Reconquista and the formation of the Spanish kingdom. Reconquista and the formation of centralized states in the Iberian Peninsula Under what slogan was the reconquista carried out in Spain

At the beginning of the 8th century almost the entire Iberian Peninsula - the homeland of the Spaniards and the Portuguese - was conquered by the Arabs (the Europeans called them Moors). The conquerors oppressed Christians, but at the same time introduced them to the high achievements of Eastern culture.

The population of the peninsula soon rebelled against the invaders. This liberation struggle, which was waged under the slogan of protecting Christianity from Islam, was called Reconquest ("reconquest"). Knights from many countries took part in the Reconquista Western Europe, it was actively supported by the Catholic Church.

11th century From the "General Chronicle of Spain" about the liberation of the city of Toledo from the Arabs (1085)

This (1085th) year, King Alphonse gathered a large army ... and began the siege of the city. The Moors well fortified Toledo, which was surrounded by walls and well protected by the Tagus River. But a lot of people gathered in Toledo, and its supplies were exhausted, and the Moors had to surrender the city to King Alphonse ...

And the Moors turned to the king with a request that he leave them in the city and that they keep their houses ... and everything that they own. And King Alphonse allowed them to reside in the city ... and ordered that the Moors pay the same taxes that the Moorish kings levied on them, and in addition announced to them that the main mosque could belong to the Moors for life.

This was the agreement that King Alphonse and the Moors concluded between themselves after the conquest of Toledo.

On the lands liberated from the Arabs, Christian states arose, which waged a common struggle against the conquerors. Among them, the strongest were Castile, Aragon and Portugal. The reconquista contributed to the formation of the Spanish and Portuguese peoples, the emergence of local spiritual knightly orders.

By the middle of the XV century. the Moors retained only Granada. In order to finally free the peninsula from them, the Iberian states needed to join forces. In 1479, the heirs of the Castilian and Aragonese thrones, Isabella and Ferdinand, married (they were called "Catholic kings"). Castile and Aragon formed a single state - Spanish kingdom . At the end of the XV century. Spanish kings annexed the Emirate of Granada to their possessions. The reconquista was thus completed, and the territory of Spain became a single state. Religious persecution of the Moors and Jews began, the Inquisition was created. Many Moors and Jews were forced to leave the country, which damaged its economic life. material from the site

Even in the XII-XIII centuries. in the Pyrenean states, representative authorities arose - Cortes , more influential than the French States General or the English Parliament. They made laws, forced the king to respect local customs, even made sure that he did not squander public funds. But with the emergence of the Spanish kingdom, the role of the Cortes in governing the state began to decrease. Royal power increased, the importance of royal officials increased. The king had reliable support from the townspeople, because most of the Spanish cities did not belong to the grandees, but to him.

Moors - the name of all the conquerors who came from North Africa to the Iberian Peninsula after the invasion of the Arabs.

Reconquista - the struggle for the liberation of Spain and Portugal from the Arabs.

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1. Muslim Spain. In the middle of the 8th century, the Arab possessions in Spain separated from the caliphate and formed an emirate with a center in Cordoba. From the 10th century, the ruler of the Muslim possessions in Spain - Andalusia - bore the title of caliph. Christians called the Arabs and Berbers who lived in Spain Moors: after all, the conquerors came from a region in North Africa - Mauritania.

Muslim Spain was a prosperous part of Europe. A network of irrigation canals in the south of the peninsula made it possible to increase the yields of grain and grapes. Large flocks of sheep were bred on the plateau. Most of the Moors settled in cities, the number of which reached four hundred. Cordoba, one of the most beautiful cities in the world, had up to half a million inhabitants. Andalusia was famous for its silk and woolen fabrics, metal, leather and glassware. Possessing a large fleet, she actively traded with Africa, the Baghdad Caliphate, Italy, and Byzantium.

The Moors at first did not prevent the local population of Spain from practicing their religion. In Andalusia, the descendants of the Basques and other inhabitants of the former Roman province, the Visigoths, Arabs, Berbers, and Jews got along side by side. There were many Christians here who converted to Islam, but there were also those who, having retained the Christian faith, adopted the Arabic language, clothes, and some customs.

