Operation Reconquista

The unusual name, Reconquista?

The Reconquista was a long period of conflict in the Iberian Peninsula (modern day Spain and Portugal) during which Christian kingdoms gradually took territory from Muslim rulers. The word Reconquista means “reconquest,” referring to the Christian aim of reclaiming land that had been under Muslim control since the early 700s.

Background

By 1200 CE, much of southern and central Spain was ruled by Muslim states known collectively as Al-Andalus. In the north, several Christian kingdoms had grown stronger over time. The most important of these were:

• Castile
• Aragon
• Navarre
• Portugal

Although these kingdoms sometimes fought among themselves, they increasingly cooperated against Muslim rulers in the south.

Turning Point: Las Navas de Tolosa (1212)

A major turning point in the Reconquista was the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa in 1212. A coalition of Christian armies defeated the Almohad Caliphate, one of the most powerful Muslim states in Iberia at the time.

This victory greatly weakened Muslim control and allowed Christian kingdoms to expand more rapidly in the following centuries.

Christian Expansion (13th–15th Centuries)

After 1212, Christian forces captured many important cities, including:

• Córdoba
• Seville
• Valencia

Muslim and Jewish populations often remained in these areas. For a time, they were allowed to practise their religions and maintain their communities, although restrictions increased as Christian rule became more firmly established.

The Fall of Granada (1492)

By the late 15th century, only one Muslim state remained: the Kingdom of Granada in southern Spain.

In 1492, Granada surrendered to King Ferdinand of Aragon and Queen Isabella of Castile. This event is traditionally seen as the end of the Reconquista.