UNIT 5 SPAIN IN THE HISTORY

A. SPAIN IN THE MIDDLE AGES

1. WHO WERE THE VISIGOTHS?
They came to Roman Hispania in the 5th century. The Visigoths established a new kingdom with
its capital city in Toledo. It was called the Kingdom of Toledo. This was the end of Roman
Hispania.
- Government
The king made the laws. Sometimes he had special meetings with the nobles and bishops.
- Culture
The Visigoths learned to speak Latin and they adopted Roman laws.
- The economy
Most Visigoths were farmers, so many of them went to live in the countryside.
- Religion
In 589, King Recaredo converted to Catholicism. It united the Visogothic kingdom under one
religion.
2. WHAT WAS AL-ANDALUS?
In 711 A.D. Muslim armies came from North Africa to the Iberian Peninsula. They conquered the
Visigothic Kingdom of Toledo. It became a new Muslim territory called al- Andalus.
- Who were the Muslims?
Islam is a religion that began on the
Arabia Peninsula in the 7th century
A.D. The followers of Islam are
called Muslims. In the Middle Ages,
there was a great Islamic civilisation
with its own laws, customs and art.
Muslim empires were called
caliphates and they were ruled by
caliphs.
After he Muslims defeated the Visigoths at the Battle of Guadalete in 711 A.D., al-Andalus
became part of the caliphate.
- Government in al- Andalus
From 711 A.D. to 929 A. D. al- Andalus was an emirate. In 929 A.D., an emir called
Abderramn III declared that al- Andalus was an independent caliphate. He established the
Crdoba Caliphate. Later on al- Andalus was divided into small taifa kingdoms.
Al- Andalus became a centre of art and learning. The Muslims also built many beautiful
buildings, such as the Alhambra in Granada and the Great Mosque in Crdoba.

3. WHAT WAS LIFE LIKE IN AL- ANDALUS?

Some people in al- Andalus were Christian or Jewish. The Muslims didnt
consider non- Muslims to be equals, but they gave them some basic rights.

4. WHAT WAS LIFE LIKE IN THE CHRISTIAN KINGDOMS?

In the Christian kingdoms of the north, most people lived in the countryside, im
small towns, and villages. There werent many big cities.

The Christians built many religious buildings that we can still see today, such as
churches and monasteries.

5. WHAT WAS THE RECONQUISTA?

Between the 8th and the 15th centuries, the Christian kingdoms expanded in to
the south. They conquered lands from al- Andalus. This process is called the
Reconquista.
- Why did the Christian kings want to conquer al-Andalus?
* The population was increasing.
* The Christian kings thought the lands of al- Andalus should be rule by
Christians. This was because these lands were ruled by the Christian Visigoths
before the Muslims conquered them.
* After al- Andalus was divided into small taifa kingdoms, it was easier to
conquer them.

B. EARLY MODERN IN SPAIN

The Early modern Age began with the discovery of America in 1492, and ended
with the French Revolution in 1789.
1. WHO WERE THE CATHOLIC MONARCHS?
Fernando of Aragon and Isabel of Castilla married and later on they became
known as the Catholic Monarcs.
- What did the Catholic Monarcs do?

* They united the kingdoms of Castilla and Aragn to form one big kingdom.
This increased their power.
* They created a modern state.
* They conquered Granada from the Muslims in 1492. This was the end of the
Reconquista.
* They expanded their kingdom to include the Canary Islands, Melilla and
Navarra.
* They also gave money to Christopher Columbus for a voyage of discovery.

2. WHAT HAPPENED IN THE AGE OF DISCOVERY?

During the Early Modern Age, many explorers made voyage to distant places.
They discovered and conquered new lands and peoples. For this reason, this
period is called the Age of Discovery. These explorers were called the
conquistadors.

In 1492 Christopher Columbus went

on a voyage.
He wanted to find a western route to
Asia. He discovered America, but he
thought he was in Asia. He made
three voyages after that.

Hernn Corts was a conquistador

who went to Mexico in 1519. He
founded Mexico City.

Francisco Pizarro was another

conquistador. In 1532 he went to
Peru.

Fernando Magallanes was the first

person to sail across the Pacific
Ocean.
Elcano became the first person to sail
around the world.

3. WHO WERE THE HAPSBURGS?

In the 16th and 17th centuries, Spain was ruled by the Hapsburg dynasty. The
grandson of the Catholic monarchs, Carlos I, was the first Hapsburg King of
Spain.
Under the Hapsburg, Spain became an enormous international empire. The
empire included lands in Europe, Asia, Africa and America. Carlos I and Felipe
II were the most important Hapsburg kings. Spain dominated Europe and also
conquered and colonised America during this period.
Why did the Hapsburg dynasty end?
In the 17th century, there was an economic crisis in Europe. By the end of the
17th century, Spain had lost some of its land in Europe. Carlos II died in 1700.
That was the end of the Hapsburg dynasty because he didnt have any children.
4. WHAT WAS THE GOLDEN AGE?
During the period of the Hapsburg dynasty, many great Spanish artists and
writers became famous. Because of this, the 16th and 17th centuries are called
the Golden Age.
-

In the 16th century, the most important painter in Spain was El Greco.

In 17th century, there were other great painters, such as Murillo and
Velzquez.

The most important writer was Cervantes. He wrote Don Quijote.

Lope de Vega was another important writer. He wrote many plays,

poems and novels.

5. WHO WERE THE BOURBONS?

After Carlos II died in 1700, there was a war between Spain and other
European countries. Spain lost some lands to other European countries. It
became less powerful in Europe. A new dynasty now ruled Spain. These kings
were called the Bourbons.
The first Bourbon king was Felipe V. He centralised the government. This
means that he eliminated many local laws and institutions. Felipe V divided
Spain into provinces.
In the second half of the 18th century, Carlos III was king. At this time there were
many changes in Europe, and this included Spain. Carlos II introduced many
projects to modernise the country: the Royal Academies, The Royal
Astronomical Observatory,
Cities were modernised and made more beautiful.