2. Reconquista. Immediately after the conquest of Spain by the Moors, the Reconquista began - the reverse reconquest of the occupied territory. The reconquista lasted for about eight centuries.

Gentlemen during the Reconquista received new lands and positions in the reclaimed territory. Peasants, participating in wars, acquired not only land, but also personal freedom. Cities newly founded or recaptured from the Moors sought self-government and various rights. All participants in the wars with the Moors dreamed of capturing rich booty. In addition to the indigenous inhabitants of the peninsula, French and Italian knights sometimes participated in the Reconquista. The popes have repeatedly called on Christians to crusade against Muslims in Spain.

During the Reconquista, in the north of the Iberian Peninsula, the kingdoms of Castile (in translation - "Land of castles"), Aragon, and Navarre were formed in the Pyrenees. In the west of the peninsula, the kingdom of Portugal emerged from Castile.

Around 1030, the Caliphate of Cordoba broke up into dozens of independent principalities. From the middle of the 11th to the middle of the 13th century, the greatest successes were achieved in the Reconquista. Weakened by internecine wars, Muslim principalities became easy prey for Christian rulers. At the end of the 11th century, Christians occupied the city of Toledo and soon transferred the capital of the Kingdom of Castile to it. Later, Aragon took possession of the large Muslim center of Zaragoza, and the Portuguese took Lisbon and made it their capital. The reconquista did not take place gradually, but rather in leaps and bounds. It was slowed down by hostility between Christian sovereigns, it was hampered by the invasion of fanatical adherents of Islam - the warlike Berber tribes from North Africa. The Berbers inflicted heavy defeats on the Christians, but they also failed to unite the warring Muslim emirs. The pressure of Christians to the south was growing.

In 1212, the combined forces of Castile and other Christian states of the peninsula crushed the Moorish troops in the battle near the village of Las Navas de Tolosa. The forces of the Moors in Spain were finally undermined. In the following decades, Castile occupied the largest Muslim principalities with centers in Cordoba, Seville and others. Aragon asserted its power in the Balearic Islands, the islands of Sicily and Sardinia, and later in southern Italy. The Moors had only a rich region in the south - the Emirate of Granada.

3. The life of the Jews in Spain. Many Jews have lived in the Pyrenees since Roman times. In Muslim Spain, one of the centers of Jewish culture of the Middle Ages arose. The Jews were farmers, artisans, merchants, and the most educated participated in the government of the country: they carried out trade and diplomatic missions, served as doctors, ambassadors, and were in charge of collecting taxes. But from the 12th century, after the invasions of the fanatical Berbers, Jews began to be forced to convert to Islam. Many Jews, not wanting to give up the faith of their ancestors, fled north to the Christians.

The attitude towards Jews in Christian Spain for a long time was much better than in other countries. Nose late XIV century, when the Reconquista was nearing completion, the persecution and persecution of the Jews began. They were given a choice: baptism or death. Many were martyred for the sake of their faith, others chose to convert to Christianity, hoping to ride out the storm and return to their faith in the future. The baptized Jews were not recognized, however, as equal in rights with Christians.

4. Formation of the Spanish kingdom. The states that emerged on the Iberian Peninsula were estate monarchies. At first, in Castile, the kings convened the highest secular and ecclesiastical nobility for advice. Later, representatives of the townspeople and even free peasants were invited to meetings. Thus arose a meeting of representatives of the estates - the Cortes (from the word "court" - the royal court). The Cortes in Castile, like the Estates General in France, were divided into three chambers. The Cortes approved new taxes and participated in the issuance of laws. Class institutions also arose in other kingdoms in the Iberian Peninsula. But the Castilian Cortes were the first parliament in Europe with the participation of peasants.

After the decisive successes of the Reconquista, protracted internecine wars began between the Christian states. Only at the end of the 15th century did the last stage in the unification of the country begin. In 1479, under the rule of the married couple Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon, the two states united into a single Spanish kingdom. Navarre was divided between Aragon and France. Now the time has come for the complete expulsion of the Moors from Spain.

