, Imad al-Din, fails to establish his rule and the Murabitun (ibn al-Hajj) march in (30 May 1110).
- 1111 - Almoravides led by Sir ibn Abi Bakr occupy Lisbon and Santarém in the west. These cities were occupied by the Almoravides in 1094-95 this suggests a fluctuating border in Portugal.
- Conference of Palencia, where Urraca of Castile divides her estates with Henry, Count of Portugal and his wife and her half-sister Theresa.
- Urraca of Castile makes peace with her husband Alfonso I of Aragon, even though they remain separated.
- Henry, Count of Portugal, believing Urraca of Castile has betrayed him, besieges her and her husband Alfonso I of Aragon in Sahagún, aided by Urraca's son Alfonso Raimúndez.
- Henry, Count of Portugal grants city rights and privileges to Coimbra and captures Santarém to the Moors.
- Alfonso Raimúndez, Raymond of Burgundy and Urraca of Castile's son, is proclaimed King of Castile and León as Alfonso VII. This is not recognized.
- 1112 - By this time the Aragonese have taken Huesca. Murabitun (ibn al-Hajj) raid into Aragonese territory and reach the foothills of the Pyrenees.
- 1114 - A major Murabitun expedition (ibn al-Hajj from Zaragoza and Ibn Aisha of Valencia) raids into Catalonia. The army ravages Christian territory but is ambushed on its return and both Murabitun generals are killed. The Catalans under Count Ramon Berengar III take over the Balearic Islands upon the death of Emir Mubashir ibn Sulayman of Majorca.
- 1115 - The new Murabitun governor of Zaragoza, Abu Bakr ibn Ibrahim ibn Tifilwit, lays siege to Barcelona for 20 days. The Murabitun withdraw when Count Ramon Berengar III returns from Majorca. The Murabitun fleet takes the Balearic Islands. The Murabitun general and governor of Granada Mazdali ibn Tilankan dies in battle this year. He led expeditions against the Christians from 1111, so he might have led an expedition separate from those of Abu Bakr and the fleet. His son, Muhammad, governor of Córdoba, also dies in battle this year (against the Castilians), so it may have been the same expedition.
- 1116 - The armies of Theresa, Countess of Portugal battle against the armies of Queen Urraca of Castile.
- 1117 - Almoravides under Emir Ali ibn Yusuf himself take Coimbra, but abandon the city after a few days.
- 1118 - Alfonso I of Aragon takes Saragossa from the Muslims. Settlers in the reconquered no-man's lands of Castile are granted fueros, special rights.
- The Aragonese led Alfonso I the Battler seize Zaragoza and most of the central lands of the Ebro. The siege of Zaragoza lasts from 22 May 1118 to 18 December 1118. The garrison has 20 mangonels and is supported by a determined militia. As a result of a plea for help of 3 December the Murabitun governor of Valencia sends a relief force, but this is too small to help. Lerida only remains in Muslim hands because it is tributary to Barcelona.
- Zaragoza falls to the Reconquista and will remain in Christian hands thereafter
- 1120 - Alfonso I of Aragon decisively defeats an Murabitun army including many Andalusian volunteers at Cutanda in summer.
- 1121 - The Aragonese take Calatayud. The Cordobans rebel against the Murabitun, and drive the governor and his troops from the city. The Emir Ali ibn Yusuf ibn Tashfin leads an army from Africa to suppress the rebellion. The Murabitun besiege the city, and persuade the Cordobans to lay down their arms.
- 1122 -Aragonese take Daroca.
- 1125 - In September, Alfonso I of Aragon sets out south with an army of 4,000 knights. He travels down the east coat, bypasses the cities and ravages the countryside. He reaches Guadix unopposed in December.
- 1126 - The Almoravids deport Christians to Morocco.
- 1127 - The Kingdom of León invades Portugal and besieges Guimarães. The Portuguese Knight Egas Moniz de Ribadouro manages to make King Alfonso VII of Castile and León accept promisses of Portuguese fidelity.
- July 24 1128 - Count Afonso Henriques defeats his mother, Theresa, Countess of Portugal, in the Battle of São Mamede (near Guimarães) and becomes sole ruler of Portugal (Dux – Duke) after demandes for independence from the county's people, church and nobles.
