Ottoman Algeria in Western Diplomatic History with ... - Bibliothèque

1. 3. The Spaniards in North Africa
What the Spaniards had proclaimed as a holy war was in fact part of a
political agenda that was meticulously devised by the Christian kings of Spain
and executed by successive generations of politicians, strategists, and military
men with the support of the church. It was no more than the beginning of
overseas expansionism and imperialism that was disguised as holy war to give
it legitimacy. 24 After eight centuries of a flourishing Muslim civilization at El-
Andalus, the kings of Castile and Aragon (Isabella and Ferdinand) united their
two thrones with the aim of putting an end to the last Muslim kingdom in the
Iberian Peninsula, Granada. Starting from 1407, the Castilian kings had already
launched many military campaigns against Granada but reconquest proved to
be difficult and drew out for almost a century. By late 15 th century, Isabella and
Ferdinand relaunched a combined offensive; they did not wait long before they
could lay hand on the last jewel of Muslim civilization. 25 Weakened by internal
rivalries and dubious alliances with the Christians, the Muslims ended up by
handing over Granada to the Christian besiegers in 1492. 26 The fall of Granada
ended the so-called Reconquista and opened a new phase of Spanish conquest
and worldwide expansion.
24 Prescott, Ferdinand and Isabella, pp. 356-57.
25 Stanley Lane-Poole, The Moors in Spain, 8 th edition (London: Fisher Unwin, 1888), p. VII-XII;
Salah Zaimeche, “Granada: The Last Refuge of Muslims in Spain,” Foundation for Science,
Technology and Civilization, Dec. 2004, pp. 1-20. (Accessed 27 May 2008).
http://www.islamawareness.net/Europe/Spain/granada.pdf
26
In fact, the line between Christians and Muslims was blurry: Christians fought amongst
themselves—as did Muslim. Christian rulers often leagued with Muslim rulers —and vice versa—
against rivals. In addition, ‘mercenaries’ regardless of religious appurtenance fought for whoever paid
them more. One of those was Rodrigo Díaz, later known as El Cid. Lane-Poole, The Moors, pp. 185-
214; also Stephen Clissold, “El Cid: Moslems and Christians in Medieval Spain,” History Today, 12:5
(May 1962), pp. 322-28.
27