In 1492, after a 10-year war, the troops of Ferdinand and Isabella took Granada. Two Christian kingdoms remained on the territory of the Iberian Peninsula - Spain and Portugal.

5. The introduction of the Inquisition in Spain. The reconquista was carried out under the slogan of the struggle of Christians against Islam. The Moors surrendered Granada on the condition that they and the Jews retain their property and faith. But these promises were not kept. Many Muslims and Jews had to move to North Africa. A significant part of the merchants and artisans left Spain, which turned out to be a heavy loss for the country.

It was not for nothing that Ferdinand and Isabella called themselves "Catholic Kings": they wished to make Spain a purely Christian country. The Moors and Jews who remained in Spain, who were forced to accept baptism, were constantly monitored: the church sought to convict them of apostasy from the true faith, to accuse them of heresy and witchcraft.

To eradicate heretics in Spain, the Inquisition was established. It was led by the fierce and merciless Thomas Torquemada, invested with the title of "Grand Inquisitor". For 10 years, while Torquemada was at the head of the Inquisition, thousands of people were burned at the stake, even more were tortured and kept in prisons. The execution of heretics in Spain was called auto-da-fé ("a matter of faith"). It was held as a church holiday: a fire burned in the city square, with a large gathering of people, nobility and warriors. Sometimes dozens of innocent people were burned at the same time. Manuals appeared on the exposure of witches, sorcerers and heretics, at the University of Toledo they specially studied "demonology".

Immediately after the capture of Granada, the king and queen issued a decree for the expulsion of all Jews from the Spanish kingdom. 120 thousand people had to leave the country within three months. Leaving their homes and property, the exiles went to Muslim countries, to the Spanish colonies in America or to the Netherlands.

When and how did Spain come under Arab rule? When did the Muslim rulers of Spain secede from the Arab Caliphate? What was the name of this state? Who were called emirs? one.

Muslim Spain.

In the middle of the 8th century, the Arab possessions in Spain separated from the caliphate and formed an emirate with a center in Cordoba. From the 10th century, the ruler of the Muslim possessions in Spain - Andalusia - bore the title of caliph. Christians called the Arabs and Berbers who lived in Spain Moors: after all, the conquerors came from a region in North Africa - Mauritania.

Powerful medieval walls of the Spanish city

Muslim Spain was a prosperous part of Europe. A network of irrigation canals made it possible to increase the yields of grain and grapes. Large flocks of sheep were bred on the plateau. Most of the Moors settled in cities, the number of which reached four hundred. Cordoba, the capital of Muslim possessions, one of the most beautiful cities in the world, had up to half a million inhabitants. Andalusia was famous for its fabrics, metalwork, leather and glass. Possessing a large fleet, she actively traded with Africa, the Baghdad Caliphate, Italy, and Byzantium.

The Moors at first did not prevent the local population of Spain from practicing their religion. In Andalusia, the descendants of the Basques and Romans, the Visigoths, Arabs, Berbers, and Jews coexisted side by side. There were many Christians here who converted to Islam, but there were also those who, having retained the Christian faith, adopted the Arabic language, clothes, and some customs. The combination of many cultures - Arabic, Latin, Gothic (Germanic), local Celtic, the influence of Berber Africans and Jews gave unique originality and beauty to the art of Spain. 2.

Reconquista. Immediately after the conquest of Spain by the Moors, the Reconquista began - the reverse reconquest of the territory they had captured. The reconquista lasted for about eight centuries.

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" t? GRANADA, Territories liberated during the Reconquista:

| by the end of the 11th century.

I | by the beginning of the thirteenth century.

_] by the end of the 13th century.

] by the end of the 15th century.

The decisive battle with the Arabs in 1212. The borders of the kingdom of Spain at the end of the 15th century. Borders of states in the middle of the XV century. Reconquista in the Iberian Peninsula

1D““T Find on the map the kingdoms mentioned in the text.

