Moors

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Image:Moors1.jpg The Moors were the medieval Muslim inhabitants of al-Andalus (the Iberian Peninsula including the present day Spain and Portugal) and the Maghreb and western Africa, whose culture is often called Moorish. A usual misconception is to relate them to the inhabitants of modern day Mauritania to which they are only related by a history, and therefore ambiguous, name. According to the British Museum, Oxford University and Egyptologist scholar Stanley Lane-Poole, author of "Moors in Spain" Poole proves Moors were African and of Ethiopic and Berber origin (Arabic: السودان) and corrects the previously wrong notion that they were the descendents of slaves of the European Moors who then adopted the customs and language of their former masters.

Since the Maure were a dark-skinned people in comparison to Europeans, 'Moor' came to be applied indiscriminately by Europeans to Africans, Muslims, Saracens, Persians, or Indians. This signifies that the term became known as a culture which would later include various ethnicities. Shakespeare's Othello was 'the Moor of Venice.'

1 History
2 Additional Historical Facts
3 Other Moors in History
4 Present-day Moors
5 Quotes
6 See also
7 Bibliography
8 Supporting Links

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History

In 711 AD, the Moors invaded Visigoth Christian Spain. Under their leader, a Berber general named Tariq ibn-Ziyad they brought most of Spain under Islamic rule in an eight-year campaign. They attempted to move northeast across the Pyrenees Mountains but were defeated by the Frank Charles Martel at the Battle of Tours in 732. The Moors ruled in Spain, except for small areas in the northwest and largely Basque regions in the Pyrenees, and in North Africa for several decades. The Moorish state suffered civil conflict in the 750s.

The country then broke up into a number of mostly Islamic fiefdoms, which were consolidated under the Caliphate of Cordoba. Christian states based in the north and west slowly extended their power over Spain. Galicia, León, Navarre, Aragon, Catalonia or Marca Hispanica, and eventually Castile became Christian in the next several centuries. This period is known for the tolerant acceptance of Christians, Muslims and Jews living in the same territories. Although, the Caliphate of Córdoba collapsed in 1031 and the Islamic territory in Spain came to be ruled by North African Moors.

In 1212 a coalition of Christian kings under the leadership of Alfonso VIII of Castile drove the muslims from Central Spain. However the Moorish Kingdom of Granada thrived for three more centuries in the southern Iberian peninsula. This kingdom is known in modern time for architectural gems such as the Alhambra. On January 2, 1492, the leader of the last Muslim stronghold in Granada surrendered to armies of a recently united Christian Spain. The remaining Muslim were forced to leave Spain or convert to Christianity. These descendants of the Muslims were named moriscos. They were an important portion of the peasants in some territories, like Aragon, Valencia or Andalusia, until their systematic expulsion in the years from 1609 to 1614. Henre Lapeyre has estimated that this affected 300,000 out of a total of 8 million inhabitants at the time.

In the meantime, the tide of Islamic conquest had rolled not just westward to Spain, but also eastward, through India, the Malayan peninsula, and Indonesia, up to Mindanao, one of the major islands of an archipelago, which the Spanish had reached during their voyages westward from the New World. By 1521, the ships of Magellan had themselves reached that island archipelago, which they named the Philippines, after Philip II of Spain. On Mindanao, the Spanish also named these kris-bearing people as Moros, or 'Moors'. See Reconquista.

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Additional Historical Facts

When the Romans entered West Africa in 46 B.C., they called the Africans maures, from the Greek adjective mauros, meaning dark skin. It is from mauros and the Latin term maures that the word Moor is derived. Since the inhabitants of North Africa were an admixture, with the majority being dark-skinned, the Romans, and later the Europeans, called them Moors. It is no coincidence that the land inhabited by the Moors was called Mauretania and Morocco.

In the beginning of the seventh century, the Arab prophet, Mohammed, began to preach the word of Islam. Consumed with religious fervor, the Arabs sought to spread Islam and conquer the world. By 708, the Arabs had overrun North Africa. Consequently, Moors in large numbers accepted Arabic as the national language and converted to their conqueror's religion, garnering Ethiopian and various other multicultural groups who supported Islam's sweep across the continent.

