The 100 Most

Important Events
 in the History of

Al Andalus

ILM SUMMIT 2008

1. 711 CE-92 AH- Tariq bin Zeyad led the Muslims in an invasion of Spain which was the
source of many great fables and an honor for the Ummah. The invasion of Spain at the
request of a plea for help against an unjust ruler led to the establishment of a rich and
powerful period of Islamic civilization which would prove to be the golden age of a
country. Its legacy would remain after its devastating crash, a legacy born at a place
called Jabal Tariq.
2. 712 CE- 93 AH- Musa ibn Nusayr moved with 18,000 soldiers mainly from the Yemen
and Hejaz in support of Tariq ibn Zeyad. This led to the almost complete conquest of the
Iberian peninsula within 3 and a half years and the leadership of Musa ibn Nusayr’s sons
after Musa was reprimanded by the Abbasid Caliphate. This also led to more Arabs
moving into Spain which would later change the ethnic makeup of the country.
3. Abdul Aziz ibn Musa did something showing the importance of the intention of settling
in the Iberian Peninsula. He married the wife of Roderick, and she had a son Asim (she
was called Umm Asim). He encouraged the Arabs to intermarry from the local people. In
result, there was a quick blood mixing in the society. The further ensured the Arabs to
settle down permanently.
4. 716 CE-98 AH- Abdul Aziz ibn Musa was assassinated by one of the Arab factions while
he was praying. Afterwards, different factions started competing for the leadership.
5. 717 CE- - When Umar ibn Abdil Azeez became khalifa in Damascus he immediately
ordered Andalus to be controlled as a jurisdiction under Damascus rather than being
under North African rule. This increased the number of Arabs in Spain and decreased the
influence of the Berbers.
6. 719 CE- - Ayyub bin Habib shifted his capital to Cordova which became the center of the
world attention. Subsequently he invited Berber and Arab tribes of Africa and morocco to
settle in Spain. This resulted in the substantial increase of the Muslim population and the
decrease in the possibility of Christian insurgents.
7. 721 CE- - The Muslims suffered their first defeat when fighting against the Frankish in
Toulouse. The loss was not a big deal but the leader was killed leading to a temporary
governor being assigned.
8. 732 CE- 114 AH- A major battle took place. After about 4 expeditions by the Muslims
into France, they were finally defeated by the Christians. This is considered the final
expansion of the Islamic state into European territories. This battle is called the battle of
Tours- La Poitiers in French and Balat Ash-Shuhada in Arabic. reason: this established
the power of Charles Martel and the Carolingians in French and sit also signaled the end
of the ghanima (booty) economy meaning the Muslims of Andalus now had to live off of
their finite resources
9. 740 CE-122 AH- There was a Berber uprising against Arab rule in North Africa because
during the period of expansion the Arabs were happy to give the Berbers full tax
privileges but later Ubayd Allah bin al Habhab tried to impose the Kharaj on them and
reduce their status. Many of them also became Kharijites, rejected the Umayyad, and
refused to pay taxes to them. This uprising in North Africa resulted in a similar upheaval
in Andalus but the Syrians and Andalusia Arabs fought them. The Syrian army didn’t
want to leave where they lived like kings. This increased Arab element and the Syrian
element many of which were very loyal to the Umayyad. This also introduced the
Quays/Mudar versus Yemen disputes.
10. 755 CE-137 AH- Abdul Rahman bin Mu’awiya escaped the Abbasid regime, and after
being on the run for more than 5 years entered Andalus. He rallied Umayyad support and
 marched on Cordoba with an army of 2000. He became the Amir in the mosque of
Cordoba. This re-established Umayyad dynasty and confirmed Cordoba as the capital of
Andalus. There was now unity and stability and people started to embrace Islam.
11. 763 CE-145AH- The Abbasid Caliph Abu Ja’far al Mansur made one serious attempt to
regain control of Andalus by fueling the rebellion of al Ala bin al Mughith. It was soon
crushed by Abed al Rahman who sent the dead head of a rebel to al Mansur-marking the
end of Abbasid interference with the Umayyad of Spain. “Praise be to God who has put
the sea between me and this devil!” This ended interference of Abbasids giving Umayyad
in Spain independence, established a bitter peace between the two.