Which states remained on the peninsula at the end

Gentlemen during the Reconquista occupied new lands and received positions in the conquered territory. The peasants, participating in wars with the Moors, acquired both land and personal freedom. Cities sought self-government and various rights. All participants in the wars with the Moors dreamed of capturing rich booty. In addition to the inhabitants of the peninsula, French and Italian knights sometimes participated in the Reconquista. The popes have repeatedly called on Christians to crusade against Muslims in Spain.

During the Reconquista, in the center of the Iberian Peninsula, the vast kingdoms of Castile (in translation - "Land of castles") and Aragon were formed, and in the Pyrenees mountains - Navarre. In the west of the peninsula, the kingdom of Portugal emerged from Castile.

From the middle of the 11th to the middle of the 13th century, the greatest successes were achieved in the Reconquista. Small and weakened by civil strife Muslim principalities became easy prey for Christian rulers. At the end of the 11th century, Christians occupied the city of Toledo, which became the capital of the Castilian kingdom. Later, Aragon took possession of the large Muslim center of Zaragoza, and the Portuguese took Lisbon

From the treaty of King Jaime I of Aragon with the Emir of Valencia

(excerpt)

This is an armistice agreement between two equal rulers. Its beginning corresponds to 621 AH.

The war between the parties is stopped, and its consequences are eliminated for the benefit of both communities - Muslim and Christian, the disasters caused to the communities and the damage caused by it are eliminated. Infliction of secret and obvious insults is prohibited. There is no room for confusion and complexity, nor for evil and cunning. There should be only guaranteed security for everyone.

If someone from the inhabitants of the kingdom of Aragon goes to the Muslims, then such an intention is permissible, and there is no sin in using such in the service and in showing good deeds towards him.

The way for merchants, who usually arrive from the country of Aragon to Valencia by land and by sea, is open.

If any of the people of one of the communities moves to any fortress of another community, then this person must be in complete safety, receive a guarantee of the safety of his life and property, and could return to his homeland unharmed.

1. Try to date the document according to the Christian calendar. 2. Compare the text of the document with the text of the textbook: what new information about the Reconquista period does the source report? 3. What rules of relations between representatives of two different peoples are expressed in this document? Can they be useful and instructive in our day? and made it their capital. The reconquista did not happen gradually, but rather in leaps and bounds. It was slowed down by hostility between Christian sovereigns, it was hampered by the invasion of fanatical adherents of Islam from North Africa - the Berbers. The Berbers inflicted heavy defeats on the Christians, but they also failed to unite the warring Muslim emirs. The pressure of Christians to the south was growing.

In 1212, the combined forces of Castile and other Christian states of the peninsula crushed the Moorish troops in the battle near the village of Las Navas de Tolosa. The forces of the Moors in Spain were finally undermined. They had only a rich region in the south - the Emirate of Granada.

Royal Castle (residence of Ferdinand and Isabella) in Segovia 3.

Formation of the Spanish kingdom. The states that emerged on the Iberian Peninsula were estate monarchies. At first, in Castile, the kings convened only the highest secular and ecclesiastical nobility for advice. Later, representatives of townspeople and even peasant communities were invited to meetings. Thus arose a meeting of representatives of the estates - the Cortes (from the word "court" - the royal court). The Cortes in Castile, like the Estates General in France, were divided into three chambers. Like the estates in other countries, they approved new taxes and participated in the issuance of laws. Class institutions also arose in other kingdoms in the Iberian Peninsula. But the Castilian Cortes were the first parliament in Europe with the participation of peasants.

Ferdinand of Aragon

After the decisive successes of the Reconquista, protracted internecine wars began between the Christian states. Only in 1479, under the rule of the married couple Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon, did the two states unite into a single Spanish kingdom. Navarre was divided between Aragon and France. Now the time has come for the complete expulsion of the Moors from Spain.

Isabella of Castile. Statues in the royal castle in Segovia

In 1492, after a 10-year war, the troops of Ferdinand and Isabella took Granada. Two Christian kingdoms remained on the territory of the Iberian Peninsula - Spain and Portugal. 4.