- 1129 - Alfonso I of Aragon defeats a Murabitun army led by Ali ibn Majjuz, the governor of Seville deep inside Valencian territory. This is probably at Cullera or Alcala near Alcira.
- 1130 - A school for scholars is established by Alfonso VII of Castile in Toledo, spreading ancient Greek as well as Arabic and Hebrew learning throughout western Europe.
Decline and submission to Christian rule (1130–1481)
- 1130 - Tashfin ibn Ali ibn Yusuf (the son of the Murabitun Emir) takes the castle of Aceca south of Toledo. The Murabitun (Governor of Valencia) defeat invading Aragonese and kill Gaston IV of Béarn of the First Crusade.
- 1133 - The Christian militia of Toledo reach the gates of Seville and kill the Murabitun governor (Abu Hafs Umar ibn Ali ibn al-Hajj). Further damage is averted by the intervention of Tashfin ibn Ali ibn Yusuf.
- 1134 - Murabitun (Tashfin ibn Ali ibn Yusuf) raid in the Caceres area.
- 1135 - King Alfonso VII of Castile and León is proclaimed Emperor of all Spains. Birth of Rabbi Moses Ben Maimon (called "Rambam" or Moses Maimonides).
- 1136 - Murabitun (Yahya ibn Ali ibn Ghaniya; Sa`d ibn Mardanish) retakes Mequinenza on the lower Ebro.
- 1137 - Union of Kingdom of Aragon and Counties of Catalonia.
- 1139 - Battle of Ourique against the Almoravides who were led by Ali ibn Yusuf.
- After this battle on July 26 the Independence of Portugal from the Kingdom of León and Castile is declared: Prince Afonso Henriques becomes Afonso I, King of Portugal.
- King Afonso I of Portugal assembles the first assembly of the estates-general of Portugal at Lamego, where he was given the Crown from the Bishop of Bragança to confirm the independence.
- 1140 - Poema del Mio Cid written.
- The Knights Hospitaller receive lands and privileges from King Afonso I of Portugal.
- Portuguese victory in Arcos de Valdevez against Leónese and Castilian forces.
- King Afonso I of Portugal tries and fails to take Lisbon from the Moors.
- 1143 - Treaty of Zamora: Alfonso VII of León and Castile recognizes the Kingdom of Portugal in the presence of King Afonso I of Portugal, witnessed by the papal representative, the Cardinal Guido de Vico, at the Cathedral of Zamora. Both kings promise durable peace between their kingdoms.
- 1144 - The Muridun ("Disciples") under Abul-Qasim Ahmad ibn al-Husayn al-Qasi rebel in the Algarve. Ibn al-Mundhir takes Silves in his name, and the governor of Beja, Sidray ibn Wazir, also supports him. Ibn al-Mundhir and Sidray ibn Wazir kill the garrison of Monchique castle, and 70 men take Mértola by surprise (12 Aug). Soon after, the Andalusian governor of Niebla, Yusuf ibn Ahmad al-Bitruji declares for the Muridun. The Almoravid Yahya ibn Ali ibn Ghaniya drives the Muridun back from Seville, and afterwards Sidray ibn Wazir splits off from the other Muridun.
- 1145 - The Cordobans evict the Murabitun governor at the beginning of the year and raise up Hamdin ibn Huhammad ibn Hamdin as Emir. A Zaragozan adventurer in Castilian employ (Sayf al-Dawla ibn Hud al-Mustansir) briefly seizes power from ibn Hamdin in March but flees to the Levante due to popular hostility. Ibn Hamdin returns to power but is soon dispossessed by the Murabitun (Yahya ibn Ali ibn Ghaniya). In March the Andalusian Jund in Valencia raise up the qadi Marwan ibn Abd al-Aziz as Emir. When he cannot pay them they replace him with their own leader Ibn Iyad.
- 1146 - Al-Mustansir accepts the crowns of Valencia and Murcia from the hands of Ibn Iyad. The Christians defeat the Valencians (Al-Mustansir) near Albacete killing Al-Mustansir in the process. Ibn Iyad reassumes the title of Emir. Ibn Iyad dies in an obscure conflict and Muhammad ibn Sa`d ibn Mardanish becomes ruler.
- 1147 - Alfonso VII of Castile takes Calatrava.
