27. Abd al-Rahman I, the Refugee Who Seized al-Andalus
Release Date: 05/10/2025
42. The Making of the Caliphate of Córdoba
New History of Spain
In episode 42 we see the political history of the Iberian Peninsula in the 920s with the struggles between Christians and Muslims in the north, the end of the fitna of the Emirate and the proclamation of the Caliphate of Córdoba, and the Andalusi advances in the proxy war of the Maghreb between Umayyads and Fatimids. SUPPORT NEW HISTORY OF SPAIN: Patreon: Ko-Fi: PayPal: Bitcoin donation: bc1q64qs58s5c5kp5amhw5hn7vp9fvtekeq96sf4au Ethereum donation: 0xE3C423625953eCDAA8e57D34f5Ce027dd1902374 Join the DISCORD: Follow the show for updates on Bluesky: Or Twitter/X: YOUTUBE...
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41. How Abd al-Rahman III of Córdoba Saved the Umayyad Dynasty
New History of Spain
Emir Abd al-Rahman III inherited a fragmented kingdom plagued by rebels and in just five years he had already reimposed Umayyad authority over most core provinces of the Emirate of Córdoba. How was this possible? I explain how he ended the fitna, the rise of the Fatimid Caliphate in the Maghreb, and the unpunished offensives of the sons of Alfonso III of Asturias in this episode on the political history of Iberia in the 910s. SUPPORT NEW HISTORY OF SPAIN: Patreon: Ko-Fi: PayPal: Bitcoin donation: bc1q64qs58s5c5kp5amhw5hn7vp9fvtekeq96sf4au Ethereum donation:...
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39. Wifred the Hairy and the Origins of Catalonia
New History of Spain
In episode 39, I explain the origins of Catalonia, the end of the Carolingian Empire, and the independence of the counties of the Spanish March. We explore figures such as Count Ramon of Ribagorza and Pallars, Sunyer II of Empúries, and Delà of Girona, and Wifred the Hairy himself, a much-mythologized figure. Here, I attempt to separate fact from fiction. I discuss the succession of Wifred the Hairy without the intervention of the Frankish king. SUPPORT NEW HISTORY OF SPAIN: Patreon: Ko-Fi: PayPal: Bitcoin donation: bc1q64qs58s5c5kp5amhw5hn7vp9fvtekeq96sf4au Ethereum donation:...
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38. Expansion and Betrayal under Alfonso III of Asturias
New History of Spain
The Kingdom of Asturias greatly expanded its borders under King Alfonso III of Asturias (866-910), nicknamed the Great. Episode 38 covers most aspects of his reign and the final years of his father, Ordoño, including the origins of Castile and Portugal as counties, the society of comital Castile, and the tragic story of the end of Alfonso's reign with the revolt of his sons and the division of the Kingdom of Asturias. SUPPORT NEW HISTORY OF SPAIN: Patreon: Ko-Fi: PayPal: Bitcoin donation: bc1q64qs58s5c5kp5amhw5hn7vp9fvtekeq96sf4au Ethereum donation:...
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37. Iberia in the 850s: Shadows of Greater Wars to Come
New History of Spain
In episode 37, we explore the political history of the Iberian Peninsula in the 850s, with events such as a major rebellion in Toledo, the expansion of Asturias into León and Astorga under Ordoño I of Asturias, the founding of Madrid, and conflicts with the Banu Qasi and the Vikings. It was a period of significant political change that heralded the civil war that swept through the Emirate of Córdoba shortly afterward. SUPPORT NEW HISTORY OF SPAIN: Patreon: Ko-Fi: PayPal: Bitcoin donation: bc1q64qs58s5c5kp5amhw5hn7vp9fvtekeq96sf4au Ethereum donation:...
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36. How Asturias Survived under Alfonso II and Ramiro I
New History of Spain
In episode 36, we explore the political history of the Kingdom of Asturias under Kings Alfonso II, Nepotian, and Ramiro I. I also discuss the origins of the Jacobean cult and the emergence of Asturian pre-Romanesque art. SUPPORT NEW HISTORY OF SPAIN: Patreon: Ko-Fi: PayPal: Bitcoin donation: bc1q64qs58s5c5kp5amhw5hn7vp9fvtekeq96sf4au Ethereum donation: 0xE3C423625953eCDAA8e57D34f5Ce027dd1902374 Join the DISCORD: Follow the show for updates on Bluesky: Or Twitter/X: YOUTUBE CHANNEL: Apple Podcasts: Spotify: Spotify (video version): Spanish show 'La Historia de...