Jewish life in Spain. Many Jews have lived in the Pyrenees since Roman times. In Muslim Spain, one of the centers of Jewish culture of the Middle Ages arose. The attitude towards Jews in Arab, and then in Christian Spain, for a long time was much better than in other countries. But from the end of the XIV century, when the Reconquista was nearing completion, the persecution and persecution of both Jews and the remaining Moors began. They were given a choice: baptism or death. Many were martyred for the sake of their faith, others chose to convert to Christianity, hoping to return to their faith in the future. The Jews and Moors who were baptized, however, were not recognized as equal in rights with Christians. 5.

Inquisition in Spain. The reconquista was carried out under the slogan of the struggle of Christians against Islam. The Moors surrendered Granada on the condition that they and the Jews retain their property and faith, but these promises were not kept. Immediately after the capture of Granada, the king and queen issued a decree for the expulsion of all Jews from the Spanish kingdom. 120 thousand people had to leave the country within three months. Leaving their homes and property, the exiles went to Muslim countries, to the Spanish colonies in America or to the Netherlands. A significant part of the merchants and artisans left Spain, which turned out to be a heavy loss for the country.

Statue of St. James from the Cathedral in Santiago (Spain)

It was not for nothing that Ferdinand and Isabella called themselves Catholic kings: they wished to make Spain a purely Christian country.

The Inquisition was engaged in the eradication of heretics in Spain. It was led by the fierce and merciless Thomas Torquemada, invested with the title of Grand Inquisitor. For 10 years, while Torquemada was at the head of the Inquisition, thousands of people were burned at the stake, even more were tortured and kept in prisons. The execution of heretics in Spain was called auto-da-fé ("a matter of faith"). It was held as a church holiday: a bonfire blazed in the city square with a large gathering of people. Sometimes dozens of innocent people were burned at the same time. Manuals appeared on the exposure of witches, sorcerers and heretics, at the University of Toledo they specially studied "demonology". And today the name of Torquemada and the words "Spanish Inquisition" are used to speak of extreme cruelty.

1. What segments of the population of the Iberian Peninsula participated in the Reconquista? For what purpose did they do it? 2. What Christian states emerged on the Iberian Peninsula? 3. What slowed down the Reconquista? How and when did it end? 4. When were the kingdoms of Spain and Portugal formed? 5. Why was the expulsion of the Moors and Jews from Spain a disaster for the country? 6. How did the Cortes of Spain differ from other bodies of the estate monarchy known to you? Suggest why there is this difference.

1. Why did the decisive successes of the Reconquista date back to the 11th-13th centuries, and its completion became possible only at the end of the 15th century? Name at least two reasons. 2. Check the dictionary for the meaning of the concept of "religious war." Can the Reconquista be called a religious war? 3. Compare the Reconquista and the Crusades of the 11th-13th centuries in the Holy Land: what do they have in common and how do they differ? 4. The Catholic Church in Spain in the 15th century was the strongest in Europe. Is it by chance? Justify your answer. 5. How did the unification of Spain differ from the unification processes in England and France? 6. Prepare a message on the topic “Influence Muslim culture and way of life on the peoples of the Iberian Peninsula. Use additional literature and Internet resources. 44

Arab invasion of Spain

Education

Cordoba

emirate 1212

Defeat of the Moorish troops at Las Navas de Tolosa 1479

Unification of Aragon and Castile 1492

Granada

/> Remember the Arab conquests in the 7th-8th centuries.

Among the states that arose in Europe in the Middle Ages were Spain and Portugal located on the Iberian Peninsula. They appeared on historical map as a result of the Reconquista - the reconquest of the peninsula from the Arabs who captured it in the early Middle Ages. Let's see how it happened. one.

Muslim states in Spain

The Arabs, who took possession by the beginning of the VIII century. North Africa did not stop there. In 711, their troops crossed the Strait of Gibraltar and invaded the Iberian Peninsula, most of which was occupied by the Visigothic kingdom. Having defeated the army of the Visigoths in the first decisive battle, the Arabs in a short time captured the capital of the kingdom of Toledo and the cities of southern and northern Spain.

