Emirate of Cordoue

The emirate of Cordoue is the first unified state of Al-Andalus. Founded into 755 by the only survivor of the dynasty omeyyade, it transformed into Califat of Cordoue in 929.

History

After the conquest of Spain by the Moslems hello the copi* (711), the peninsula is managed by wali, named in theory by the Caliph of Damas, but the governors of the various cities were named by the wali, the general governor of Kairouan or by Al-Andalus Arabic. It followed of the quarrels of capacities, maintained by the various factions: Arabic, the Berber ones and Syrians.

In 755, an Abbasid shift and makes carry out the caliph omeyyade and his family. Survived only the young person Abd Al-Rahman, who took refuge with the the Maghreb, at the Berber ones. He had initially projected to cut a principality in Morocco, but estimated the chances to reach that point very thin, and turned to Al-Andalus. Supported by part of the Muslim population, it unloaded and crushed its enemies with Cordoue, where it installed its capital.

It passed most of its reign to subject the local governors, jealous of their authority, who wanted to preserve their independence, and to fight against the Christian kingdom of Asturies, resulting from some resistant Visigoths. In 777, the governor of Saragossa revolted and called Charlemagne with his help. But forwarding turned short, because Charlemagne had to go to the north of its kingdom to protect it from a new incursion saxonne. During the return, its back guard was attacked with Roncevaux by the Vascons.

The successors of Abd Al-Rahman organized the new state and pacified it, while organizing forwardings of raid in the Christian kingdoms. With its death, the emir Al-Hakam Ier, who had could play as much of terror that of a flexible and skilful policy, left with his/her son Abd Al-Rahman II a relatively stable state.

This last was a sovereign patron and guard of arts and letters, regarded as one Moslem chiefs more cultivated of its time, which it empécha not of subduing a revolt with Tolède into 828, as well as the interior agitation carried out by the Christians. It was surrounded artists who directed Spain Musulmane towards a cultural civilization which made its fame. In 844, the Madjus (Vikings) unloaded and plundered Seville during seven days, but the army of the emir reacts promptly and crushed them. Abd Al-Rahman II made strengthen the coast (by fortresses and turns of guet) and build a fleet of war. A new raid that the Vikings tried a few years later (859) will fail. One century later, a new missed raid will still show the effectiveness of the provisions of the emir.

Its successor, Muhammad Ier, began his reign by crushing a new revolt of Tolède, and as a combatant the dissidence of Omar ibn Hafsun. One turbid period followed, avan that the emir Abd Allah and his/her son Abd Al-Rahman III do not restore the situation.

The emirate of Cordoue had been until at that time politically and economically independent of the Abbasid caliphate of Baghdad. Abd Al-Rahman III decided to add religious independence to it, by proclaiming caliph, transforming the emirate of Cordoue into Califat of Cordoue.

See also: List of the Al-Andalus#Émirat sovereigns of Cordoue, Emirate of Cordoue

Organization

At the report heading the emir sits ( to amir or malik ). He controls the country and names the senior officials, the chiefs of the army and the judges. Although chief of the armies, it seldom leaves to shift, delegating this function, generally with the one of his sons. He is assisted of a chamberlain ( hadjib ), to which the function is closer to the Maire of the Western palate than of the Eastern Vizier.

The emirate is divided into provinces, of variable number at the first century, managed each one by a governor, or wali , is named by the emir.

Population

The population of the emirate is divided into:

Arab : not very many at the time conquest, their number increased with the Syrians come following Abd Al-Rahman Ist Rich person, their feeling of superiority involved frictions with the remainder of the population.
Berber : come massively at the time of the conquest, it continued with immiger, mainly Morocco, and were established in the mountains, where they perpetuated their lifestyle, of farmers and stockbreeders. Interdependent and independent, they reflect time to be assimilated and were those which caused the most difficulties with the emir.
the autochtones converted ,
the Mozarabs , i.e. the autochtones having preserved their religion (Christians, Jews) have their own organization, but were to give up the signs external of religion and were subjected to a special tax, the djiziyya . Being given that a converted infidel ceased paying this tax, their religion was tolerated and the convertions were not favoured.

Civilization

As of the reign of the first emir the Grande Mosque was begun from Cordoue, but the cultural Al-Andalus rise began really only with the come to power from a prince patron and well-read man, the emir Abd Al-Rahman II, into 822. His/her father before guest the poet Ziriab, but had died when this last unloaded in Algésiras. Abd Al-Rahman accepted it with all the regards and equipped richly it.

Ziriab initiated the arabo-Andalusian Musique. Its knowledge of the Eastern civilization, practiced in Baghdad, where he had lived during his youth, introduced a part at the Cordovan court of it, thus the rules of the table, the care of the body, the plays (failures) and the sports (play of the sports shirt). Set on science, it also developed techniques of water treatment, as well for the irrigation of the cultures as for the provisioning of the cities.

This period is also the occasion of the introduction of new plants in Spain: asparaguses, cotton, rice, artichoke, eggplants, water melon, lemon trees, orange trees,…

See too

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