La convivencia in al-Andalus : an analysis of historiographical approaches to the question in the twentieth century

Abstract

This dissertation follows the circumstances leading to the Arab-led invasion and the long Muslim occupation of the Iberian Peninsula in a chronological and linear manner, from inception right up to the Spanish Reconquista in 1492. I have concurrently carried out a detailed study of several historical accounts which embody a variety of perspectives on the nature of the relations and interactions between the three different religious communities of the occupied territories of al-Andalus throughout the entire period of Islamic domination, and examined the manners in which said relationships developed under successive administrations. The main focus of my investigation has been directed towards a critical analysis of scholarly arguments on the predominant notion propounded by a number of historians that this was an idyllic period during which a multi-ethnic society flourished in a serene and all-inclusive environment, but I have also scrutinised other theories put forward by scholars holding opposing views on the question. Then, by carefully weighing the information gathered and by adopting a balanced approach on my findings, I have attempted to draw conclusions that show the true nature of said convivencia, exposing both the positive and negative facets of the social and cultural relations of the inhabitants of medieval Muslim Spain.