The Iberian Peninsula, during the 8th century, had a large part of its territories dominated by the Arabs. who, inspired by Muslim jihad, undertook the conquest of various locations in the Orient and the Western. In the central-south portion, the Arabs consolidated the formation of the Caliphate of Cordoba, while the region north came under the control of the Christian kingdoms of Leon, Castile, Navarre, Aragon and the County of Barcelona.
Around the 11th century, these Catholic kingdoms decided to form armies that – inspired by the crusade movement – would have the mission of expelling the Muslim “infidels” from that region. From then on, the so-called War of Reconquest lasted until the 15th century. With the development of these conflicts, the different kingdoms participating in the combat managed to reduce the presence of Muslims and conquer new lands that enriched these governments.
During these wars, the Iberian kingdoms got the participation of the French Henry of Burgundy, a nobleman who participated in the war in exchange for control over the lands of the Portucalense County. Years later, this region gave rise to the Portuguese National Monarchy. As early as the 15th century, the hegemony of the Catholic kingdoms was guaranteed by the kingdom of Castile, which controlled the vast majority of land in the Iberian Peninsula at that time.
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In 1469, the Muslim presence was restricted to the Moorish Kingdom of Granada. In that same year, the territories of the Kingdom of Castile and Aragon were unified thanks to the marriage between the Christian monarchs Isabel of Castile and Fernando of Aragon. After that, new armies were responsible for expelling the Muslims definitively with the capture of Grenada, in the year 1492. From then on, this kingdom began to strengthen itself with a frank incentive to maritime trade.
By Rainer Sousa
Graduated in History
Would you like to reference this text in a school or academic work? Look:
SOUSA, Rainer Gonçalves. "Formation of the Spanish National Monarchy"; Brazil School. Available in: https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/historiag/formacao-monarquia-nacional-espanhola.htm. Accessed on June 27, 2021.