12. 785 CE- 168 AH- One of the main legacies of Abdul Rahman was when he purchased the
second half of the main church in Cordoba, and he made it as one masjid, which was the
beginning of the masjid Cordoba. [Before, it half masjid and half church] The expansion
of this masjid continued for another 200 years. This helped to confirm the position of
Cordoba as the capital of the city, was a sign of Abed al Rahman’s non-military
contributions to the golden age of Spain, and revealed the lofty ambitions of the Muslim
ruler.
13. 788 CE- 171- Abdul Rahman died after having signed a 25 year treaty with the Northern
Christian states so that he could deal with civil wars. His death renewed the war and
violence with the Christians with his son Al Hisham’s succession.

14. 788-796 CE-171-179 AH- Al Hisham establishes important ties with Medina leading to
Spain being maliki and learning fiqh. The connection with Medina was very important
and groups of Muslims went to Mecca and Medina in large numbers to do Hajj and learn
fiqh. The picked up the teachings of Malik bin Anas, bringing it back to Andalus, making
it officially adopt the Maliki School. This led to hostility to groups of innovation and a
very clear-cut way of fiqh which saved them from the intellectual argumentation which
filled Baghdad.
15. 805 CE -189 AH - The Fuqahaa led a revolt against Al Hakam for his injust rule and
attempted to plot with Al Hakam’s cousin because they believed that he would make a
better leader. His cousin ratted the fuqahaa out and they were captured by Al Hakam.
Over 70 of the fuqahaa were executed, but some of them got away. This led to the
increase of the divide between the fuqahaa and the Islamic government.
16. 818 CE – 202 AH- The Berbers also revolted against Al Hakam. The lost the revolt and
went wandering around in their ships around Northern Africa. This led to them
discovering the island of Crete and establishing an Islamic state there which would last
for over 150 years till it was taken by the Byzantines.

17. 818 CE- 202 AH-There was widespread discontent and upheaval during al Hakam’s
reign. The discontent of his reign led to even extremely respectable figures such as
Yahiya bin Yahiya al Laythi, a well-known faqih, to join in the complaints about un-
Quranic taxations etc. Also led to the emergence of Mamluk soldiers which al Hakam
 used for his own personal guard. All of the above led to general discontent with unjust
rule.
18. 844 CE-229 AH- For two months the Vikings attacked and terrorized the Iberian
Peninsula. The Vikings came from Scandinavia and arrived close to the western side of
Andalus. They began fighting the Syrians on the western belt of the Iberian Peninsula and
eventually went down south to the river and close to Cordoba. Vikings are like 'Bedouins
on the sea' and come in large numbers. According to historians, they came of 54 huge
ships and thousands of smaller boats. They could not do much and went back because
Andalus was the strongest state in Europe. In reaction, Abdul Rahman II created a strong
navy and fleet in the Islamic state.
19. 851 CE – 236 AH- Abdul Rahman II crushed the revolt of the “Mustarabeen” who were
clerics of the Christian faith who spoke Arabic. During his reign there was a general
environment of tolerance and whenever things became violent, the state would usually
step in.
20. 859 CE- 244 AH- The Vikings returned again, going south and burned a Masjid that
some Muslims were taking shelter in which is now called Masjid al Shuhadaa. It was
rebuilt from the wood of captured Viking ships. This marked one of the last attempts of
the Vikings to attack the Muslims; they eventually gave up.
21. 899 CE- -285 AH- According to some sources, Abdullah ibn Muhammad renounced
Islam and accepted Christianity. This shows the the fragility of the religious and political
situation at the time.
22. 910 CE-297 AH- The shift of the Christian capital south over the mountains to the old
Roman walled site at Leon. This was a clear sign of the self-confidence of the emergent
Christian policy.
