Abd al-Rahman III Life of the First Caliph of Spain, Abd al-Rahman

The Iberian Peninsula was settled by various groups throughout the period before the Muslim conquest in the Eighth Century. Iberians, Celts, Carthaginians, Greeks, and Romans conquered and/or settled the region before the beginning of Christianity. Modern civilization flourished under the Greeks and Romans, but urbanization gave way to peasant farming after the conquest by the Visigoths in 469. By this time, Christianity had taken root among the Spaniards and the Visigoths adopted the religion and much of the civilization of Christian Rome. Problems with governing a stratified society, however, eventually led warring factions in Spain to seek allies amongst the Muslims in North Africa.

As followers of a missionary religion, the Muslim leaders quickly discovered an opportunity to extend the domain of Islam into the western portions of the European cont

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ages, while the Moors developed such a reputation for brutality that Christian villages would empty upon hearing the Abd al-Rahman's forces were approaching. In going after the Christian kingdoms, however, Abd al-Rahman met with trouble. Although his campaigns were generally successful, one was not. In 939, his army, which numbered about 100,000 men, was met at Simancas, near Valladoid, by a Christian army composed of the combined forces of LTon, Navarre, and Castile. Daytime skirmishing occurred over period of several days, with both armies retiring to their respective camps at night, as was the custom during the Middle Ages. Towards the end of this period of fighting, it became apparent that Abd al-Rahman's force was weakening and losing ground to the Christian force commanded by Ramiro II of LTon. On the last day of the battle, the Moors were forced to retreat into a previously constructed ditch, where they were massacred by the Christians. Abd al-Rahman was thrown from his horse and barely escaped with a few survivors. The small remnants of his force retired to C=rdoba and Abd al-Rahman never again led a fighting force in person. The Christian ascendancy, however, did not survive the death of Ramiro II. LTon succum
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Approximate Word count = 4065
Approximate Pages = 16 (250 words per page)

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