the occupation of Iberian Peninsula by the peoples who professed the Islamic religion, it occurred initially with the Battle of Guadalete, occurred in 711. This battle opposed the Islamic troops commanded by Tarik to the Visigoth troops commanded by the king Rodrigo (or Roderick). The occupation that began with the Battle of Guadalete would last for seven centuries, ending only in 1492, with the conquest of Granada by the Catholic kings Fernando and Isabel.
The Visigoth kingdom of Hispania began its formation in the 5th century, as a result of the barbarian displacements towards the west, in the final centuries of existence of the Roman Empire. King Rodrigo was probably the last king of the kingdom. The period of his reign was characterized by a period of division between the nobility, which led to a polarization between Rodrigo and King Wytisa. Probably the Muslims took advantage of this division to conquer the region.
The Battle of Guadalete probably took place between the 19th and 26th of July 711, in a place close to the lagoon of
Janda, in the south of the Iberian Peninsula, at the mouth of the Guadalete river. It is estimated that Rodrigo managed to muster nearly 100,000 men against Tarik's Islamic troops, but these numbers are uncertain and few sources exist on the battle's unfolding. What is known is that after the Muslims crossed the Strait of Gibraltar, the Battle of Guadalete was the last attempt to contain the Islamic advance.Do not stop now... There's more after the advertising ;)
The victory over Rodrigo's troops was overwhelming. The internal division of the Visigoth Kingdom favored the Islamists, who in five years managed to conquer almost the entire Iberian Peninsula. It is not certain whether Rodrigo was killed in Batalha or managed to flee, taking refuge in the Lusitania region, probably close to Viseu. The groups that did not accept the subjugation to the Islamists managed to take refuge in the north of the peninsula, in the region of Asturias, where a slow process of reconquest of territories administered by the Islamic
Probably the Islamic victory was also facilitated by the fact that the Visigoths prevented the ancient inhabitants of the region, the Roman-Hispanics, from arming themselves. A possible army formed by slaves would have been commanded by Rodrigo, which could explain the lack of stimulus for the battle. After the victory, the Islamists managed to maintain a relationship, in many peaceful moments, with the inhabitants of the Peninsula, levying taxes and developing a culturally rich kingdom, Al Andalusian.
By Tales Pinto
Graduated in History
Would you like to reference this text in a school or academic work? Look:
PINTO, Tales dos Santos. "Battle of Guadalete and the Moorish Dominion"; Brazil School. Available in: https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/guerras/batalha-guadalete-dominio-mouro.htm. Accessed on June 28, 2021.