After the fall of the Roman Empire in the fifth century), Spain was held by a European tribe, the Visigoths. Though they were Christians, their brand of Christianity was cruel and unjust.Template:Fact For this reason, Spain's Jews, serfs, and slaves looked favorably upon the arrival of a new civilization in which they would be able to live free of persecution.Template:Fact

Tarik, a great African chief, was given the rank of general in the Arab army and sent to raid Spain. On April 30, 711, Tarik landed on the Spanish Coast with 7,000 troops. His troops consisted of 300 Arabs and 6,700 native Africans (Moors). An ancient source, Ibn Husayn (ca. 950, recorded that these troops were "Sudanese", an Arabic word for these African people.

The Moors were unstoppable, and Visigothic Spain ceased to be. The few resisting Visigoths fled to the caves of the Cantabrian Mountains. Later in the century, they would reclaim parts of northern Spain.

The Moors of Africa were the primary military force. When the Arabs arrived, the main part of the battle had been completed already. The Arab chiefs assigned themselves the most fertile regions. This dissatisfied the Moors, who were not long in coming to blows with the Arabs(The History of Spain by Louis Bertrand and Sir Charles Petrie - published by Eyre & Spottiswood, London, 1945, page 36). Ultimately, the Moors acquired two-thirds of the peninsula, which they named Al-Andalus.

Al-Andalus was obliged to pay tribute to the Arab Caliph of Damascus. As Al-Andulus acquired its own identity, its bond with the Caliph began to weaken. In 756, Al-Andalus proclaimed itself an independent state. Thus, its only links to the Arabs would be the Islamic faith and the Arabic language.

The Moorish architectural remains in Cordoba, Seville, and Granada prove conclusively that these cities were prosperous and artistically brilliant when compared to Christian cities in Europe at the time. The Moors of Al-Andalus held the torch of learning and civilization when compared to the rest of Europe.

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Other Moors in History

Lusius Quietus was a Roman general and governor of Judea in 117. Originally a Moorish prince, his military ability won him the favor of Trajan, who even designated him as his successor. During the emperor's Parthian campaign the numerous Jewish inhabitants of Babylonia revolted, and were relentlessly suppressed by Quietus, who was rewarded by being appointed governor of Judea. The restlessness in Palestine caused Trajan to send his favorite, as a legate of consular rank, to Judea, where he continued his sanguinary course.

Saint Benedict the Moor B 1526—D. 1589 Benedict was born of African parents who were slaves on an estate near Messina, Sicily. Though of the lowest social rank, they possessed true nobility of heart and mind. As a baby Benedict was freed by his master and as a young boy he showed such a devout and gentle disposition that he was called the "holy Moor." While working in the fields one day some neighbors taunted him on account of his race and parentage. His meek demeanor greatly impressed a Franciscan hermit who was passing by and who uttered the prophetic words: "You ridicule a poor Negro now; before long you will hear great things of him." Wishing to join these hermits Benedict sold his meager belongings and gave the proceeds to the poor and then entered the community. After the death of the superior, Benedict was chosen his successor, though greatly against his will. When Pope Pius IV ordered all hermits to disband or join some Order, Benedict became a Friar Minor of the Observance at Palermo, and was made a cook. He was happy in this work since it enabled him to perform many little acts of kindness toward the others. His brethren were greatly edified by the saintly cook, especially when they saw angels at times helping him in his work. The Chapter of 1578 made him guardian, or superior, of the friary, though he protested that he was not a priest, in fact could neither read nor write. He was a model superior, however, and won the esteem and obedience as well as the love of his subjects. As superior he gave free rein to his love for the poor, and no matter how openhanded he was, the food never seemed to give out. After serving as superior he was made novice master, and to this difficult post he brought gifts that were evidently infused: he was able to instruct with an amazing knowledge of theology and to read the hearts of others. At his request he was relieved of his office and again made cook, but he was no longer an obscure Brother, for thousands flocked to the friary, seeking cures or alms or counsel and help. He died after a brief illness, having foretold the hour of his death. His veneration has spread throughout the world, and the Negroes of North America have chosen him their patron. Taken from "A Saint A Day" by Berchman's Bittle, O.F.M.Cap. published by The Bruce Publishing Company, (c) 1958

St. Maurice, the Knight of the Holy Lance, is regarded as the greatest patron saint of the Holy Roman Empire. Rumored to be a Roman commander of Egyptian descent, Maurice is said to have gained sainthood after refusing to have his legion massacre a Christian uprising. Worshipped as early as 460AD, St. Maurice has had numerous artworks and structures---even a castle---dedicated to him. The existence of nearly three hundred major images of St. Maurice have been catalogued, and even today his worship is seen within numerous cathedrals in eastern Germany.