23. 912 CE-299 AH- Abdel Rahman the 3rd (21 when ruler)…commanded himself Umayyad
caliph and claimed supreme leader of Islamic world…built HUGE royal palace…medina
al Zakhra.
24. 929 CE-316 AH Abed al Rahman took the title of Amir al Mu’mineen, announcing it in
a khutba, and making all gold dinars have on them a clear indication of his new status.
REASON: this was what led him to further expanding his power because he felt that it
gave him legitimacy. This led to a future string of military expeditions which became the
mark of his leadership.
25. 936 CE-324 AH Abdel Rahman began to work on a new palace 5kms’s north of Cordoba
in the city of al Zakhra. Al Andalus reached its prime and became the highest level of
technology in any civilization in the world
26. 976 CE-365 AH- When Al Hakam ibn Abdul Rahman died, he left no heir to the throne
except his 11 year old son, Al-Hisham Al-Mu’ayyad. Because of his young age he was
not really ruling and real rule landed in the hands of Muhammad ibn Abi Amir (also
known as Al-Hajar Al Mansur). He built another city called al Zahirah and moved the
city offices there, angering and creating problems with the Umayyad.
27. 1002 CE- 392 AH- When Al Hajar Al Mansur died, he gave the rule to his son Abdul
Malik who was not strong enough to keep anything in his hands and also died within 6
years. This was important because during his reign two senior officials tried to take over
the government and there was much instability among the elite. As then Muslims got
weaker, the Christians became stronger. His brother Abdul Rahman took over power at
his death in 1008.
28. 1010 CE-400 AH After a long siege of the capital the central government was paralyzed
which led to power being taken by local lords without active rebellion. This led to the rise
of the Taaifah or independent principalities which remained until the fall of the Umayyad
dynasty.
29. 1031 CE-428 AH- This marked the end of the Umayyad dynasty when the Berbers led a
final revolution against the Ummayads in Qurtuba and Hisham III disappeared without a
trace. It is clear that when the leaders became corrupt, living lavish lives, and bringing
back the jahiliya mindset of dynastic rule, the empire crashed. The Muslims fought
eachother selfishly, and even major fuqahaa such as Ibn Hazm left and abandoned the
state.
30. 1065 CE- 457 AH-Fernando I died leaving the Kingdom of Leon-Castille to be thrown
into chaos when he carved the land between his three sons. One of the brother’s was
assassinated and Toledo was marked by political crisis. This is important because after
Alfonso won power from his brothers, he eventually caused the fall of Toledo.
31. 1085 CE-477 AH -Alfonso VI conquered Toledo which would never again be under
Muslim rule. He moved the capital to Toledo and converted the Grand Masjid into a
cathedral. Al Andalus was no longer self-sustaining as its kingdoms were scattered and
no part of the country was completely safe from Christian raids.
32. 1086 CE- 478 AH-Alfonso VI was defeated by Yusuf ibn Tashfin who was summoned
by Mu’tamid ibn Abbad, and came from Northern Africa to help give victory to the
Muslims. They came with strictness in the deen, were disliked and kicked out within 60
years by the Taifah rulers. This re-established Muslim rule but failed to re-establish a
solid political center for the Muslims.
33. 1088 CE- 480 AH-Yusuf ibn Tafshin crossed the peninsula again to try to re-conquer
Spain but this time Mu’tamid allied with Alfonso. Yusuf was victorious and left
Mu’tamid the traitor to die in prison. The rule of Yusuf and his successors left Andalus in
a fake peace in which they lived under Muslim rule, but soon the political rivalry would
fire up and split al Andalus once again; however, their rule also served as a religious
revival supported by the fuqahaa.
34. 1091 CE- 484 AH – The al Moravids finally conquered the last of the Taifahs. This
would allow the Muslims to enjoy a few years of peace and stability, although it wouldn’t
last long.
35. 1092 CE- 485 AH – Valencia came under the hands of the Christians after Qadi Ja’far ibn
Mu’afiri tried his best to find help from other muslims to defend his land. After surviving
horrible famine they finally gave in. Qadi Ja’far was burned alive by the Christians, and
said the shahada before hugging hot coals to his chest to hasten his torturous death. This
marked the beginning of the Christian’s bullying of the Muslims while living off of their
resources.