In addition to the Arabs themselves, the conquering army included detachments of warriors from the African tribes of the Berbers. For their swarthy skin, they were nicknamed the Moors (from the Greek word mauros - dark), in the future, all the Muslims who lived in Spain were called that.

The representative of the Umayyad dynasty Abdarrahman subjugated the city of Cordoba and in 756 proclaimed himself emir. In 929

The emir of Cordoba took the title of caliph, that is, an independent ruler. The following hundred years became the heyday of the Caliphate of Cordoba.

The policy of the Arabs in Spain was similar to their actions in other conquered countries (recall the material of § 6). They seized the estates of the Visigothic kings and nobility. The population of villages and cities had to pay taxes to the state. Non-Muslims - Christians and Jews - could profess their faith, attend temples and synagogues, but were subject to an additional poll tax.

The Arabs brought to Spain their achievements in various fields of activity. So, in the Visigothic kingdom, as in other European states of the early Middle Ages, there were few cities. And in the Cordoba caliphate in the X century. there were already about 400 of them. Here they reached high level many crafts: the manufacture of metal products, weapons, ceramics, woolen and silk fabrics, jewelry, etc. Agriculture. The Arabs began to grow rice, pomegranates,

Dates. They created an irrigation system that made it possible to obtain rich crops of fruits and other fruits in arid lands. Arab merchants were actively trading in handicraft and agricultural products with the countries of Europe and the East.

Palaces of Muslim rulers and mosques were built in the capital and major cities of the Caliphate. Encouraged the dissemination scientific knowledge, education. The university founded in Cordoba became one of the largest in Europe at that time.

The main mosque in Cordoba was built from the end of the 8th century and expanded several times. Majestic size and beauty

The decorations glorified her throughout the Muslim world of that time. Columns with semicircular and oval arches were used as supporting and decorative elements. The arches were richly decorated with stone carvings and colored tiles. This style was later called Moorish.

The scientists living in the Caliphate made a significant contribution to the development of mathematics, medicine, and geography. Among them were Arabs, Jews, and descendants of the indigenous population - the Iberians. The neighborhood of different cultures created conditions for their mutual enrichment. Scientists and poets devoted a lot of time to the translation of scientific works and literary works from ancient languages ​​(Greek and Latin) into Arabic, from Arabic into Latin.

In the XI century. The Caliphate of Cordoba broke up into two dozen small principalities.

2. Reconquista

The regions independent of the Arabs, Asturias and Galicia, preserved in the north of the Iberian Peninsula, have been since the end of the 8th century. sought to expand their borders to the south. The Frankish rulers also wanted to oust the Arabs. In 801, detachments of Christian knights recaptured from the Arabs a large city in the northeast - Barcelona. But it was difficult for small Christian states to attack the strong Emirate of Cordoba, and then the Caliphate.

By the end of the XI century. the situation has changed. At this time, as a result of the unification of a number of lands in the northern part of the peninsula,

the kingdoms of Castile, Aragon, the county of Barcelona were called, and in the west - the kingdom of Portugal. Their rulers successfully attacked the Arab possessions. The cities of Madrid and Toledo were recaptured from the Muslims.

Support for Christian rulers was provided by the popes, who called for the "expulsion of the infidels" from Spain. Following the example of the orders created by the crusaders in Spain and Portugal in the XII century. several spiritual and chivalric orders arose. They actively participated in the struggle against Muslim rule.

One of the key events of the Reconquista was the defeat of the army of the Moors at Las Navas de Tolosa in 1212 by the combined forces of Castile, Aragon, Portugal and Navarre (knights from other Western European countries also came out on their side). After that they were taken Largest cities: Cordoba, Valencia, Seville. By the end of the XIII century. only the Emirate of Granada remained from the former territory of the Caliphate.

As a result of the success of the Reconquista, the kingdom of Castile was especially strengthened (see map). Most of the conquered lands were in the hands of royal family, large feudal lords, spiritual and knightly orders and the Catholic Church. At the same time, communities of free peasants were created in many newly settled territories, who could elect and change seigneurs. Significant development was achieved by the city, which received certain rights and privileges.