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35. Religious extremes and Islamic law in al-Andalus: Martyrs of Córdoba, Ziryab, and more
New History of Spain
In episode 35, I talk about the voluntary martyrs of Córdoba, the Jewish convert Bodo, the Black musician Ziryab, the situation of the Abbasid Caliphate from its foundation to the year 861, and how Islamic justice worked. SUPPORT NEW HISTORY OF SPAIN: Patreon: Ko-Fi: PayPal: Bitcoin donation: bc1q64qs58s5c5kp5amhw5hn7vp9fvtekeq96sf4au Ethereum donation: 0xE3C423625953eCDAA8e57D34f5Ce027dd1902374 Join the DISCORD: Follow the show for updates on Bluesky: Or Twitter/X: YOUTUBE CHANNEL: Apple Podcasts: Spotify: Spotify (video version): Spanish show 'La Historia de...
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34. Arabization and Islamization of al-Andalus
New History of Spain
How did al-Andalus become a country of Arab culture and a Muslim majority? Was there good coexistence between the Muslims, Christians, and Jews of al-Andalus? What legal restrictions were imposed on Christians and Jews? In episode 34, an essential chapter on the history of al-Andalus and medieval Iberia, I answer these and more questions. SUPPORT NEW HISTORY OF SPAIN: Patreon: Ko-Fi: PayPal: Bitcoin donation: bc1q64qs58s5c5kp5amhw5hn7vp9fvtekeq96sf4au Ethereum donation: 0xE3C423625953eCDAA8e57D34f5Ce027dd1902374 Join the DISCORD: Follow the show for updates on Bluesky: Or...
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33. Abd al-Rahman II of Córdoba | Vikings in Seville, Administration and Taxation
New History of Spain
In episode 33 you will learn the political history of Muslim Iberia under Emir Abd al-Rahman II, as well as the diplomacy, administration and taxation of Umayyad al-Andalus. SUPPORT NEW HISTORY OF SPAIN: Patreon: Ko-Fi: PayPal: Bitcoin donation: bc1q64qs58s5c5kp5amhw5hn7vp9fvtekeq96sf4au Ethereum donation: 0xE3C423625953eCDAA8e57D34f5Ce027dd1902374 Join the DISCORD: Follow the show for updates on Bluesky: Or Twitter/X: YOUTUBE CHANNEL: Apple Podcasts: Spotify: Spotify (video version): Spanish show 'La Historia de España-Memorias Hispánicas': TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 Hook...
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32. The Birth of the Kingdom of Pamplona
New History of Spain
In the first half of the 9th century, two power struggles unfolded side by side: the rise of the Kingdom of Pamplona and the slow unraveling of the Carolingian Empire under Louis the Pious. Why did the lords of Pamplona prefer paying tribute to Muslim Córdoba over submitting to the Franks? And how did the empire built by Charlemagne begin to fracture? In episode 32 I’ll tell you a story of shifting loyalties in Vasconia and the Carolingian world. SUPPORT NEW HISTORY OF SPAIN: Patreon: Ko-Fi: PayPal: Bitcoin donation: bc1q64qs58s5c5kp5amhw5hn7vp9fvtekeq96sf4au Ethereum donation:...
info_outlineIn episode 27 I tell the story of how a refugee became the ruler of al-Andalus. The man was Abd al-Rahman I, founder of the Emirate of Córdoba from the Umayyad dynasty that was overthrown in the Middle East.
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TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 Hook
00:32 The Epic of Abd al-Rahman ibn Muawiya
06:07 The Foundation of the Emirate of Córdoba
12:41 Al-Andalus, a Rebellious Land
26:09 Foreign Policy of Abd al-Rahman I
30:45 Domestic Policy of Abd al-Rahman I
34:28 The Umayyad Family in Al-Andalus
37:41 The Construction of the Great Mosque of Córdoba
43:53 The Verdict: Abd al-Rahman I’s Political Genius
45:44 Outro