Sir Morien, of King Arthur fame and Sir Pallamedes. Sir Gawain, whose life was saved on the battlefield by Sir Morien, is stated to have "harkened, and smiled at the black knight's speech." It is noted that Morien was as "dark as pitch; that was the fashion of his land--Moors are black as burnt brands." And again: "His teeth were white as chalk, otherwise was he altogether black." "Morien, who was black of face and limb," was a great warrior, and it is said that: "His blows were so mighty; did a spear fly towards him, to harm him, it troubled him no whit, but he smote it in twain as if it were a reed; naught might endure before him." Ultimately, and ironically, Sir Morien came to personify all of the finest virtues of the knights of the European Middle Ages. The English ethnologist and antiquarian scholar Gerald Massey (writing in 1881 in his massive two-volume text, A Book of the Beginnings) noted that, "Morien is said to have been the architect of Stonehenge.

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Present-day Moors

In modern usage, Moor or Moorish (Italian and Spanish: moro, French: maure, Portuguese: mouro) is used to designate people whose native tongue is the Hassaniya dialect of Arabic. These Moors live mainly in Western Sahara and the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, from which the latter country derives its name.

Historically, European scholars have divided the Moors into two groups: African, and European-Arab Moors. Arabs invaded North Africa during 640 C.E. and (Arabic: البيضان, transliterated: al-bīḍānī) are nomads of Arabo-Berber origin. This represented the smallest group within the Moorish population. Moors were all one class and culture. Although darker skinned African Moors made up the majority of this group, race and ethnic division did not exist amongst Moors and there was no distinction in regards to race. (see also memetic engineering) This has been proven by Joel Augustus Rogers' book "Nature Knows No Color Lines". Further Dr. Yosef A.A. ben-Jochannan author of "Africa: Mother of Western Civilization" goes on to prove this group is from Ethiopic origins that migrated to northwest and northeast regions of Africa, and the only thing Arabic about the Moors was the fact that they were Moslem. This happened after adopting Islam upon the Arab invasion of North Africa during the year 640 C.E. Moors did not and currently do not identify themselves with black or white neither does other islamic groups seen elsewhere. In addition the Moors themselves were responsible for much of the slave trade including selling others into slavery including Europeans, Africans and others. According to some reports slavery is still practiced in parts of Mauritania and elsewhere and Sudan in Darfur.

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Quotes

"All the Moorish soldiers were dressed with silk and black wool that had been forcibly aquired...their black faces were like pitch and the most handsome of them was like (black as) a cooking pan." - Spoken by Spanish monarch Alfonso X in the 13th century. Template:Fact

"Moorish Spain excelled in city planning; the sophistication of their cities was astonishing. According to one historian, Cordova "had 471 mosques and 300 public baths...the number of houses of the great and noble were 63,000 and 200,077 of the common people. There were...upwards of 80,000 shops. Water from the mountain was distributed through every corner and quarter of the city by means of leaden pipes into basins of different shapes, made of the purest gold, the finest silver, or plated brass as well into vast lakes, curios tanks, amazing reservoirs and fountains of Grecian marble." The houses of Cordova were air conditioned in the summer by "ingeniously arranged draughts of fresh air drawn from the garden over beds of flowers, chosen for their perfume, warmed in winter by hot air conveyed through pipes bedded in the walls." This list of impressive works appears endless; it includes lamp posts that lit their streets at night to grand palaces, such as the one called Azzahra with its 15,000 doors." - From The Golden Age of the Moor. Template:Fact

"Silius Italicus, and early writer around the beginning of the Christian era, describes the Maures as "Nigra" or black...Procopius, a 6th century Byzantine historian, says the Moors (Maurusioi) were a people composed of a number of "black-skinned" tribes who had gained domination over all of North Africa after the period of the Vandals' ascendency in Africa." - From The Golden Age of the Moor. Template:Fact

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