36. 1096 CE- 489 AH- The Pope of Rome, Urban the II, called for the crusades and the
taking of Jerusalem from the hands of the “infidel”. This led to the firing-up of Christian
 zeal for holy war, and added another problem to the list of the Muslim Ummah to deal
with.
37. 1106 CE- 499 AH- Yusuf ibn Tashfin died, marking the beginning of the years of decline
for the Muslims under his son Ali’s rule. At the time of his death the Almoravids
controlled Morocco and all of al-Andalus apart from the Kingdom of Zaragoza. They
would never regain lands lost to the Christians though with the exception of the
reoccupation of Valencia in 1102.
38. 1109 CE- 502 AH- Alfonso VI died. This helped Ali bin Yusuf bin Tashfin in his attack
on Toledo as his death left the Castilians preoccupied with the succession question. They
failed in this mission however after the Christians held out for months which made their
inability in siege warfare apparent.
39. 1114 CE- 507 AH- A large expedition was taken against Catalonia by Ibn al-Hajj in
which they got considerable booty after ravaging the area. They were ambushed on the
way back though and lost two of their commanders. This was a sad defeat but didn’t
succeed in completely defeating the Almoravids.
40. 1117 CE- 510 AH- Ali bin Yusuf bin tashfin led an expedition in which he took Coimbra.
It was a success but didn’t turn out to be of great advantage to the Almoravids as the city
simply became abandoned after a few days.
41. 1147 CE- 540 AH- Lisbon fell to Afonso Henriques who was the Count of Portugal. This
put an end to over four centuries of Muslim rule in the Ebro valley.
42. 1187 CE- 582 AH- Salahuddin liberated Jerusalem from the Christians. This led to all the
Christians who had left Europe to concentrate on al Andalus, thus increasing the pressure.
43. 1212 CE-608 AH- The Battle of Al ‘Aqaab or Las Navas de Tolosa was fought between
the Christian forces and the Muslim Mohads. At this time, the Muslims begin to start
losing power. This was somewhat of the beginning of the decline in the Muslims power.
44. 1216 CE-612 AH In order to keep races separate, the Lateran Council decreed that all
Jews and Saracens should wear a distinctive garment or badge. This resulted not only in
the humiliation of the people, but it also became dangerous as they were thereby exposed
to insult and maltreatment by people who could now easily identify them. This began the
official process and system of distinguishing races from each other in order to create
organized separation.
45. 1229 CE-626 AH- After conquering the Balearic Islands, Jaime I now had more stable
control and an increase in power, so he now turned his attention towards the important
Muslim city of Valencia. He then blockaded the city by sea in order to weaken the city in
terms of resources and also in order that he maintain ultimate control over the city. This
weakened the city until it finally surrendered 9 years later.
46. 1236 CE-633 AH- Ferdinand III takes over Seville and Muslims flee south to Granada.
Muhammad bin Al-Hamr from Granada became the savior of the Muslims, as he
conversed with Ferdinand about remaining in Granada. Granada became the only land
that the Muslims had. They established a very strong Muslim society in Granada. This
event was a major reduction in the power of the Muslims and also isolated them more in
this one city.
47. 1236 CE- 633 AH- The Castilian forces under Ferdinand III of Castile capture Cordoba
which will thereafter remain in Christian hands. The ruler of Granada, Mohammed bin
Al-Hamr, approaches Ferdinand III of Castile to propose that in return for cooperating in
the conquest of Muslim Seville, Granada would be granted independence as a subject of
Castile.
48. 1238 CE-635 AH The Christians took over Valencia. This event is extremely significant
as after this, Granada remained the only city that the Muslims were in power of. This
isolation of the Muslim population made the process of oppression and in the future
expulsion an easier task as most of the target subjects were in one isolated area.
