Classical Principle Weekly
October 25, 2022
Convivencia Part 2
The Caliphate of Cordoba and the Reconquista
In Part 1, we discussed how a progressive faction of Islam, the Umayyad Dynasty, under the direction of Emir Abd ar Rahman I, in Muslim occupied Andalucia (Southern Spain), led Europe out of the dark ages, and initiated “Convivencia”—a long period where Muslims, Christians and Jews lived in peace and growing prosperity, starting in the 8th century A.D. and growing from there.
In 929 A.D., under Abd ar Rahman III, Cordoba advanced from being an Emirate, to a become a Caliphate (a major capitol of Islam). His son, Al-Hakam II succeeded him as Caliph in 961, making peace with the Catholic kingdoms of the North, building irrigation works to develop agriculture, widening the streets and building markets. If you are not familiar with these names, it’s time to remedy this, as our very existence may have been made possible by them.
Al-Hakam II was very well versed in numerous sciences. He purchased books from Damascus, Baghdad, Constantinople, Cairo, Mecca, Medina, Kufa, and Basra. During his reign, a massive translation effort was undertaken, and many books were translated from Latin and Greek into Arabic. He himself wrote a history of al-Andalus. (See photo 1: Al-Hakam II, and photo 2: Ibn Rushd, translator of Aristotle).
Women played an important role. There were over 170 literate women in Cordoba who were employed as copyists for the library. Lubna of Cordoba was one of many people freed from slavery by Al Hakam II. She became his personal secretary, and was put in charge of the library.
She was much more than a copyist though. A self-educated scientist (who learned much from copying manuscripts), she went outside the palace walls to tutor children in math, and wrote commentaries on Archimedes and Euclid. It was said of her that: "she was thoroughly versed in the exact sciences; her talents were equal to the solution of the most complex geometric and algebraic problems.”
Copying manuscripts went much faster in Andalucia than the rest of Europe because of:
1. The higher level of education of the copyists
2. The use of paper instead of parchment.
Beautiful calligraphy was not sacrificed for speed though.
(See photo 3: Lubna of Cordoba, and Photo 4: Beautifully copied Koran.)
THE OLIGARCHY'S REACTION
Who could possibly oppose such progress? Who would want to undermine it? The term “hater” is unfortunately used these days to indicate someone who merely disagrees with media-led popular opinion and fads. That is healthy disagreement, not hate. There are, however, vested interests that has pitted people who should be allies against one another. These vested interests are more interested in controlling the rest of humanity for personal power. They hate that which unifies humanity, more than they hate any particular race or creed. Their continued power and control depends upon the continued servitude of the people. This is implemented through divide and conquer. They would replace Schiller’s “Alle Menschen werden Bruder” (All mankind will become as brothers), with “Die ganze Menschheit wird Feinde bleiben.” (all mankind will remain as enemies to each other.)
This oligarchical motivation, and dark nature, is alien and incomprehensible to most decent human beings, but it has to be understood, if it is to be defeated. Edgar Allen Poe captured this soulless nature in the fourth movement of his poem, “The Bells":
-Iron bells!... every sound that floats
From the rust within their throats
Is a groan.
And the people—ah, the people—
They that dwell up in the steeple,
All alone,
And who tolling, tolling, tolling,
In that muffled monotone,
Feel a glory in so rolling
On the human heart a stone—
They are neither man nor woman—
They are neither brute nor human—
They are Ghouls
We quote this, because there is no other way to understand the degeneration of Spain, nor prevent it from happening again, than by comprehending such evil. All institutions are factionalized, whether they be governments, nations, or religions. All have an oligarchical faction. You cannot characterize any such institution as simply good or bad. They all run the gamut from good to outright evil.
The beautiful Convivencia of Cordoba broke down as religious fundamentalism began to arise within Islam in North Africa. Strict interpretation of the Koran was used to question the morality of public officials, and to question the authority of Baghdad, the center of science and learning. Infighting took place in Islamic Spain, which led to fragmentation. General Abu Amir al Mansur (the conqueror), was a fanatic who carried a copy of the Koran with him at all times, and declared Holy War against the Christians, personally leading some 57 raids and battles in the late 900’s. Not surprisingly, he burned all of the secular books in Hakam's Cordoba library. Later, angry Berbers sacked Cordoba, stole all of the books, and may have burned the library down. By 1031, the Cordoba Caliphate had disintegrated into pieces.
In the meanwhile a sort of Christian fundamentalism, called the “Reconquista” also arose. Like the idea of the Crusades (retaking the Holy Land from Muslims), the idea of taking Spain back from the Muslims became an obsession. It had started earlier in northern provinces, such as Asturia, and finally spread to Andalucia. At first the “Reconquista” was fairly respectful of the Muslim culture which had done so much for Spain and Europe. When Cordoba was taken in 1236, the Mezquita was turned into a Cathedral but without totally violating its integrity.
(See Photos 5 and 6. The great Mezquita turned into a Cathedral.)
The capture of Seville in 1248 was even more respectful. King Ferdinand III built a Real Alcazar (Royal Palace) in the Mudejar style, using both Islamic and Christian architecture. You can see that here.
(See photos 7: the façade of the Real Alcazar, and 8: ecumenical dedication of that building).
The dedication is in two languages. Around the outside, the King and God are praised in Spanish for building the palace. The letters in blue are Kufic, an old form of Arabic. They are in a mirror image that says: “The Glory belongs to Allah alone.” The vertical line is the mirror image’s point of reflection.
I know of no other dedication of a palace to both the Christian God and Allah.
HOWEVER, CONVIVENCIA WAS NOT DEAD.
