The Iberian Peninsula and Al-Andalus

by Camacho_P10

In 1000 AD much of the Iberian Peninsula was in control of Islamic invaders. How was the relation between them and the Christian population that lived there before the invasion? Did the Muslim conquerers tried to subdue and convert them to Islam like the IS in Syria and Iraq or did they lived at peace respecting each other religion?

mega-t

The Ummayad Caliphate entered the lands of "Al-Andalus" in 711 A.D and pretty much conquered most of it in the later years. No records states that the Muslims persecuted the Christians or the Jews. They didn't try to subdue them and convert them into Islam because the Muslims needs non-Muslim citizens to get what is called "jizya" which is a poll-tax for non-Muslims to pay to the Islamic Government and in return those non-Muslims get to live inside the Islamic State(s) without being persecuted so there was relatively a percentage which I don't know of that were non-muslims. And inside Al-Andalus or the Ummayad Caliphate later on The Ummayad state in Al-Andalus there was a growing economical and intellectual lifestyle . Many Muslim , Jewish , Christian scientists were from Al-Andalus , such as the Jewish philosipher Salomo ben Gabirol , Yuda ben Salomo Kharisi and in general they lived side by side without friction at some point Jews held high official positions inside Al-Andalus. Christians also learned from the muslims living there and interchanged ideas with the muslims living there. Life in general was way more different in my opinion than the IS in Syria and Iraq