- March - King Afonso I of Portugal takes the Taifa of Santarém in a surprise attack.
- Santarem falls to the Reconquista and will remain in Christian hands thereafter
- A international Christian coalition attacks Almería by land and sea. Alfonso VII of Castile and Sancho Ramirez IV of Navarre march overland taking Andujar and Baeza en route. Ramon Berengar IV of Aragon-Catalonia and a Genoese naval contingent join them at Almería. There is no opposition from the Murabitun fleet. Almería falls on 17 Oct and is given to the Genoese.
- May 19- A fleet of almost 200 ships of the Second Crusade leaves from Dartmouth in England, consisting of Flemish, Frisian, Norman, English, Scottish, and some German crusaders. The fleet was commanded by Arnold III of Aerschot (nephew of Godfrey of Louvain) Christian of Ghistelles, Henry Glanville (constable of Suffolk), Simon of Dover, Andrew of London, and Saher of Archelle.
- June 16 - The Crusaders' fleet arrives at the Portuguese city of Porto, and are convinced by the bishop, Pedro II Pitões, to continue to Lisbon.
- July 1 - The Siege of Lisbon begins, after the armies of King Afonso I of Portugal were joined by the Crusaders.
- October 21 - The Moorish rulers of Lisbon agree to surrender to King Afonso I of Portugal, basically due to the hunger that was felt inside the city walls. The terms of surrender indicated that the Muslim garrison of the city would be allowed to flee.
- October 25- The city of Lisbon opens its doors to the Christian armies. As soon as the Christians enter the city the terms of surrender were broken. The Muslims were killed, and the city was thoroughly plundered before King Afonso I of Portugal finally was able to stop the onslaught.
- Lisbon falls to the Reconquista and will remain in Christian hands thereafter
- The towns of Almada and Palmela, just south of Lisbon, are taken from the Moors by the Portuguese.
- 1148 - Almohades take Seville. Aragonese take Tortosa.
- 1149- Aragonese take Lerida and Fraga.
- 1150 - The Taifas of Badajoz and of Beja and Évora are taken by the Almohads.
- 1151 - The Almohades, another more conservative African Muslim dynasty who have displaced the Almoravides, retake Almería. Jews and Mozárabes (Christians in Muslim lands) flee to the northern Christian kingdoms of Spain, or to Africa and the East, including Rambam. Christian kings in northern Spain use Jews as physicians, scientists, tax collectors, judges, diplomats, and public officials. Jews are sent by both Muslim and Christian kings to collect tributes from other kindgoms.
- 1155 - Almohades take Granada from Murabitun.
- 1157 - Almohades take Almería from Genoese.
- 1158 - King Afonso I of Portugal takes Alcácer do Sal from the Moors.
- 1159 - Évora and Beja, in the southern province of Alentejo, are taken from the Moors by the Portuguese.
- 1160- Maimonides and his family took refuge in Fez in Morocco, which had been spared by the Almohades.
- 1161 - Évora, Beja and Alcácer do Sal are retaken by the Moors.
- 1162 - Union of Aragon and Catalonia - Alfonso II of Aragon, son of Petronila and Ramon Berenguer IV, Count of Barcelona unite the kingdom of Aragon and the County of Barcelona.
- King Afonso I of Portugal retakes Beja from the Moors.
- 1163 - The Almohad Caliph Abd al-Mu'min al-Kumi dies and is suceded by Abu Ya'qub Yusuf I.
- 1165 - Faked conversions become widespread with the accession of the sultan Abu Yakub. His son, Yakub Al-Mansur (1184–1199) imposes several restrictions upon the new converts. They could marry only among themselves and were forbidden to engage in large-scale trading, Doubting the sincerity of their conversion, in 1198, he also ordered them to wear a special degrading garb: a blue tunic one cubit long with ridiculously long wide sleeves. The converts were compelled to wear a blue skullcap which fell below their ears in the shape of a donkey's packsaddle, instead of the usual turbans.
- 1165- Maimonides and his family leave Fez.
- 1166 - The Portuguese armies take Serpa and Moura (in Alentejo) from the Moors.
- 1168 - Portuguese frontiersman Geraldo the Fearless goes into the territory of Badajoz.