49. 1248 CE-645 AH- The conqueror was conquered by the culture as King Peter ordered
that a palace be built. This palace resembled an Islamic Palace with Qur’an on the walls
and the title of the King being “khalif”. Although they were persecuting the Muslims, this
Islamic architecture led to remains of the Islamic presence and culture in Spain. This
remains something extremely crucial to historians.
50. 1249 CE-646 AH- With royal encouragement, the Mudejars began to drift back into the
cities. This led to the favoritism of certain Muslims as their craft skills were badly needed
by all of the people as they were the core of the society. We then find Muslims remaining
and working for the Christian rulers in order to attain protection. This leads agreements
between these specific Muslims that were a need to the Christians that they were
promised protection in exchange for their skills.
51. 1237 CE-634 AH To establish a base and a center for Muslims in Andalus, Muhammad
Al-Tawkeel established the Kingdom of Granada. This was the root of all occurrences
and was the core of the Islamic Society.
52. 1252 CE-649 AH As the Christians wanted the Muslims to stay so that they could utilize
their talents, as the Muslims fell under the Christian rule; they were able to retain Arabic
language and also began to incorporate Spanish culture as well. They now spoke Arabic
and Spanish. After the revolts, they were pressured to give up their heritage but most of
them held on to it. In some territories, they had significant majority, but later there was a
policy of expulsion moving Muslims from their homes to keep them as a minority.
53. 1254 CE-651 AH- An Arabic/Latin School was opened in Seville. This played a leading
role in transmitting oriental learning to the west. Many works on science, art, and
philosophy were translated from Arabic into Latin. Therefore, the West acquired the
knowledge of the Arabs. This was during a time that Spain was an educational center of
the world, and works which were produced during this time have remained a huge
contribution to Islamic knowledge as we know it today.
54. 1257 CE-654 AH- During the revolts, new war techniques were introduced by the
Muslims such as the use of fire bombs. This was an entirely new concept of war-fare and
made battles more brutal, bloody and resulted in increased numbers of dead. These new
war techniques forever affected the ways in which battles were fought and their
outcomes.
55. 1275 CE-673 AH- Abu Yusuf arrived with his many armies from various different tribes
as a support for the Muslims. They established firm base in Andalus and came at a time
that people were not expecting, therefore strategically providing support for the Muslims.
Although their help was not effective long-term, they provided temporary support and
showed the commitment that Muslims had in helping each other in any circumstances.
56. 1312 CE-711 AH- Forty thousand Jews joined the army of Alfonso XI of Leon who then
pressed Pope Clement VI to allow the Jews to use their synagogues on the plea that they
fought along with the Christians against the Muslims. They also pressed that for
economic stability, their residence in the town was essential. After this, the Jews came
and were appointed as tax-collectors to farm out Christian lands in Toledo. This led to an
increase in the opposition against the Muslims.
57. 1331 CE-731 AH- Granada began using more advanced weaponry such as iron balls
containing or propelled with fire. This changed the manner of warfare which was used.
58. 1341 CE-741 AH- The Muslims lose in the Battle of Tarifa. The loss of the coastal town
of Tarifa caused trouble for the Grenadians because their connection to the Muslim land
in North Africa was now inaccessible. This was a huge loss because Northern Africa was
a huge source of support and help for the Muslims in Spain.
59. 1348 CE-748 AH- The Black Death hit Europe as one of the worst pandemics in human
history. The total number of deaths in Europe finalized at approximately 25-50 million. It
may have reduced the world’s population from an estimated 450 million to between 350
and 375 million. Because people were so busy running away from this, it helped to slow
down the pressure on the Muslims.
60. 1349 CE-749 AH- The college of Dar al Ilm was constructed in Granada. This school
would soon serve as one of the major centers of Islamic knowledge throughout the world.
At this school, works were published and translated and the Muslim love for all types of
knowledge valued and thrived as the value of knowledge increased. This knowledge
spread across the glove affecting the entire history of Islamic knowledge.
