Moor - who is it? Barbarian or representative of a developed culture? Moors.
Moor - who is it? A representative of a cruel and headstrong people or one who has made an invaluable contribution to the development of cultures different countries? Where is the truth and what is fiction?
The birth of an empire
Moors were called the inhabitants of Mauritania, located in northern Africa. Their history is inextricably linked with the development of Islam.
In the XII century, the city of Medina was founded by the prophet Muhammad. After that, the people, who had previously adhered to a nomadic lifestyle, gained permanent place for life. Then they began their development, conquering new lands, preaching Islam to the east and west.
Thirst for knowledge
Moor - who is important for conquest? Contrary to the generally accepted attitude towards the Moors as uneducated people, it must be said that this is a great delusion. For a Muslim, knowledge was essential. Due to the heat of the day, nomadic peoples moved at night. The result was the emergence of such a science as astronomy. When meeting with representatives of other cultures, the Moors tried to get as much new knowledge as possible. They attached particular importance to books. Their value was very great and a large number of them were published.
Due to the fact that the crusaders created an unflattering glory for the Muslims, many do not know exactly the Moor - who is this? Believing that this is a synonym for the word "barbarian".
In fact, Arab culture was open to new knowledge. After the capture of Egypt, the Moors gained access to which allowed them to seriously expand their horizons. Many works have been translated into Arabic language. It should be noted that Arabs and Berbers who professed Islam were also called Moors.
But she tried to protect herself as much as possible from new knowledge, which significantly hampered her development.
Moors in Europe
Having overcome Gibraltar in 711, the Moors came to capture large area up to France. Considering the fact that Europe of those times was in a deep crisis, many cities were only glad to receive a rather strong patron who could protect against warriors and tribal raids. Despite the fact that Islam was unknown to the population of the Iberian Peninsula, they quite easily began to accept a new religion. Many cities were rebuilt almost from scratch, Cordoba became the main one. Moor - who is this and what is his contribution to the development of Spain? New technologies were introduced: an irrigation system was used to irrigate the gardens, water supply and sewerage existed in the houses.
Of particular importance was paper, which was recognized in Europe thanks to the Arabs. No wonder there were 10 libraries in Cordova. In Toledo, the foundations of modern algebra and chemistry were born, only here it was possible to study works on mathematics and astronomy.
The Crusades, which aimed to rid the countries of Europe of the invaders - the Moors, ruthlessly destroyed them, buildings and all technical structures. People were forced to accept Catholicism under pain of death and confiscation of property. Thus, a new, but ambitious culture replaced a more developed one, which gave Europe a lot in the 12th century of influence.
Quite often you can hear the phrase: "The Moor has done his job, the Moor can leave." This is a quote from the play "The Fiesco Conspiracy in Genoa", written by I.F. Schiller at the end of the 18th century. The phrase is a symbol of the unprincipled use of a person for their own purposes. The attitude towards him was like a tool to achieve the goal, which was no longer needed after the action.
And for a short time captured almost the entire peninsula. In the middle of the VIII century. As part of the Arab Caliphate, whose capital was in Damascus, the Emirate of Cordoba was created, in the tenth century. became an independent caliphate. Its architecture is close to the architecture of the Maghreb, but also absorbed the architectural experience of Byzantium. One of the most significant works of this architecture is the Grand Mosque in Cordoba, built in the 10th century. Despite the fact that in the XIII century. inside the Cordoba mosque, the Cathedral of the Virgin Mary was built, and the minaret was turned into a bell tower, the entire interior of the mosque was preserved. About 900 columns made of marble, jasper, agate, a fountain for ablutions and a courtyard planted with orange trees.
(Andalusia), located in the bend of the Guadalquivir River, during its heyday in the X-XI centuries. competed with its magnificence with Constantinople, Damascus and Baghdad. Then the population of Cordoba was greater than in any other city in Europe, and the number of mosques, palaces, baths and public buildings measured in hundreds. Unfortunately, the complex of the emir's palaces, decorated with 40 thousand columns, did not survive, but entire blocks of the snow-white buildings of the Muslim city survived.