- 1169 - King Afonso I of Portugal grants the Knights Templar one third of all they take from the Moors in Alentejo.
- Geraldo the Fearless seizes Badajoz from the Almohads.
- King Afonso I of Portugal is wounded by a fall from his horse in Badajoz, and is captured by the competing forces of King Ferdinand II of León. As ransom King Afonso I was obliged to surrender almost all the conquests he had made in Galicia in the previous years, as well as Badajoz, that the Leonese gave back to the Almohads as a vassal territory.
- 1170- Intermittent war between León and Castile.
- 1171 - Almohades Muslims begin building the Alcázar, their palace.
- 1172 - Almohades capture Murcia. Almohades take over Valencia when ibn Mardanish dies.
- 1174 – The kingdom of Aragon recognizes Portugal as independent.
- 1179 - Castile and Aragon agree on future partition of Al-Andalus.
- 1184 - The Portuguese defeat the Almohades at Santarém.
- 1185 - Sancho I of Portugal becomes King of Portugal.
- 1185-1212 - Sancho I of Portugal founds several new towns and villages and takes great care in populating remote areas in the northern Christian regions of Portugal, notably with Flemings and Burgundians.
- 1190 - Maimonides writes the Moreh Nebukhim, or Guide to the Perplexed, using rationalism to reconcile Judaismwith Aristotle's laws of nature, and Shloshah-Asar Ikkarim, the Thirteen Articles of Faith.
- 1195 - The Almohades defeat the Castilians at Alarcos.
- 1199 - The Almohad Caliph Abu Yusuf Ya'qub al-Mansur dies and is succeeded by Muhammad an-Nasir.
- 1200 - Ibn Tumart's successor, Abd al-Mumin, turned the movement against non-Muslims, specifically Jews and Christians. Sweeping across North Africa and into Muslim Iberia, the zealous Almohades initiated riots and persecutions of Muslims and non-Muslims. In some towns Jews and Christians were given the choice of conversion, exile, or death.
- 1203 - The Almohades take Majorca from the Murabitun.
- 1205 - Death of Maimonides in Egypt. Birth of Chaiya bat Avraham Toledano.
- 1212 - Afonso II of Portugal becomes King of Portugal.
- Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa: Alfonso VIII of Castile, Sancho VII of Navarre, Pedro II of Aragon and Afonso II of Portugal, defeat Almohades (Caliph Muhammad an-Nasir) at the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa. The Christians had 60-100,000 infantry and 10,000 cavalry, and had troops from Western Europe, Castile, Navarre, Aragon, León and Portugal, Military Orders (Knights Templar, Knights Hospitaller, Santiago, Cavatrava), and urban militias.
- After the defeat the Almohad empire goes into a serious decline in Spain and in North Africa.
- 1213-1276 - Reign of King James I of Aragon, who encouraged Jews from France and North Africa to settle in Aragon with land and property grants and exemptions from taxes.
- 1213 - Abu Ya'qub Yusuf II becomes Almohad Caliph.
- 1215 - Fourth Lateran Council institutes the "Badge of Shame", a mark that all Jews are required to wear to distinguish themselves from Christians, and decrees that Jews shall not be seen in public on Good Friday. Fernando III, with the archbishop of Toledo, appeal to the Pope on behalf of the Iberian Jews. The pope, Honorius II, suspends the decision.
- 1217 - The Portuguese take the town of Alcácer do Sal from the Moors.
- 1217-1252 - Fernando III, king of Castile and León, conquers Córdoba, Murcia, Jaen, and Seville. Granada remains as the sole independent Muslim kingdom.
- 1218 - University of Salamanca is founded by Alfonso IX
- 1227 - Denia falls to the Reconquista and will remain in Christian hands thereafter
- 1228 - King Jaime I of Aragon, fixes 20% maximum interest on loans, and decrees that a Jewish oath can not serve as evidence in a court of law. Alfonso X fixes 33.3% interest, and establishes the Rab de la Corte or chief justice of appeals (rabbi) in Las Siete Partidas.
- 1228 Badajoz falls to the Reconquista and will remain in Christian hands thereafter.
- 1229 - Jaime I of Aragon, the Conqueror, retakes Majorca, Jerica and Murviedro-Sagunto which will remain in Christian hands thereafter.
