Emir Abd al-Rahman III inherited a fragmented kingdom plagued by rebels and in just five years he had already reimposed Umayyad authority over most core provinces of the Emirate of Córdoba. How was this possible? I explain how he ended the fitna, the rise of the Fatimid Caliphate in the Maghreb, and the unpunished offensives of the sons of Alfonso III of Asturias in this episode on the political history of Iberia in the 910s.

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Spanish show 'La Historia de España-Memorias Hispánicas': https://www.youtube.com/@lahistoriaespana

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 Hook
00:24 The Accession of Abd al-Rahman III
02:41 Who Was Abd al-Rahman III of Córdoba?
05:42 How Was It Possible to End the Fitna of the Emirate?
11:02 The First Reconquest Campaigns of Abd al-Rahman III
16:44 Danger in the Maghreb: The Founding of the Fatimid Caliphate
23:13 The Last Years of Umar ibn Hafsun
26:29 The Reign of the Sons of Alfonso III of Asturias
32:19 The Verdict: Separating the Political Figure from the Personal One
33:16 Outro

In episode 39, I explain the origins of Catalonia, the end of the Carolingian Empire, and the independence of the counties of the Spanish March. We explore figures such as Count Ramon of Ribagorza and Pallars, Sunyer II of Empúries, and Delà of Girona, and Wifred the Hairy himself, a much-mythologized figure. Here, I attempt to separate fact from fiction. I discuss the succession of Wifred the Hairy without the intervention of the Frankish king.

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Spanish show 'La Historia de España-Memorias Hispánicas': https://www.youtube.com/@lahistoriaespana

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 Hook
00:31 When Was Catalonia Born?
04:07 The End of the Carolingian Empire
08:45 The Last Appointed Counts of the Spanish March
11:40 The lesser-known counts: Delà of Girona and Sunyer II of Empúries
14:42 The Independence of the Counties of Ribagorza and Pallars
17:29 The Ecclesiastical Conflict of Esclua
20:27 Wifred the Hairy: Between Myth and History
25:32 The Deeds of Wifred the Hairy's Rule
29:54 The Hereditary Succession of Wifred the Hairy
34:19 The Verdict: The Gray Scale of Independence and Sovereignty
35:56 Outro

The Kingdom of Asturias greatly expanded its borders under King Alfonso III of Asturias (866-910), nicknamed the Great. Episode 38 covers most aspects of his reign and the final years of his father, Ordoño, including the origins of Castile and Portugal as counties, the society of comital Castile, and the tragic story of the end of Alfonso's reign with the revolt of his sons and the division of the Kingdom of Asturias.

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TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 Hook
00:22 The End of Musa ibn Musa
03:41 The Conditions of Asturian Expansion
06:17 The Birth of the County of Castile
12:24 Settlement and Power in Comital Castile
16:45 Alfonso the Great, King in Asturias
21:03 Expansion on the Western Flank: The Counties of Portugal and Coimbra
24:57 Ibn al-Qitt and the Day of Zamora
29:10 Revolts and Conspiracies. The Division of the Kingdom of Asturias
33:04 The Verdict: Alfonso the Not So Great
34:14 Outro

In episode 37, we explore the political history of the Iberian Peninsula in the 850s, with events such as a major rebellion in Toledo, the expansion of Asturias into León and Astorga under Ordoño I of Asturias, the founding of Madrid, and conflicts with the Banu Qasi and the Vikings. It was a period of significant political change that heralded the civil war that swept through the Emirate of Córdoba shortly afterward.

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Spanish show 'La Historia de España-Memorias Hispánicas': https://www.youtube.com/@lahistoriaespana

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 Hook
00:27 The rise to the throne of Muhammad I of Córdoba
02:13 The Rebellion of Toledo and the Battle of Guadacelete
09:43 The Asturian Incorporation of León and Astorga
12:54 The Islamic Foundation of Madrid
16:04 Musa ibn Musa, Lord of the Upper March. The Battle of Albelda
22:16 The Vikings Return: The Expedition of 858–860
25:30 The Verdict: Making the Enemy Bigger Than He Really Was
26:27 Outro

In episode 36, we explore the political history of the Kingdom of Asturias under Kings Alfonso II, Nepotian, and Ramiro I. I also discuss the origins of the Jacobean cult and the emergence of Asturian pre-Romanesque art.

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TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 Hook
00:22 Alfonso II of Asturias versus Abd al-Rahman II
06:05 The Origin of the Cult of Saint James
12:12 Ramiro versus Nepotian for the Asturian Throne
15:21 The Reign of Ramiro I of Asturias
18:25 Asturian Pre-Romanesque Art
26:35 The Verdict: The Power of a Lie
27:29 Outro

In episode 35, I talk about the voluntary martyrs of Córdoba, the Jewish convert Bodo, the Black musician Ziryab, the situation of the Abbasid Caliphate from its foundation to the year 861, and how Islamic justice worked.

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Spanish show 'La Historia de España-Memorias Hispánicas': https://www.youtube.com/@lahistoriaespana

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 Hook
00:25 The Martyrs of Córdoba
08:35 Bodo, the Deacon who Became a Jew
11:25 Ziryab, the Influencer of Abd al-Rahman II's Court
18:01 The Abbasid Caliphate up to 861
25:03 Maliki Islamic Law and the Ulema
36:04 The Verdict: The Danger of Focusing on Exceptions
37:19 Outro

How did al-Andalus become a country of Arab culture and a Muslim majority? Was there good coexistence between the Muslims, Christians, and Jews of al-Andalus? What legal restrictions were imposed on Christians and Jews? In episode 34, an essential chapter on the history of al-Andalus and medieval Iberia, I answer these and more questions.

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Spanish show 'La Historia de España-Memorias Hispánicas': https://www.youtube.com/@lahistoriaespana

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 Hook
00:26 Arabization in al-Andalus
05:59 Islamization in al-Andalus
14:01 The Legal Status of the Dhimmis
18:00 Conflict or Coexistence in al-Andalus? Interreligious Relations
29:04 The Verdict: Sexual Domination under Islamic Hegemony
30:45 Outro

In episode 33 you will learn the political history of Muslim Iberia under Emir Abd al-Rahman II, as well as the diplomacy, administration and taxation of Umayyad al-Andalus.

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Patreon: https://patreon.com/newhistoryspain
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YOUTUBE CHANNEL: https://www.youtube.com/@newhistoryspain
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/new-history-of-spain/id1749528700
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7hstfgSYFfFPXhjps08IYi

Spotify (video version): https://open.spotify.com/show/2OFZ00DSgMAEle9vngg537
Spanish show 'La Historia de España-Memorias Hispánicas': https://www.youtube.com/@lahistoriaespana

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 Hook
00:32 Opposition to Emir Abd al-Rahman II
07:57 Territorial Reorganization and the Founding of Murcia
11:06 The Viking Attack of 844: The Sacking of Seville
19:49 Nasr, the Great Eunuch of Abd al-Rahman II
23:14 Diplomatic Relations of the Emirate of Córdoba
28:05 Taxation and Administration in Umayyad al-Andalus
42:44 The Verdict: Who Broke the Andalusi Social Contract?
44:00 Outro