(Andalusia) - the former capital of the latest and longest existing Mauritanian state in southern Spain. It was created in the 13th century. and survived until 1492, i.e. year of discovery of America by Christopher Columbus. Muslims during this period developed trade, science, arts, it was an era of prosperity, the "golden age" of Granada. At this time, the architectural gems of Granada were created - the Alhambra palace-fortress, the summer palace of the Generalife, the oldest quarter of the city of Albazin. The Albasin district is a labyrinth of narrow streets surrounded by snow-white facades of houses and courtyard walls, behind which flower beds and orchards. The country residence of the emirs of the Generalife was created in the middle of the 13th century. on a hill next to the Alhambra. Graceful pavilions with cascading pools, courtyards with orange trees, rose gardens and hedges - all this bears little resemblance to the palaces of European monarchs of that time.
(“al-hamra”, i.e. “red”, according to the color of the walls of red sandstone) - the residence of the Emir of Granada. This is the best preserved Alcazaba of the 9th century. Rising on a hill above the city, the Alhambra impresses with its proportions from afar, and from the inside - with the splendor of its interior decoration, reminiscent of the scenery for "Tales of 1001 Nights". One openwork hall follows another, with even more exquisite arabesques, with even more carved columns, with even more whimsically decorated vaults. The Hall of Two Sisters is striking, the ceiling of which resembles a honeycomb pattern. In the Alhambra, the Lion Court is most famous, surrounded by galleries with light openwork arcades, with a fountain in the center, the bowl of which is supported by marble statues of lions (end of the 14th century).
Similar to the Alhambra, surrounded by luxurious gardens, was built in the tenth century. in the city of Zaragoza (Aragon). Despite a noticeable restructuring at the end of the 15th century, this is the largest monument Moorish style In the north of the country.
Moorish heritage can be seen in the most different corners Spain, with the exception of the far north of the country, which never submitted to the Arab conquerors. - former palaces-fortresses of the Moorish rulers, preserved in many Spanish cities: Seville (Andalusia), Segovia (Castile-Leon), Toledo (Castile-La Mancha), etc.
In the city (Extremadura) you can see the fortress walls built by the Moors with arches and 30 clock towers, the most famous of which is called Torre del Bujaco.
It belongs to the monument of the Arab era near the city of Elche (Valenciana). There are about 200 thousand palm trees here. The Palmeral oasis was created in the 10th century. Arabs thanks to a very complex irrigation system. There is no other such example of Arab knowledge in Europe Agriculture. Many buildings of the Arab era have also been preserved in the town: the Altamira Palace, a defensive tower, etc.
How often do we use words and don't even think about their meaning? Many of them become so familiar that over time they lose their original meaning. In the literary sources of the eighteenth and nineteenth century, the word "Moor" is used quite often. What nationality is this? Where did this name come from? And why is it so rare now? We will answer all your questions on this topic.
Moor - who is this?
To understand the meaning of a word, it is necessary to understand from which language it came to us. Scientists still argue about the origin of the name "Moor". This word has a fairly typical pronunciation for many language groups. But for the most part, the scientific community has come to the conclusion that the word "Moor" comes from Latin. In literal translation, it means "inhabitant of Mauritius" or "Moorish". The Greek version of the origin of this word is also close; in translation from the ancient Greek dialect, it can sound like "dark" or "black".
Who were called Moors?
The meaning of the word "Moor" gives some idea of who was assigned to this nationality. But in fact, not everything is so simple. Residents of different countries called the Moors completely different nationalities. The only thing they had in common was dark color skin.
For example, in the Middle Ages, the Muslim population of Spain, as well as the inhabitants of North Africa, were called so. For a medieval European, it was clear that the Moor was an Arab. They included in this category all black Muslims who came to the Iberian Peninsula.
The Spaniards, in turn, called the Moors the indigenous inhabitants of the Philippine Islands, which they discovered in the first half of the sixteenth century. Judging by the works of Russian classics, they had their own idea of the Moors. In books and poems of the nineteenth century, all dark-skinned Africans were attributed to the Moors. It can be said that in Russian the words "Moor" and "Negro" were synonymous.
V modern world the word "Moor" is used quite rarely. It has a somewhat derogatory connotation. Most often you can hear how the Moors are called Arab migrants who settled in Spain. In many languages of the world it is considered indecent to speak to a person - "Moor".
Moor: other meanings
It is worth bearing in mind that in modern language There is another meaning for this word. In the West, the word "Moor" refers to a simple card game, which is played mainly on vacation. It consists of several parties and can last several hours. There are cases when it was played for more than two days. This is possible with the participation of a company of four or five people in the game process.