- 1230 - Final union of León and Castile.
- 1232 Ibiza and Jaen fall to the Reconquista and will remain in Christian hands thereafter.
- 1233 - Castile defeats Granada at the Battle of Jerez.
- 1236 - Portugal captures most of the Algarve.
- 1238 - Aragon captures Valencia. Aragonese forces include urban militia.
- Birth of Moses de Leon, who published Sepher ha Zohar or "Book of Splendor", one of the most influential Kabbalistic document, which some Jewish communities value as an important source of interpretation on the Torah.
- Jaime I retakes Valencia, Albarracin, Alpuente, Tortosa from the Muslims, all of which would remain in Christian hands thereafter .He also gains control of the prized paper mills at Xativa.
- 1243 Jaime I retakes Murcia from the Moors and it will remain in Christian control thereafter.
- 1244 Arjona and Baeza fall to the Reconquista and will remain in Christian hands thereafter.
- Jaime I of Aragon captures the city and Castle of Jativa from Ibn Hud who signs the Treaty of Jativa effectively becoming a vassal to the Christian Kingdom.
- 1245 - Muslim troubles start in Valencia.
- 1246 Carmona falls to the Reconquista and will remain in Christian hands thereafter
- 1247 - Having had time to secretly regroup his forces Al-Azraq breaks the treaty that he had signed in 1245 and leads a revolt in Valencia.
- 1246 – Pope Innocent IV declares King Sancho II of Portugal a heretic and orders him to be removed from the throne.
- 1247 - The Muslim rebels in Valencia retreat into the territory controlled by the Mudéjar lord Al-Azraq who holds 8 castles in the Alcala valley. They seize more castles and continue a successful guerrilla war.
- 1248 - Christian armies under Ferdinand III of Castile take Seville after 16 months of siege, despite Muslim catapults, Greek fire, and bowmen who pierce armor. Castilian forces include urban militia.
- 1249 - The Muslims fend off a major Christian offensive under King Jaime I of Aragon.
- 1252-1284 - Alfonso X the Wise continues the Christian reconquest of the peninsula and is obliged to face the Mudejar revolts of Andalusia and Murcia. He seeks election as emperor of the Holy Roman Empire in 1257. He drafts the Fuero de las Leyes, the forerunner of the Siete Partidas.
- 1250 Mertola, Santa Maria del Algarbe , Silves , Tavira , Tejada , Constantina , Huelva , and Jerez fall to the Reconquista and will remain in Christian hands thereafter.
- 1252 - Periodic civil wars in Castile.
- 1255 - Lisbon becames the capital city of Portugal.
- 1256 - Fighting flares up between the Valencia rebels and the Aragonese.
- 1257 - Muslims use some form of incendiary weapon at Niebla.
- 1258 - King Jaime I of Aragon takes al-Azraq's main citidel and suppresses the Valencian rebellion.
- 1262 Niebla falls to the Reconquista and will remain in Christian hands thereafter.
- 1263 - July 20-23, the Barcelona Disputation, "religious disputation between Pablo Christiania and Nahmanides of Gerona in the presence of King Jaime I of Aragon.
- 1264 - Muslim revolt in Andalusia.
- 1266 Lorca ,Murcia ,Purchena and Segura are retaken from the Muslims and will remain in Christian hands thereafter.
- 1267 - Nahmanides flees to Eretz Israel for safety.
- 1272 – King Afonso III of Portugal takes Faro (in the Algarve) from the Moors, thus removing the last Muslim state from Portuguese soil and ending the Portuguese Reconquista.
- 1275 - Four Marinid expeditions to Iberia.
- Muslims defeat Christians at Ecija.
- 1276 - Muslim revolt in Valencia.
- 1279 – Dinis of Portugal becomes King of Portugal.
- 1280 - Muslims use some form of incendiary weapon at Córdoba.
- 1284 - An assembly of nobles, prelates and citizens depose Alfonso X and hand over power to his son Sancho IV.
- 1285 - War between France and Aragon-Catalonia.
- 1287 Menorca falls to the Reconquista and will remain in Christian hands thereafter.
- 1292 - Castile captures Tarifa from Marinids.
- 1295 - Civil wars in Castile.