In Castile and other Spanish kingdoms in the XII-XIII centuries. there were class meetings - Cortes. They were attended by representatives of the nobility and the nobility, the clergy and cities.

The Cortes advocated the reconquest of the entire Iberian Peninsula from the Muslims. They also supported the kings in suppressing the revolts of large feudal lords.

The final stage of the Reconquista took place in the second half of the 15th century. At this time, a single Spanish kingdom appeared on the map. In 1492, Spanish troops occupied the last Muslim possession on the peninsula - the Emirate of Granada. 3.

Unification of Spain

The emergence of the Spanish state is associated with the unification in 1479 of the two largest kingdoms - Castile and Aragon. This happened through marriage. Crown Prince Ferdinand of Aragon has been married to Queen Isabella of Castile for several years. When he became king of Aragon, the couple united their possessions and went down in history as the founders of the Spanish state, the Catholic, or saints, kings.

However, the unification of the Spanish lands was achieved not only by the will of the two rulers. This was facilitated by the long joint struggle of the Christian kingdoms against the Muslim states. Cities advocated the development of ties between individual territories and the strengthening of the central government. So, in Castile, in 1480, they entered into an alliance (“Holy Hermandada”), which supported the queen in the fight against the masterful nobility. 4.

The reign of the "Catholic kings"

After the unification of the Spanish lands, the kings began to strengthen the central government. First of all, they limited the feudal freemen. Large feudal lords, who subjugated certain territories, lost the right to build new castles and issue their own coins. The possessions of the spiritual and knightly orders came under royal control. Under the influence of mass peasant uprisings"bad customs" were abolished - the most humiliating rights for the peasants of the seigneurs, the personal dependence of the peasants was reduced.

Under the "Catholic kings" the apparatus of governing a single state was formed.

Representatives of the highest nobility - grandees - occupied an honorary position at court.

And the service nobility began to play a leading role in management. Royal officials were sent to the cities, who controlled the activities of local authorities. The Cortes have lost their former significance. The royal power was gaining more and more power.

The desire of the rulers to restore order in the country extended to the spiritual life. At the request of Ferdinand and Isabella, for the "eradication of heresy and the prosperity of the Catholic faith," the Pope established the Holy Inquisition in the Spanish lands (1478-1480). Those suspected of deviating from the "true faith" were interrogated and tortured, and then most often sentenced to be burned at the stake. As early as 1481, auto-da-fe (translated from Spanish as an act of faith) began to be held in the squares of cities - public executions of heretics. Thousands of people became victims of the Inquisition.

After the completion of the Reconquista, the persecution of the Gentiles unfolded. Non-Christians - Jews and Muslims - were asked to be baptized or leave the country. As a result, most of the Jews and Moors, leaving their homes and property, left Spain. The rest converted to Christianity (such people were called Morians). Despite this, they lived under the constant threat of being accused of heresy. In the persecution of other faiths, the Inquisition did not stop before the destruction of the most valuable monuments, books and manuscripts. Most of the mosques, including the famous mosque in Cordoba, have been converted into Catholic cathedrals.

Thus, during the Middle Ages, several states created by different peoples changed on the Iberian Peninsula. The cultural heritage of the Roman era, the Visigothic kingdom, the Muslim emirates has been preserved here. During the Reconquista, the states that exist to this day were formed - Portugal and Spain. At the end of the XV - beginning of the XVI century. it was these countries that were destined to make geographical discoveries who played a major role in the transition to the New Age.

Questions and tasks 1.

Tell, using a map, about the conquest of the Iberian Peninsula by the Arabs. 2.

Describe the situation of the population and the development of the economy in the Muslim states of the Iberian Peninsula. 3.

Explain who carried out the Reconquista. What were the goals of its participants? 4.

Make a chronological table "The main events of the Reconquista". 5.

When and why was the united Spanish state created? 6.

Explain why the time of the existence of the Caliphate of Cordoba is called the golden age of culture. 7.

*Compare the policies of Arab rulers and Catholic kings towards people of other faiths. What differences can you highlight? Was there anything in common? eight.

What role did the Catholic Church play in the formation of a centralized Spanish state?