Spain and Portugal 979 CE

What is happening in Spain and Portugal in 979CE

With the replacement of the Ummayad caliphs by the ‘Abbasids in the Middle East, an Ummayad prince fled to Muslim Spain in 756 and, after a civil war, established an independent state here, commonly called the Caliphate of Cordoba (after its capital). This state has experienced great prosperity, and the capital itself has become the largest city in Europe, filled with beautiful palaces and mosques.

The Christian kingdom of Asturias was able to take advantage of the civil war in Muslim Spain to seize much additional territory for itself. The kings moved their capital to the newly conquered city of Leon, and style themselves kings of Leon.

The Basques have continued to maintain their independence, establishing the kingdom of Navarre. The small counties to its east were originally set up as military border territories by Charlemagne, after his capture of Barcelona from the Arabs in 801. Since the late 9^th century the leading county, Catalonia, has been asserting its independence from the Frankish kings.

Next map, Spain and Portugal in 1215