- 1297 – King Dinis of Portugal signs a treaty with King Ferdinand IV of Castile to define the borders between Portugal and Castile-León; this treaty is valid to the present day.
- 1306 - Muslims use some form of incendiary weapon at Gibraltar.
- 1309 - Ferdinand IV of Castile takes Gibraltar.
- 1310 - Castile captures Gibraltar.
- 1312-1350 - War between Alfonso XI and Granada:-
- 1319 - Granada defeats Castilian invasion.
- 1324 - Catalonia occupies Sardinia.
- 1325 - Alfonso XI decides to avenge the defeat against his army in 1319. His armies attack Granada once again. This time, they are victorious and manage to defeat Muhammad IV.
- 1331 - Granada uses iron balls propelled by fire or containing fire against Alicante and Orihuela.
- 1333 - Granada retakes Gibraltar from the Castilians.
- 1340 - Alfonso XI wins the Battle of Rio Salado.
- 1341 - Portugal raids the Canary Islands.
- 1343 - Granadines use cannon in the (unsuccessful) defence of Algeciras.
- 1345 - Kingdoms of Catalonia-Aragon and Rousillon-Majorca reunited.
- 1348 - The Black Death strikes Europe.
- 1350 - Pedro of Castile takes the throne of Castile.
- 1383-1385 – Portuguese Civil war and political anarchy: the 1383-1385 Crisis.
- 1385 – A new dynasty is established in Portugal, replacing the House of Burgundy: the House of Aviz.
- 1391 - Jews of Palma, Majorca and Girona are massacred.
- 1394 - Battle of Egea. Granadine troops become the first troops in Iberia to use handguns.
- 1402 - French adventurers occupy the Canary Islands in the name of Castile.
- 1410 - An attack against Granada is led by Ferdinand of Aragon. He does not take Granada, but he takes the city of Antequera. This is considered the most important victory against the Muslims since the reign of Alfonso XI.
- 1415 - Portugal takes the city of Ceuta in North Africa.
- 1419 - Portugal discovers the Madeira Islands.
- 1431 - Portugal discovers the Azores Islands.
- 1434 - Portugal begins systematic exploration of the African coast.
- 1435 - Genoese defeat Aragonese.
- 1440 - Gypsies enter the Iberian peninsula and end up preserving the Andalusian Cante Jondo (traditional songs) and Baile Flamenco (traditional dances).
- 1445 - Supporters of John II of Castile (under Baron Alvaro de Luna) defeat Rebel Nobility at Olmedo.
- 1462 - Castile takes Gibraltar again.
- 1464 - Enrique IV of Castile names as heir to the throne his sister, the future Isabel I, the Catholic, and disinherits his daughter Juana, who was nicknamed 'La Beltraneja'.
- 1469 - Isabel I of Castile and Fernando II of Aragon are married, thus consummating the unity of Castile and Aragón.
- 1470 - Castilians conquer the Canary Islands.
Castile-Aragón conquers the kingdom of Granada (1481–1491)
- 26 December 1481 - The Granadines (Emir Abu Hasan) surprise the Castilian garrison of Zahara on a stormy night. The population is enslaved.
- 1482 - Forces of Castile-Aragón (2500 cavalry and 3000 infantry under Rodrigo Ponce de Leon Marquis of Cadiz gather at Marchena (25 Feb), march to Antequera, cross the Sierra Alzerifa, and then seize Granadine Alhama on a stormy night before dawn (28 February 1482). Abu Hasan attempts to retake Alhama by siege (5–19 March) but withdraws unsuccessfully to Granada. Muslim troops from Ronda raid the Arcos area to try to tempt the Marquis out of Alhama. In support of his men at Alhama, King Ferdinand marches to Lucena, sends reinforcements to Alhama (30 April 1482), withdraws to Córdoba to organise a major force, and then formally takes over Alhama (14 May 1482).
- Siege of Loja. King Ferdinand II of Aragon attacks the Granadine city of Loja (1 July 1482). The city is defended by the octogenarian father-in-law of Muhammad XII, one Ibrahim Ali al-Attar. Ferdinand II of Aragon returns to Córdoba. Abu Hasan marches on Loja and sweeps the Rio Frio in mid July.
- 1483 - Battle of Axarquia. A fast moving Castilian force raids into the mountains of Axarquia. Emir Muhammad XII of Granada becomes the first King of Granada to be captured by the Christians.
