The Myth of the Andalusian Paradise
Muslims, Christians and Jews under Islamic Rule in Medieval Spain
Darío Fernández-Morera (2016)
My understanding is that Islam experienced its zenith of growth in Andalusia (Al-Andalus, Islamic Spain). It was the time of the golden age of Islam where everyone lived happily, believers and non-believers alike. I thought Jews and Christians lived in harmony in mutual respect as the 'people of the book'.
But, wait! This book by a contemporary historian will burst that bubble. Darío, armed with archaeological evidence from scripts written in Spanish and other European languages, has set a 200-pages bibliography to showcase the extent of his research. He claims to have access to scripts of Christians who fled the tyranny of the marauding Berber horsemen.
He describes our present knowledge of Andalusia akin to learning about America from the life and times of Hollywood actors or about the Arabs from the Saudi royal family. The real situation on the ground comes from the narration of the day to day living of the ordinary subjects living under the Empire, not from scripts written by salaried scribes.
Islamists claim that their religion is one of peace. Their influence beyond their land was via natural expansion, migratory wave, not military expansion. Paradoxically, the author asserts that was not the order of the day. Berbers and mercenaries from Northern Africa were brutal soldiers who went for blood. They had their own code of battle ethics. Following the Maliki school of thoughts, they ensured that men of the conquered land were killed, decapitated and impaled to set as a warning to others. Women and children were enslaved. They had comprehensive rules on keeping sex slaves and the outcome of such union.
Before Southern Spain was conquered, it was under the Visigoth-Catholic-Roman rule. Contrary to popular belief, Europe was not in dark ages but had a semblance of culture. The Roman culture, architecture and way of living had seeped into this area. The Arabs and the Berbers who invaded these areas by of low culture, as described by historian Al Khaldun. These barbarians were happy pulverising buildings to the ground and erecting their places of worship atop pre-existing churches. Their own architectural skills were appalling and their erections were of low quality and would crumble easily.
Just like the present time when the US wants to attack a country, it forms an alliance with a discontented group within a country. To attack Iraq, it cooperates with Saddam's enemies within the country. The Islamic invaders did the same. The Jews, who were unhappy under the Visigoth Christian rule, were treated with disdain for punishing their son of God, Jesus Christ. The Jews were temporarily given special privileges when the Muslims won. Unfortunately, it did not last long. The Muslims remembered a verse in the Quran (5:51) that Jews could never be their allies and would always be their servant! Under the Islamic rule with Maliki form of jurisprudence, they were also ostracised. Many Jews cooperated with the rulers of the day, held high positions in the government and contributed to the day to day running of the province. Some converted to Islam to avoid being humiliated, paying jizya (tax for non-Muslims, dhimmis) while others stayed as closet Jews. Despite all these restrictions, the region experienced the Hebrew Golden Age. Leaders like Maimonides, who played both sides, pleased their political masters whilst holding a tight rein on worship. The erection of synagogues was not allowed and Jews had to wear identification tags.
The Christians to were also treated as second class citizens. Andalus was governed by a system of hierocracy, not democracy, and laws were dictated by a government of clerics. Canon Law and Civil Law which were initiated by the Roman Catholic churches went out of the window. Separation of religion and law was something foreign. They were not allowed to openly display their symbol of worship or to celebrate festivities. During the time of the invasion, many grand churches were converted to mosques.
The drinking well used by them was considered impure for consumption of the Muslims. In the day to day living, the Christians were made to feel unwelcome. Some migrated up to Northern Spain with their scrolls and treasures. Some converted and re-converted to their old religion after the Spanish Inquisition by Queen Isabella.
The author asserts that there was no 'Golden Age' during this era. This area in Spain was cultured by the Visigoth kingdom who looked at the Romans for inspiration. The development happened not because of the Muslim invaders but despite their marauding. If not for their intrusion, he emphasises that they would have reached even greater heights.
There was never a time of co-existence amongst the people of Andalusia. It was always a master and slave relationship. The masters went around with a chip on their shoulders with the conviction that they were chosen to spread Allah's message of peace and brotherhood. It was all Machiavellian politics, not Panglossian. With their twisted Maliki philosophy, they felt justified to wage a holy war once a year, at least.
The grandiosity of Andalus is not of the invaders' doings. They just imported knowledge wholesale and labelled it as theirs. From Persia and the Sassanids came administrative skills. The sciences were translated from Greek to Syriac to Arabic by people already in the kingdom. Mathematics and algorithm originated from India. The so-called Islamic 'universities' were nothing more than madrasahs to learn religion. Researching into science and mathematics was considered unholy. Music and art were discouraged as any representations of living things were deemed as mocking the Almighty. Music and wine were intoxicants that were frowned upon. Poetry, however, was considered harmless. Even women recited poems behind the shield of a curtain and veil.
The quite disturbing form of business which was thriving in Al-Andalus was slave trade. As the spoils of their war increased, so did their herd of slaves as the soldiers had a practice of killing all men and sparing children and women. The slaves were sanctioned by the rulers to be used as sex slaves, abused and traded as sex slaves. Offspring from this union became de-facto Muslims and enjoy all rights of a Muslim. The worst of in this society seem to the mohsanas (Muslim wives). They were expected to carry their duties (as for procreation, home duties and caring for the young ones), hence could not be seen in public or be engaged in recreational activities. In that aspect, female slaves had more rights. They could improve themselves by singing and dancing to make themselves more marketable!
With such impressive references, it is now the duty of academics to peruse the author's research and challenge his assertions. He posits that the wrongful representation of history was done because of apparent hostility against the Christians. They are accused of being the reason for fall of the Roman Empire. So, to denigrate their prowess, the Muslim conquerors instead were put on a pedestal!
At the present state of world affairs, nothing is going to come out of this single publication. Even if there is any truth in any of these, it is unlikely that those who reminisce the good old glory of Islam where Al-Andalus was a beacon of enlightenment and a place where 'peoples of the Book' allegedly lived in harmony as equals! Cognitive dissonance would come in the way!