In Russia this game known as "101", it often brightens up a long and boring train journey or becomes fun at a children's camp. In addition to the two main titles, this game has more than five variants by which it is known. Every country in the world uses its own familiar name.
Knowing that moor is not the simplest word that has several meanings, you will decide for yourself whether to use it in everyday speech. The main thing is to apply it to the place and not be mistaken. After all, it is this approach that characterizes literate and educated people.
Arab conquest of Spain and the Reconquista
How much do we know about this dramatic period in European history? very little. And today you can read versions on the net that reflect not a Christian, but a Muslim view - they say that the Arab conquest was a boon for the backward Iberian Peninsula. Some even agreed that the enlightened caliphate should have conquered all of Europe...
We consider it fundamentally important to give a sober assessment of the centuries-old hardest struggle of the European peoples against the Muslim invaders.
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By the 40-60s of the 5th century. after the fall of the Roman Empire, all of Spain was occupied by the "barbarian" tribes of the Visigoths, Suebi and Vandals, who crossed the Pyrenees. The Vandals crossed further into North Africa, the Visigoths and Suebi remained in Spain, which was at the end of the 5th century. under the Visigothic king Eirich (466-485) it was included in the extensive Visigothic state (Visigothic brand). It occupied, besides Spain, all of southern Gaul to the Loire in the north, the Bay of Biscay in the west, mediterranean sea and the river Rhone in the southeast. The memory of the Visigothic brand remained in the name of the province of Catalonia (Gotholonia).
In the VIII century, during the period of strife and the weakening of the Visigothic state, the Muslim conquest began on the Iberian Peninsula. On the whole, the Muslims advanced successfully, although in places they encountered very stubborn resistance.
Although some earls submitted, others continued to fight valiantly. Asturs and Goths took refuge in the impregnable mountains of Picos de Europa and, after some time, leaving their shelter, dealt a cruel blow to the Arabs. Such a characteristic given to the Spaniards by enemies is known: “They, like lions, defend their fortresses and, like eagles, rush into battle on war horses. They do not miss the slightest opportunity, if it is favorable for them, and, being defeated and scattered, they hide under the protection of impregnable gorges and forests, so that they can then rush into battle with even greater courage.
The ruler Al-hurr believed that the conquest of the peninsula had already been completed and that the resistance of the Spaniards had been overcome in the course of seven years of fighting (712-718). So he crossed the Pyrenees and invaded Gaul. However, Al-hurr was mistaken. It was at this time that a new and, at the same time, not a defensive, but an offensive war began against the Arab conquerors.
The Arabs were in no hurry to convert the Spaniards to their faith. They imposed heavy taxes on Christians, it was profitable for them to rob the local population.
But already in the middle of the IX century. there were outbreaks of Muslim fanaticism, which became more frequent from the 11th century.
The process of feudalization that developed in the Emirate of Cordoba led to the fact that the Arab and Berber feudal lords increasingly exploited the defeated population (peasants and townspeople), even those of its groups that converted to Islam. The heavy oppression of the conquerors and their religious fanaticism led to repeated uprisings of the conquered population. Especially significant was the uprising of the Spanish-Roman peasantry in the mountainous region of Ronda, which began in 880.
The struggle between the Arab feudal lords and the local peasantry continued after the suppression of this uprising. As a result, there was a constant outflow of the local population from the villages and cities to the north, where the Spanish-Christian regions, independent of the Arabs, remained.
The reconquista began immediately after the conquest of most of the Iberian Peninsula by the Arabs in the first half of the 8th century.
In the summer of 718, the noble Visigoth Pelayo, supposedly the former bodyguard of King Roderich, who was held hostage in Cordoba, returned to Asturias and was elected the first king of Asturias. In 722, the emir of Andalusia sent a punitive detachment under the command of Alcamy to Asturias. With the punishers was the Bishop of Seville or Toledo Oppa (Vitsa's brother), who was called upon to convince Pelayo to surrender. Alcama, moving through the Tarna along the banks of the Nalin River, arrived at Lucus Asturum. From there, the Arabs entered the Covadonga valley in search of Christians. However, the detachment of Alkama was met by Christians in the gorge and defeated, and Alkama himself died.
When the news of the death of Alcama's detachment reached Munusa, he left Gijón with his detachment and moved towards Pelayo. The battle took place near the village of Olalla (near modern Oviedo), where Munusa's detachment was completely destroyed, and Munusa himself was killed. From this moment, historians count the beginning of the Reconquista.
