Islamic Rule in Spain Under Muhammad I

Thesis: Under Muhammad I, founder of the Nasrid Dynasty in Moorish Spain, Granada became a unique center of culture and the arts, even though the rest of Spain was being drawn into the chaos of the Christian "reconquista."

II. Alhambra as visible symbol of Nasrid Spain

Historical context for architectural achievement important to understand

Successful Islam expansionism into Iberia, 9th century onward

Crusades a contrary dynamic after 11th century

III. Christian success against Islam Spain

Christian-Islam alliance against fanatical Muslims

Two systems, one country: Christian/Islam symbiosis

Granada an Islamic island surrounded by Christianity

IV. Ibn al-Ahmar, from taifa (warlord) to philosopher-king in Granada

All around: chaos of reconquest ("reconquista")

Construction of Alhambra started same year Muhammad I put on throne

Relief from harsh Muslim fanatic rule in Spain

Religious tolerance by both Muslims and Christians

This research examines the rule of Muhammad Ibn al-Ahmar in Islamic Spain, whose most famous and enduring accomplishment in history was to commission the design and building of the Alhambra castle in Spain. The plan of the research will be to discuss the historical context in which Ibn al-Ahma

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le. In the ensuing decades, Castile and Aragon proceeded to divide the spoils, located chiefly in Spain's southernmost region, Andalusia, and in the southeastern coastal region, Valencia. A series of Castilian-Aragonese treaties legitimated territorial expansions under Christian rule, but they existed were side by side with territory controlled by Muslims. In the aftermath of Las Navas de Tolosa, and despite the continuation of Christian military activity and demands for tribute against Muslim communities in Iberia, Ibn al-Ahmar, who was a taifa, or Muslim warlord, was able to consolidate the area around Granada, about 150 miles due south of the battle site, under his control, in 1238, two years after the Christian coalition had retaken Cordova, some 100 miles northwest of Granada. He took the name Muhammad I, and his accession to the throne marked the founding of the so-called Nasrid Dynasty, which was the last bastion of Islam against the reconquista and which was not expelled from Spain until 1492. The dynamic of Christian military activity is important because it "frames," so to speak, the cultural, religious, and political environment in which the Alhambra emerged. Over the next 250 years or so, while the Iberian Christian
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Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1726
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page)

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