THE RECONQUISTA

Question 1

What is the key takeaway for the Reconquista and Columbus expansion?

Answer 1

They cannot be separated

They are deeply connected in terms of the political climate, economics, and cultural attitudes that drove them. Both are the actions of burgeoning empires aspiring to more growth, wealth, and powe

Question 2

What is the key takeaway for the Reconquista?

Answer 2

The Reconquista is the conscious, deliberate destruction of a multi-religious, multi-ethnic region of Europe and the re-forging of that region under hegemonic Christianity

(Hegemonic= so dominant u don’t see it anymore)

Question 3

What is the Reconquista in short?

Answer 3

Re-conquering of Spain and Portugal from Muslim rule

Question 4

What is Al-Andalus?

Answer 4

Muslim-ruled area of the Iberian Peninsula. The name describes the different Muslim states that controlled these territories at various times. (Where Spain and Portugal are)

Question 5

What is the central city of Al-Andalus?

Answer 5

Córdoba

Question 6

What were some achievements of Al-Andalus?

Answer 6

Cultural and scientific achievement

Tolerant attitude towards “people of the Book (Abrahamic Religions):

Question 7

What was the hierarchy in Al-Andalus?

Answer 7

Arab Muslims at the top of the social hierarchy, then non-Arab Muslims, then Iberian converts to Islam, then local non-Muslim population

(Nonetheless, non-Muslims were tolerated and permitted to work in many important sectors of society)

Question 8

Who is El Cid (Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar)?

Answer 8

*Castilian knight who served both the kings of Aragon and the Muslim king of Zaragoza

• Did too much (got exiled from Christian spot)
• Fought against Muslim and Christian (never converted to Islam though) - very religiously convicted

*Became a folk hero for his prowess

Question 9

What is the Reconquista project?

Answer 9

Reconquista = re-conquering (of Spain)

Fall of visigothic kingdom of Spain (a powerful medieval state)

Attempts to retake it after it fell
- 700 year process cuz infighting among Christian states

• Not just re-conquering, but attempt to repopulate area with Christian people

Ended with conquest of the Emirate of Granada

Question 10

How was the Reconquista actually accomplished? (Castille and Aragon)

Answer 10

Castille= most of spain

via a marriage allegiance between: (good PR strategy to look piaus)

Isabella of Castille (1451-1504)

Ferdinand of Aragon (1452-1516)

• Catholic Monarchs
  -Grandson inherits a basically unified spain

Question 11

What is the christan Muslim aftermath of the Reconquista?

Answer 11

The 15th century is a period of significant Spanish expansion
*Expanding across the Atlantic vs.
expanding across the Mediterranean

*After the Reconquista, Muslims did not leave en masse
*Forcible conversions to Christianity
*Official expulsion in 160
* high tax on Jewish and muslim ppl

Question 12

What was Jewish life like in Spain? (Under Christian vs Muslim Rule)

Answer 12

Christian rule:
- England and France expelled Jewish ppl (fed antisemitism) (came to spain too)
- Blood Libel (Belief: Jewish ppl feed on christian children’s blood)
- Community fled spain after riots

Muslim rule:
- Did better under Muslim rule
- If convert to Islam (no taxes on stuff) (also more promotions)
-

Question 13

Why did Spain fail to colonize Africa?

Answer 13

They were sending resources to the Americas

Question 14

Did the Muslim people leave an impact in Spain?

Answer 14

Left a ton of cultural elements
Often said “came and left with no impact” (right wing talking point)

  - (ex. Muslim built fortress, language elements, and food)

Question 15

What are the Origins of the Spanish Inquisition?

Answer 15

Isabella and Ferdinand- want to keep newly conquered regions Christian

Isabella convinced Jewish ppl who converted to Christianity were practicing in secret

• Trend in religious monarchs at the time where they pretended to be religious, but hated the pope interfering

Got pope to authorize it, but bro quickly lost control of it

Question 16

What do Some historians think that there were ulterior motives for founding the Spanish Inquisition? (3 reasons)

Answer 16

1) Placate Europe who say Spain as suspicious cuz it was ruled by Muslims

2) Fear of Muslim re-conquest by Ottomans

3) Catholic Monarchs = prove they could run things without pope

Question 17

What is the Spanish Inquisition?

Answer 17

Spanish Inquisition served to consolidate power in the monarchy of the newly unified Spanish kingdom, but it achieved that end through infamously brutal methods.

Question 18

What was a goal of the Spanish Inquisition?

Answer 18

Root out and punish: Heretics, Jewish ppl and Witches

Question 19

What is the organization of the Spanish inquisition?

Answer 19

*Inquisitors were priests aged at least 40
*They had a manual for how they were supposed to go about their work

• 21 Tribunals
  - Tribunals were regional: you go before the one that has jurisdiction in your are.

(Paycheck from crown)
(Burned a lot of ppl)

Question 20

What are the five phases once you’ve been accused?

Answer 20

1) accusation (snitched on by someone - if blab u gain immunity)

2) Detention (shackled in dungeon- if heresy)

3) Trial (torture) (dislocate, waterboarding, stretch u) ( had a lawyer, who was also a member of the Inquisition)

4) Sentencing ( sentences had to be unanimous among the tribunal)

5) Auto - da -fe (public ceramony where punishment is: ex. the burning of a heretic)

Question 21

Could you win a trial?

Answer 21

• Bring a witness
• Denounce allegation (you wont know the allegation - so rlly hard)

Question 22

What were consequences among non Christian communities?

Answer 22

Dismantled trust among non-Christian communities, which forced them even deeper underground

   *Drove many to leave Spain

Question 23

What did the inquisition gain?

Answer 23

The Inquisition confiscated untold sums from its victims in cash and property

Question 24

How many victims were there?

Answer 24

roughly 150,000 with roughly 2% executed

Question 25

How do we know so much?

Answer 25

Tribunals left behind lots and lots of paper

*This is useful for historians, because we have really clear insight into how the Inquisition operated, the cases it took on, and the lives of the people it impacted
*The interrogations were generally very thorough and included a high level of detail about people’s lives (they collected the accused ppl’s entire biogrpahy)

Question 26

What is the Alhambra Decree?

Answer 26

decree expelled Jews from Spain
- Leave or convert (2/3 converted)

Question 27

What were “New Christians”

Answer 27

Derogatory name for new converts

Question 28

What were “Marrano”

Answer 28

Derogatory term: Crypt - Jews (externally Christian but privately Jewish)

Question 29

What were “Converse”

Answer 29

Jewish convert to Christianity and back to Judaism

Question 30

Why did ppl convert and stay?

Answer 30

Retaining your property and home, staying near family, keeping your business

Question 31

Where did the ppl who left spain go?

Answer 31

*Portugal (Expelled Jews in) marriage alliance
*France
*The Netherlands
*North Africa

Question 32

What is Limpieza de sangre?

Answer 32

Literal translation: “cleanness of blood”

Blood purity doctrine of Christian supremacy

*Anybody with non-Christian ancestry had impure blood
*Even for converts to Christianity, the stigma of having impure blood lasted many generations

*The Inquisition took a sharp interest in this
*Impure heritage could turn up as evidence against you

*From 1530 onwards, the Inquisition made genealogical charts to track people’s ancestry
*You could be barred from certain professions (especially high-ranking clergy) due to your heritage

Question 33

Main theme of testimony of Jewish Author:

Answer 33

Only complains on king (not Isabella - she was extra catholic)
-other writings make her the villain

“Gods punishment”

Question 34

Main theme of testimony of Priest:

Answer 34

Opposite perspective on god, not punishing but his plan

Putting more emphasis on god