61. 1364 CE- 765 AH- Pedro I constructed the palace of the Alcazar of Seville in the
foundations of an Arab castle. It was designed by Muslim architects and looked
completely Islamic which made the Christians adopt Mudejar art without challenge. This
was a situation of social irony as the Christians value the art of the very nation they were
attempting to destroy. This was significant in the documentation of Muslim Spain.
62. 1371 CE-772 AH- Henry II ordered all Jews and Moors to wear a specific badge which
led to innumerable murders on the high roads. This was the official labeling of the non-
Catholics in order to identify them, keep track of them, and target them. Although the
Muslims and Christians were often of the same race, these badges made them
distinguishable and easier to proctor.
63. 1453 CE-856 AH- The Ottoman Turks conquered Constantinople and brought the
Byzantine Empire to an end. The advance of Islam in the Eastern Mediterranean
contributed to a sense that some decisive blow should be struck for Christendom
elsewhere. Thus, these feelings led to the desire to establish a pure Christian State.
64. 1469 CE-873 AH- Isabel I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon are married in secret.
Although this event is a majorly defining point in the history of Spain, it did not yet have
a profound impact on the situation as it was not made public yet. This consummated the
unity of Castile and Aragon. They became leaders of the two big Christian states in the
north, unifying the Spanish empire for the first time in history.
65. 1471 CE-875 AH- The pope ratified the marriage of Isabella and Ferdinand. It then it
became legitimate in the eyes of the Christian world and their union combined the forces
of power. This new structure of extreme power and these two minds now joined is what
ultimately led to the expulsion of the Muslims from Andalus.
66. 1481 CE-885 AH- Isabella begins the expulsion of the Jews. Under Muslim rule, they
had been able to live in peace for centuries, yet now they were forced into conversion and
also were forced to flee northward. This was the planted seed of the beginning of the
expulsion of all non-Christians. This began and led to the expulsion of the Muslims.
67. 1491 CE-895 AH- The Muslims surrender Granada to the Christians. The last standing
Muslim city in Spain was finally conquered. No longer did Muslims rule Spain. This
victory of the Christians provided them ultimate power over the Muslims which led to
their ability to oppress and ultimately expel the Muslims from the land.
68. 1492, January 2 CE-896 AH- The doors of Granada were opened for the Christian armies
and as they marched in, Abu Abdullah came with the keys of the city. This was the
official transfer of power from the Muslims to the Christians. As he hands over the keys
and weeps his mother tells him “Do not cry like a woman for what you could not protect
like a man”.
69. 1496 CE-900 AH- The forceful conversion of non-Christians began in Portugal. This
was the match that started the fire of the process of expulsion in Spain. It began with
forcing people to convert and renounce their current faith, and if they refused or opposed,
the consequences are shown in the next year’s events.
70. 1497 CE-901 AH- Due to the refusal or opposition to convert, there began in small
numbers the expulsion of Muslims and Jews from Portugal. It had not yet reached Spain
on a large scale, but the seeds that were planted in Portugal would manifest themselves in
Spain to come.
71. 1498 CE- 902 AH- Granada was divided into the Muslim quarter and the Christian
Quarter. This led to many Christians moving up north and occupying Muslim homes.
72. 1499 CE-903 AH- The Arch Bishop of Toledo Francisco Ximenes de Cisneros arrives.
He is an inquisitor general and he begins and introduces his extreme measure of forcible
conversion. This has a great impact on the thinking of the other leadership, as this is
presented as a serious solution to the problem at hand.
73. 1500 CE-904 AH- This was the year of the First Granadian revolt which occurred after a
Christian official had an encounter with a Muslim woman and was killed. This was
important because it was used to nullify all privileges and rights given to the Muslims in
1492.
74. 1502 CE-907 AH- The age of the Moriscos and Moriscas begins. This is the result of a
revolt that leads to the exclusion of Muslims from everything. The people are now being
called Moriscos and Moriscas instead of Moors. From this point on, the indoctrination
and extreme restrictions are placed upon the Muslims and they begin to be severely
restricted in their practices and worship.