- 1484 - The Castilian-Aragónese army led by King Ferdinand II of Aragon assembles at Antequera in Spring, marches to Alora, raids Coin, Cazabonela, Almjia, Cartama, Pupiana, Alhendrin, and the fertile valley of Málaga before returning to Antequera. They capture Alora and Senetil and raid into the fertile valley of Granada.
- 1485 - Al-Zagal drives Muhammad XII from Almería. Muhammad XII flees to King Ferdinand II of Aragon, at Córdoba. Ferdinand besieges Coin and Cartama. Al-Zagal then attempts to relieve the sieges, but first Coín falls (27 April 1485) then Cartama (28 April 1485). The garrison of Ronda raids Medina Sidonia but returns to find its city besieged by Ferdinand in early May. Abu Hasan of Granada dies and Al-Zagal assumes title of Emir in late May; Al-Zagal defeats a Christian foraging party from Alhama on his way to Granada. Three groups of Castilian-Aragonese march toward Moclin (late Aug). Al-Zagal ambushes and defeats the first group, although it is rescued by the second group of Christians in early September. Al-Zagal enters Moclin. The third Castilian-Aragonese group (Ferdinand) joins the other two and they take the castles of Cambil and Albahar (23 September 1485). The Castilian-Aragonese of Alhama also take the castle of Zalea in September.
- 1487 Málaga falls to the Reconquista .
- 1489 Spain captures Baza. Al-Zagal surrenders to Spain.
- 1491 The Muslims in Granada surrender to the Christians. Abu 'abd Allah Muhammad XII Sultan of Granada relinquishes the last Muslim controlled city in the Iberian Peninsula to the Christians and signs the Treaty of Granada.
Aftermath (1492–1616)
- 2 January 1492 - The Catholic Monarchs, Queen Isabella of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon, take over Granada.
- The union of Castile and Aragon, and the conquest of Granada, gives rise to the country of Spain
- 1492-1507 - The remaining Moors who want to stay in Spain form an alliance with the towns of Abarán, Ulea, Eyes, and Ricote and request to become Catholic and abandon the Muslim religion. They request King Fernando to grant them permission to convert their mosques back to Christian churches. The king then appeals to the reigning Pope Julius II (nephew of Sixtus IV) to grant the aspirations of these new Christians. These former Moorish converts to Christianity will come to be known as the Moriscos.
- 1496 - All Moors are expelled from Portugal.
- 1502 - After various rebellions, the Moors are deemed in violation of their surrender terms and are forcibly expelled from Spain along with the Jews, who are widely perceived to have collaborated with the Moors against the Christians during Muslim rule.
- 1512 - The Kingdom of Navarre (south of the Pyrenees) is annexed by King Ferdinand II of Aragon, thus giving final form to the modern country of Spain. From this moment on, the Iberian peninsula is made up of two Christian states, Spain and Portugal.
- 1568 - Rebellion of the Alpujarras. After King Philip II introduces laws prohibiting Moorish culture, the remaining population of Moors who had nominally converted to Christianity in order to remain in Spain , then known as Moriscos, revolt under the leadership of Aben Humeya in Granada. The rebellion is suppressed, in 1571, by John of Austria, Philip II's half-brother, and the Moriscos are deported to different parts of the northern half of the Iberian peninsula.
- 1578 - Sebastian of Portugal dies at the Battle of Alcazarquivir, North Africa and causes a dynastical crisis in Portugal. He is succeeded by his aged uncle Cardinal Henry of Portugal.
- 1580 - Following the death of Henry of Portugal, Philip II of Spain is the strongest claimant to the throne of Portugal and therefore invades the country and is crowned at the Cortes of Tomar joining all Iberian territory under a monarch.
- 1609 - King Philip III issues the Act of Expulsion for the entire remaining Moriscos population, who are found to have appealed to the Ottoman Empire for military intervention in Spain and are viewed as a fifth column that is trying to rebuild the Muslim occupation in the Peninsula.
- 1616 - The last remaining Moriscos in the Iberian peninsula are expelled.
Notes
Citations
- [1] Granada by Richard Gottheil, Meyer Kayserling, Jewish Encyclopedia. 1906 ed.