In 721, al-Samha's army advanced towards Toulouse and laid siege to it. The Duke of Aquitaine Ed had to release her. The duke did not have sufficient forces to face the Arab army in open battle, but he managed to catch the Arab army by surprise. On June 9, 721, he defeated the enemy, and the Wali was mortally wounded, after which the remnants of his army fled, lifting the siege from the city. The remnants of the Arab army, besieging Toulouse, took refuge in Narbonne.
But a few years later, the Arabs began a new offensive campaign in Aquitaine. In 725 and 726, the Duke of Aquitaine twice defeated the army of the new wali (governor) - Anbasa ibn Suhaim al-Kalbi - and in 725 the wali himself was killed by an arrow while crossing the Rhone.
At this time, ships of the northern European people, the Normans, appeared off the coast of Spain. The Normans, attacking the coastal regions, clashed with the Moors. At the end of the 8th century the Normans act in the war against the Moors as auxiliary troops of Alphonse the Chaste.
The capture of the Pyrenees by the Arabs was dramatic.
Wali Abd ar-Rahman was able to raise a huge army, he expected to continue the conquests begun by his predecessors. He divided the army into two factions. One army of Abd al-Rahman invaded from Septimania and reached the Rhone, capturing and sacking Albijois, Rouergues, Gevaudan and Vele. Legends and chronicles also speak of the destruction of Autun by the Moors and the siege of Sens. But unlike his predecessors, who attacked the Frankish state from the east, Abd ar-Rahman struck the main blow from the west.
Having passed the Pyrenees through the Ronceval Pass, he first crushed the resistance of the Basque highlanders, taking them by surprise. Then he moved along the old Roman road in the direction of Bordeaux. On the way, he devastated the provinces of Bigorre, Commenge and Labour, destroyed the episcopal cities of Oloron and Lescar, and captured Bayona. Then Auch, Dax and Er-sur-Adour were destroyed, the abbeys of Saint-Sever and Saint-Savin were burned.
Abd-al-Rahman's army lingered near Bordeaux to plunder the nearby area. The city itself was captured and devastated, its surroundings completely devastated. According to the Frankish chronicles, churches were burned and most of the inhabitants were exterminated. The Chronicle of Moissac, the Mozarabic Chronicle, and Arab historians say nothing of the sort, but some of them make it clear that the assault on Bordeaux was one of the bloodiest. It is not known which significant person, vaguely identified as a count, was killed among others, probably the burgrave of the city.
Arriving at Poitiers, the Moors found the gates locked, and the townspeople on the walls, fully armed and determined to defend themselves boldly. Taking the city under siege, Abd el-Rahman took one of its suburbs, where the famous church of St. Gilarius was located, and plundered it along with nearby houses and finally set it on fire, so that a heap of ashes remained from the entire suburb. But that was the limit of his success. The brave inhabitants of Poitiers, imprisoned in their city, continued to courageously hold on.
Meanwhile, Ed and Karl Martell were able to unite and raise an army. Opponents met between Tours and Poitiers. Neither the exact place nor the date of the battle has yet been unequivocally established by historians; according to the version prevailing at the moment, the battle is attributed precisely to October 732. This battle went down in history as the Battle of Poitiers (or Battle of Tours).
The result of this battle was the defeat of the Arab army and the death of Abd ar-Rahman. The remnants of the Arab army took advantage of the coming night and fled.
The Arab army rolled back south beyond the Pyrenees. In later years, Martell continued their expulsion from France.
The first stage of the reconquista (VIII-XI centuries) ended under the Castilian king Alfonso VI with the conquest of the city of Toledo, which was the capital of the Visigothic kingdom before the Arab invasion. By this time (1085), León and Castile had united under one king, and this united kingdom greatly expanded its territory, especially after taking possession of the Tagus River basin. The Arabs left only a part of the Iberian Peninsula south of the course of the Tajo and Guadiana rivers. In the northeast, the possessions of the Arabs at the end of the 11th century. extended to the borders of Aragon.
A bit of chronology:
759 Pepin the Short takes Narbonne. The Umayyad dynasty is driven from France to al-Andalus.
791-842 reign of Alfonso II of Asturias. Numerous skirmishes between Christians and Muslims go on with varying success, but in the end the Christians manage to gain a foothold on the banks of the Duero River.
