However, the actual amount of culture these Arab invaders actually brought with them has been disputed by some historians. The most important cultural elements they brought with them were their language and the Arabic tradition of learning and high culture, which emulated that which could be found in Caliphate of Damascus. They owned land in the richest parts of the country. They tended to have a higher economic position in society and constituted the majority of the ruling class. They formed a relatively small section of al-Andalus’ total population. The second group of Muslims found in al-Andalus was the Arabs. In terms of religion the Berbers were all Muslims, their ancestors having converted mostly to share in the wealth of Arab conquests. In terms of social class, after the invasion, Berbers mostly went on to form the rural proletariat, although a number of them went to the cities, mostly working to pursue crafts. The Berbers, who mostly came from North Africa, were mostly sedentary in lifestyle, not to be confused with the nomadic Berbers found in roughly the same geographic region. In al-Andalus, Muslims were divided into three distinct ethnic groups. Muslims Ī self-depiction by the Muslims in Iberia. They must have a distinguishing sign by which they are recognized to their shame. They are the devil’s party, “and indeed the devil’s party are the losers” (Qur’an 57:22). They must on the contrary be abhorred and shunned and should not be greeted with the formula, “Peace be with you,” for the devil has gained mastery over them and has made them forget the name of God. If any Muslim is known to do this, he should be denounced.… No … Jew or Christian must be allowed to dress in the costume of people of position, of a jurist, or of a worthy man. A Muslim should not attend to the animal of a Jew or of a Christian, nor serve him as a muleteer, nor hold his stirrup. The Jew and the Christian are better fitted for such trades, since they are the trades of those who are vile. in Seville the faqih Ibn Abdun issued these regulations segregating people of the two faiths: Ī Muslim must not massage a Jew or a Christian nor throw away his refuse nor clean his latrines. Muslim clerics in Al Andalus viewed the non muslims as unclean and dirty and feared that too much contact with them would contaminate Muslims. ![]() In order to understand how these distinct cultures and societies meshed into one, over time, it is important to recognize what was distinct about each and how they were viewed within the broader society. Thus the emergence of this unique Islamic society that formed in al-Andalus was a slow and uneven process. It is important to note that the soldiers who carried out the conquest formed only a small minority of the population of the Iberian Peninsula. However, the more educated classes of Muslims respected Christians and Jews under Islamic law as dhimmis (protected peoples) or People of the Book. This does not mean that discrimination by Muslims did not occur at the local level. ![]() ![]() Although this idea of a culture of tolerance is disputed by some historians, only a few instances of revolts and violence were actually recorded. This period has become known as the Convivencia, meaning culture of coexistence. The Umayyad conquest of Hispania signalled the coming together of three different religions and the social customs and culture associated with each. The great amount of cultural and social interaction that took place between these three distinct social and religious groups led to the creation of a unique and diverse culture that continued to flourish even after the Reconquista. The history of Al-Andalus indicates that Muslims, Christians, and Jews who lived within Al-Andalus had relatively peaceful relations, with the exception of a few scattered revolts, and times of religious persecution. The degree to which the Christians and the Jews were tolerated by their Muslim rulers is a subject widely contested among historians. Muslims, Christians, and Jews co-existed for over seven centuries in the Iberian Peninsula during the era of Al-Andalus states. A Jew and a Muslim playing chess in 13th century al-Andalus.
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