Alfonso X (the Wise), Christian King of Castile (1221-1284), had a cosmopolitan court that promoted learning. Jews, Muslims, and Christians were encouraged to have prominent roles. The king himself wrote poetry and set it to music. He wrote many hymns to the Virgin Mary. Ironically, the nature of Mary is treated more extensively in the Koran than the Bible. The 19th chapter of the Koran is known as “Surat Maryam”.
Here is the King’s beautiful Cantiga 156. The happy change into a fast major key towards the end, reflects a miracle by the Virgin Mary, in returning speech to a man who had had his tongue cut out for speaking the truth. Remember, this is almost two centuries before Renaissance composers such as Dufay and Dunstable.
Another beautiful song from the time is Scalerica D’Oro (little ladder of gold), a Jewish Sephardic wedding song. The words go as follows:
A little Golden Ladder of Gold and Ivory
The bride will climb up
To take her wedding vows.
We came to see, we came to see
May they have joy, may they prosper
And may they have much abundance.
The bride doesn't have money.
May they have good fortune.
May they have plenty of good fortune.
he Music: Scalerica D'Oro: https://youtu.be/DTyqzqHpO1I
It became known as a Moroccan song when expelled Jews carried it there. Who could hate a people who produced such beautiful music, or clothing?
(See Photo 9: The Golden Thread, in the Sephardic museum in Cordoba.)
Nonetheless, anti-Semitism was fostered in Spain and it grew. The demand was made of Jews to convert to Christianity. When many did so willingly (they loved the culture of Convivencia, and considered themselves proud Spaniards as well as Jews), the racists were not satisfied. To them, Judaism was in the blood, and they demanded “Lipieza de sangre”, or purity of blood (in a country with so many ethnicities?) People spied from rooftops on their neighbors to see if they were practicing “secret Judaism”.
Centuries later, Wagner felt the same way. Many emancipated Jews had made great contributions to German society. They were proud of being Jews, but also proud of being German. They were becoming integrated. That bothered Wagner. It did not matter to him that Felix Mendelssohn had been baptized as a Christian at the age of 7, he still had Jewish blood running in his veins. Wagner quoted arch-racist, le Comte de Gobineau, author of "On the Inequality of the Human Races", on how European "blood" had been corrupted.
“We asked Count Gobineau, returned from weary, knowledge-laden wanderings among far distant lands and peoples, what he thought of the present aspect of the world; to-day we give his answer to our readers... he proved the blood in modern manhood's veins, and found it tainted past all healing."
(See The Classical Principle -September 5th 2022 : "The Mendelssohn Mission continues.")
People who believe that your identity rests in your blood have a huge problem. There is no science to support it-at all! So-called race-science has been proven to be bunk! It got worse. When Ferdinand and Isabella unified Castile and Aragon into Spain, hostility to Jews and Muslims reached fever pitch. Columbus sailed in 1492. That may have been the only good thing that Ferdinand and Isabella did, as that same year began the expulsion of the Jews. The Moriscos were expelled more slowly and quietly.
In that same year, Ferdinand and Isabella led the unnecessary conquest of the Alhambra. Here you see the fortifications they constructed for that conquest. They destroyed any books from the Cordoba Library still circulating, in an effort to wipe out all memory of Islamic Spain. (See Photo 10: Ramparts)
The Spanish Inquisition (which differed from the Europe-wide Dominican-led inquisition based in Rome), had started a few years before. It thrived, and practiced unspeakable tortures, that can only be described as prurient and unbridled sadism. (See Photos 11 and 12. Please tell us how this is in any way Christian?)
Why do we stress these hideous points? Do not forget Poe’s point: “They are neither beast nor human, they are Ghouls.”
WHEN SOME AMERICANS STILL KNEW WHAT IT MEANS TO BE AMERICAN
Fortunately, the great writer Washington Irving, who wrote biographies of both George Washington and Muhammad, undertook several diplomatic journeys to Spain, eventually as Ambassador. On his first mission, he chose to reside in a small room at the dilapidated Alhambra. Here is a plaque, commemorating his stay there. (See Photo 14)
To us, this can only be seen as in protest, to what had happened centuries earlier. King Ferdinand had captured the Alhambra in 1492, despite all lack of military necessity. The expulsion of the Jews began the same year. The expulsion of the Moors and Moriscos was slower, and less dramatic, but even more relentless. Washington Irving was quite clear on where his sympathies lie. He composed his great “Tales of the Alhambra” there, but also wrote:
“Never, was the annihilation of a people, more complete, than that of the Morisco Spaniards. Where are they? Ask the shores of Barbary, and its desert places. They have not even left behind, a distinct name, though for eight centuries, they were a distinct people. They have left behind, only a few broken monuments. Such, is the Alhambra.”
That is the view of an American patriot, who sided with the oppressed of the earth, rather than the oppressors.
Fortunately, there were late 19th century composers who rescued the Islamic tradition in Spanish music. Isaac Albeniz wrote that, “like it or not, our music is Moorish.” Albeniz discovered Pablo Casals, playing in a café, and sponsored his musical education. How much did their music owe to the intervention of Washington Irving?
Francisco Tarrega also knew Casals. He could have become a virtuoso pianist, but instead chose to promote the guitar, and founded a guitar school that launched the guitar into the 20th century. His simple study in tremolo: “Recuerdos de la Alhambra” (Memories of the Alhambra), is so beautiful that it remains a major concert piece today (His use of tremolo may be a tribute to the Oud, which uses a picked tremolo, instead of fingers, as in classical guitar). Here, it is accompanied by photographs of the Alhambra.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1h8H-Hz2gGDi3FsQQNcmruWrT7P60v5Mj/view?usp=drive_web