874 - Vifredo Shaggy, Count of Barcelona, achieves virtual independence from the Franks and begins to actively oppose the Moors, whose possessions are located south and southwest of modern Catalonia. Thus, a new focus of the Reconquista arises.
905-925 - The Basque king Sancho Garcés strengthens the Kingdom of Pamplona. This is another outpost of the Reconquista in the northeast of the peninsula.
1000-1035 - consolidation of another part of Christian Iberia. Sancho III the Great, king of Navarre, expands the boundaries of his possessions to the south. True, after his death, many of his achievements were again lost. Christians begin regular pilgrimages to the relics in Santiago de Compostela.
1031 - the collapse of the Cordoba Caliphate.
Around 1030 to 1099 - the life and exploits of Count Ruy Diaz de Bivar, nicknamed Cid Campeador, the legendary warrior of the Reconquista, the hero of the epic "Song of my Cid", as well as numerous later works of Corneille, Herder and others.
Around 1140 - the appearance of the Spanish national epic "The Song of my Side".
1151 Third and final Muslim invasion of Spain. This time the Almohads ("united") came - adherents of a special teaching within Islam, known as "unitarianism". Manifestations of extreme Islamic fanaticism. Persecution of Christians.
1162 - Alfonso II of Aragon becomes at the same time Count of Barcelona. Thus, the northeastern "corner" of Spain is also united into a powerful state.
1195 - the last heavy defeat of Christians during the Reconquista - the battle of Alarkos. Almohad troops attacked the sleeping Castilian camp.
July 16, 1212 - the climax of the Reconquest. The famous Battle of Las Navas de Tolos. The combined Castilian-Leonese, Navarrese, Aragonese, Portuguese troops smash the Muslim army. Many knights who arrived from all over the Christian world also took part in the battle.
During the Crusades, the struggle against the Moors was perceived as a struggle for the whole of Christendom. Orders of chivalry such as the Knights Templar were formed to fight the Moors, and the Papacy encouraged European knights to fight the Saracens—as the Arabs were called in Europe at the time—in the Iberian Peninsula.
1309 - Fernando IV of Castile (1295-1312) hoists a Christian banner at Cape Gibraltar.
1469 - Isabella I of Castile and Fernando (Ferdinand) II of Aragon enter into a marriage alliance. The actual foundation of the Kingdom of Spain, the establishment of an absolute monarchy.
January 2, 1492 - the fall of Granada and the flight of the last emir of Granada, Boabdil. Ferdinand and Isabella renounce the title of monarchs of the three religions and proclaim themselves Catholic kings. Muslims and Jews who do not want to convert to the Christian faith are expelled from Spain, and the rest are charged with converting to Catholicism.
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During the reconquest, the small early feudal states of the northwestern and northeastern parts of the Iberian Peninsula (Asturias, Galicia, Leon, the County of Portugal, Castile, Aragon, the County of Barcelona, the Principality of Navarre, etc.) began to merge and expand. As a result of this process, such large states of medieval Spain as Castile, Aragon and Catalonia grew up. In the course of the reconquista, the foundations of future nationalities, the Spanish and Portuguese, were also laid.
All classes of the emerging feudal society participated in the reconquista; the peasantry was the essential driving force behind this liberation struggle. As they moved south, the peasants of northern Spain settled in the newly conquered lands that had been devastated by constant wars, and thus the reconquista acquired at the same time the character of a colonization movement. Moving to the border regions, many peasants sought personal liberation from serfdom.
The legendary hero of that era is honored by the Spaniards as the invincible commander El Cid Campeador - Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar.
Sid's sword, which, according to legend, has mystical power, was called Tison. After the death of Cid in 1099, he came to the ancestors of King Ferdinand II of Aragon. In 1516, Ferdinand II granted the sword to the Marquis de Falses for his devoted service to the Spanish crown. According to legend, the marquis himself could choose a gift for himself, but preferred the sword to lands and palaces. It is believed that the sword was the most valuable family heirloom in the family of the Marquises de Falses and therefore has survived to this day. In 1944, with the permission of the owners, the sword was exhibited at the Royal Military Museum of Madrid and remained there for the next 63 years. In 2007, the legal owner of the sword, Marquis José Ramon Suarez, sold the sword to the ownership of the region of Castile and León. The authorities of the region handed over the sword to the cathedral of the city of Burgos, where it is currently on display next to the tomb of Sid.