75. 1504 CE-909 AH- The fatwa of Oran is send to the Muslims and is known to be the first
specified fatwa sent to the people of Spain. The fatwa of Oran from Northern Africa
brought the Muslims special concessions and exceptions as this was not a normal
situation, but was situation of survival, a situation of life or death.
76. 1505 CE-914 AH- The Fatwa of Al Wanshreesi came telling the Muslims living in
Andalus that they should leave. He was in favor of the Hijrah to Muslim lands because
they could not practice Islam even to a slight degree therefore he was of the opinion that
they must leave in order to practice Islam. This led to many Muslims voluntarily leaving
Spain.
77. 1511 CE- 916 AH- Christian missionaries began targeting the Mudajjars who were
Spanish speaking Muslims under Christian rule. This in turn led to another Mudajjar
revolt and revolution.
78. 1513 CE-918 AH- Due to the revolts of the Muslims, there is a ban placed on Islamic
Symbols by royal decree. This action was to serve as a sort of punishment to the Muslims
as a consequence for revolting. This action intended to further strip Muslims of their
identity.
79. 1520 CE-926 AH- The Germania revolt occurred. This revolt was led by poor Christians
against the Moriscos. They killed thousands of Moriscos and the revolt lasted for two
years. This further weakened the Muslims in their already vulnerable state and softened
them up for the final blows of oppression.
80. 1524 CE-930 AH- In Clement VII’s brief of May 12th, he alluded to preaching the
solution to give the Moors the opportunity to choose between conversion and exile. This
was the official time in which this was brought up as a solution to what to do with the
Moors.
81. 1526 CE- 932 AH- The inquisition office was moved to Granada. This was important
because it led to greater control on the Muslims by the Christians.
82. 1527 CE- 933 AH- Philip II is born in this year. He will later rule from 1556-1598. He is
the person whose influence led to massacre and expulsion of many of the Moriscos. His
existence in this world was a highly important event in the conclusion of Islamic Spain.
83. 1558 CE- 965 AH- The Ottomans captured the Balearic Islands and tried to rescue the
Muslims from Spain. Near Valencia around 700 Moriscos were successfully evacuated.
This led to increased tensions and suspicions between the Monarchs and the Moriscos.
84. 1565 CE-972 AH- It is ordered to prosecute the lords and Old Christians who give aid
and favor or use coercion to compel the converses to live as Moors. This made it so that
 aside from the hardships the Muslims were experiencing, this document ensured that
nobody who pitied or wanted to help them would be able to do so unless they were
willing to give their lives for the help of a Muslim.
85. 1566 CE-973 AH- Felipe II decided to halt the progress of the protestant reformation.
Violent uprisings sparked by economic and social conditions and the king responded by
appointing a fanatical general, the duke of Alba who set about crushing any signs of
rebellion and established a reign of terror known as the Council of Blood. Anti-protestant
laws began to come into existence as well, ensuring that the only religion to be found
would be Catholicism.
86. 1568 CE-975 AH- It was ordered that priests take all children between 3 and 15 years of
age and place them in schools where they would be taught Christian doctrine. This made
Muslims have no other choice between submission and rebellion. Also, this would
influence the future of the society as all of the children, the future, would be brought up
according to Christian rules.
87. 1568 CE-975 AH- The second revolt of the Alpujarras occurs. The Moriscos revolt and
this was put down brutally by King’s brother Don John. Every time the Muslims
attempted to stand up and fight back, they would be put down and would end up weaker
than they had before their opposition.
88. 1571 CE-978 AH- Cervantes fought in the war against the Turks in the Battle of Lepanto.
During this, Christian forces put an end to the threat of the Ottoman naval supremely in
the Mediterranean. Not only were the Muslims being destroyed on land but on sea as
well. This led to the ultimate weakness of the Muslims at the time period.
89. 1580 CE- 987 AH- 5000 Muslims were massacred in Aragon. Women were raped,
children enslaved, and the men thrown from towers. This began some of the worst crimes
against the Moriscos.
90. 1581 CE- 988 AH- By this year Phillip II suggested sending all the Muslims into the sea
in boats and then drowning them all. After realizing that there were not enough boats to
fit them all, they began thinking of more creative ways in destructing the Muslims of
Spain.
