The Relations Between Christians and Muslims on The Iberian Peninsula

by Bazza1972 in History, October 4, 2009

The relationship between Christians and Muslims in the Iberian Peninsula varied throughout time. Generally the Muslims proved to be more tolerant towards the Christians than the Christians were towards the Muslims.

When the Muslims controlled the Iberian Peninsula they allowed their Christian and Jewish subjects’ freedom of religion. When the Christians gained control of Portugal and Spain from the Twelfth century onwards they showed no toleration at all towards Muslims and Jews.

The Christians had been in the region for nearly four centuries, and Christianity was the dominant religion despite the Muslims arrival in the Iberian Peninsula in the early Eighth century AD. The Muslim invaders of the Iberian Peninsula were not concerned about converting the Christian majority population and the much smaller Jewish population to their Islamic faith.

Rather the Muslims had a relatively relaxed political regime in the Iberian Peninsula and their period of rule has been generally considered to have a positive impact upon the cultural development of Portugal as well as Spain.