91. 1587 CE- 994 AH- By this year the Bishop of Segorbe suggested castrating the Muslim
men and women so they couldn’t procreate and sending them to the New World where
whites were needed. This fact shows the utter disgust and prejudice these Christian
leaders had for the Muslims.
92. 1596 CE-1004 AH- Muslims were labeled as heretics, or otherwise people who hold
controversial opinions, especially one who publicly dissents from the officially accepted
dogma of the Roman Catholic Church. Their options were as follows: convert, leave, or
be punished.
93. 1597 CE-1005 AH- Major implementation on restrictions began. Cleanliness was
regarded as suspicious circumstances. In the case of Miguel Canete, a gardener was
 tortured for washing himself in the fields while working. Muslims were forbidden from
washing themselves for prayer and doing anything Islamic.
94. 1598 CE-1006 AH- Philip III becomes the king. Francisco Gomez de Sandoval however
is the minister for the king and the mastermind of expulsion. These people are the key
figures that led to the tragedy of Muslim Spain.
95. 1602 CE-1010 AH- The official suggestion is expulsion. There were many reasons in
which they believed they could not implement it, yet the suggestion was now officially
on the table as a possible decree.
96. 1609 CE-1017 AH- There is a Royal Decrees for expulsion. After the council of state
decided that it was their duty to prevent the offences to God which may invoke His wrath
upon the state, they officially ordered the removal of all Muslims from Spain.
97. 1609, Oct. 20 CE-1017 AH- Philip ordered that the archbishops, some of whom were
horrified at what had been done to the Muslims, were to be informed that the matter did
not concern them and told them that they had rendered expulsion necessary by kingship.
Thus, there was no open opposition on the part of other leadership.
98. 1612 CE-1020 AH- There is a desperate final revolt of the Moriscos. They strive one last
time to fight for their rights as human beings, but to no avail. They are crushed down
once again leading to a horrible defeat.
99. 1614, February 20 CE-1022 AH- The mission of exclusion is complete. After almost nine
hundred years of leadership and structure within an Islamic Society, almost all Muslims
are gone from Spain. A few people managed to stay behind in hiding or to secretly re-
enter, but as a whole, Muslims in Spain were non-existent.
100. 1614 CE-1022 AH- The archbishop of Granada suggested that such a triumph
should be celebrated and commemorated by a solemn feast and later argued about
whether it should be held on the day that the final resolution was adopted or on the day
that the execution was commenced. Thus, the history of the expulsion of the Moors was
fabricated into a triumphant victory on the part of the Christians.

SOURCES-(note: not all books were used directly as a source to the above points; we found
some of the books to be very prejudiced and found it interesting to read history from different
time periods)
Books :

-The Moriscos of Spain: Their Conversion and Expulsion by Henry Charles LEA, LL.D.
-Islamic Spain 1250 to 1500 by L.P. Harvey
-Spain by Nikos Kazantzakis translated by Amy Mims
-Conquest of Granada by Washington Irving
-The History of Modern Spain by Peter Pierson
- Islamic and Christian Spain in the early middle Ages by Thomas F. Glick
-Spain in the middle Ages-From Frontier to Empire, 1000-1500 by Angus MacKay
-Moorish Spain by Richard Fletcher
-Spanish Islam by Reinhart Dozy
-The History of Spain by Louis Bertrand
-Islam and the West: A Cultural and Social History by Anwar G. Chejne
-Spain: An Illustrated History by Fred James Hill
-The Face of Spain by Gerald Brenan
-Muslim Spain 711-1492: A Sociological Study by S.M. Imamuddin
-Muslim Spain and Portugal: A Political History of al-Andalus by Hugh Kennedy
-The History of Islam: Volume Three by Akbar Shah Najeebabadi

Video :
-Documentary: “When the Moors Ruled Spain”
http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=when+the+moors+ruled+spain&hl=en&emb=0&aq=f#

Other Sources :

Ilm summit student compiled notes