Ferdinand and Isabella: Episode 3- Slavery, Slaughter and Stake-burning in the Reconquista

[@johndorilag4129]

A great book about the Islamic rule in Hispania (Spain and Portugal) is "The Myth of the Andalusian Paradise" by Dario Fernandez Morera. It depicts the reality of life in Hispania under Islamic rule.

[@ericagos1601]

The Christian and Islamic states (and their respective rulers) of the Iberian peninsula had varying degrees of tolerance, or lack thereof, toward their Christian/Muslim/Jewish subjects during the seven centuries of Islamic presence in the land. On the Islamic side, some of the original Caliphs were more tolerant while the Almohads were not. In Granada in the year 1066 (same year the Normans conquered Anglo-Saxon England), the city's Jewish population was massacred. In recent decades within western countries there is a trend to paint a picture of Al-Andalus as a utopia of religious co-existence. While this may have been reality in certain areas at certain times, it was not the case overall, for either Christian or Muslim kingdoms. I'm glad you brought up some of the external geopolitics going on at the time, because these factors are usually left out in many books on the subject of Isabel and Ferdinand. It's important to understand the historical bigger picture, of the centuries that preceded and how events shaped attitudes of European monarchs and society. In this case, the birth and spread of Islam. The seventh and eighth centuries were dominated by the rapid military spread of Islamic armies. Less than a century after Mohammed's death, his successors led armies in a holy war against the pagans/polytheists; Christians; Zoroastrians; Jews; Hindus. Their armies invaded and conquered from Spain and France in the west, to India in the east. The Sassanid Persian empire was defeated, Zoroastrianism replaced by Islam. Much of the territory of the Christian eastern Roman (Byzantine) empire was conquered. In regards to Christianity, 3 of the original five patriarchates (major cities that predate the Great Schism) were taken and placed under Islamic rule: these include most significantly, Jerusalem, as well as Antioch and Alexandria. The other two were attacked; Constantinople was besieged for the first of many times in 678, and again in 717. Rome was attacked twice in the 800's by Islamic armies, who destroyed St Peter's Basilica which was at that point outside the city walls. In 997, an army under Caliph Al-Mansur rode north and burned the most sacred place in Spain, the Cathedral of Santiago del Compostela. When Christian forces under King Ferdinand of Castile retook Cordoba in 1236, they found the cathedral's bells inside mosque (formerly a church) as a war trophy, and returned them to Santiago del Compostela. As for the Crusades, something that is not often mentioned in books on this subject is the reign of Caliph Al-Hakim. He is remembered as the Nero of Islam, for his persecution of Jews and Christians throughout the near east and Egypt. Thousands of churches and synagogues were destroyed, many killed under his reign. Most notably, he had the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, Christianity's holiest site, levelled to the ground, going so far as to burn the tomb of Christ. When news of these events reached Europe and Rome, Pope Sergius IV issued the first call for holy war; he died soon after and the first Crusade didn't happen until 85 years later under Urban II, this time in response to the Byzantine emperor's appeal for help against the advancing Ottoman Turks. It is worth imaging if the tables had been reversed, what would have happened? Imagine if Christian, or any other different religious powers, had conquered Arabia, including the two holiest cities of Islam, Mecca and Medina. Imagine if a pope or other Christian ruler in this imaginary scenario had destroyed the Kaaba and burned the tomb of Mohammed in Medina, as part of a wider spread persecution. How would the Islamic world at the time have responded? When Sultan Mehmet II conquered Constantinople, much of the city's population was sold into slavery. Ottoman troops went straight to Hagia Sophia where much of the city's population had gathered the night before. They broke down the doors, and thousands inside were killed, the rest were raped/and or sold into slavery. Twenty seven years later in 1480, as you mentioned the Ottomans invaded Italy, hoping to take the last patriarchate remaining in Christian hands (Rome) for Islam. Sultan Mehmet II boasted that he would stable the Ottoman cavalry in St Peter's Basilica upon taking Rome, before turning it into a mosque. The Ottomans were successful in taking Otranto, where 800 survivors were decapitated for refusing to convert to Islam. Their skulls remain in Otranto cathedral to this day. These events would have had an enormous impact on Isabel. She was aware of the historical context; she was born two years after Constantinople fell, and was Queen when Italy was invaded, with the very real threat that the centre of her faith (Rome) could be taken next. All this to say, it is not to excuse the actions of Isabel and Ferdinand with regard to their intolerance. It is important to consider the wider picture though, and look at it through the context of the time. What was happening in Spain and would continue to happed there, was mirrored to the east in the Ottoman empire, a land that had been formerly Christian for over 1000 years, including Devshirme blood tax culminating in the Greek, Armenian and Assyrian genocides that claimed over two million lives just a century ago.

[@Qvadratus.]

You forgot to add that before Constantinople fell to the Turks it has been raided by the noble crusaders who stole all of its gold. And of course, all the "genocides" were a response to anti Turkic violence provoked by the same good old innocent West.

[@phillipmoore9012]

A few decades ago it was the Renaissance music of Andalusia Spain that first interested me in the history of Ferdinand and Isabella. These contributions to music can still be heard today in Rock music and earlier Classical variants. It was about half a decade ago when I discovered through genealogy that Isabella especially, but also Ferdinand were my cousins via my 20-great grandmother Eleanor of Castile, and 3rd-cousins Philippa of Lancaster and Catherine of Lancaster. Eva already noted in this series cousins-marry-cousins already common to royalty. The children and grandchildren of Ferdinand and Isabelle contribute to spread descendants all across Europe, to where I may have even a dozen lines to follow in any particular case.

[@jaimeluisrey2963]

Lovely presentation. The reconquista was slow, yes it was, but the reason was that Isabela, and other kings before her, were getting payment from the muslins kingdoms in gold and was the only source of gold in Europe. Only after the Portuguese started introducing gold direct from Africa Isabella finished the Reconquista

[@kenwalker687]

Eva Schubert's podcasts make history come alive. I have had to keep a log of what I have watched so that I can keep them in some type of chronological order & cohesion. Thank you and keep up the great historical podcasts. ⭐

[@brucepeek3923]

There were also christian crusades from Germany into Poland- thats how Poland ended up catholic. best Bruce Peek

[@tomg7972]

You’re a great communicator. I am learning a lot!

[@evaschubert1]

So glad you are finding the videos useful 😊

[@tamaratyler7786]

So good! Great storytelling of such fascinating history! Thank you Eva!💝

[@evaschubert1]

Thank you for your comment Tamara. 🙂

[@amirtaherpour7458]

What and how you are doing with your historical videos is extraordinary and fantastic. Thanks a lot for your wonderful job ma’am. 🙏🙏

[@evaschubert1]

I am so glad you have found them useful.

[@lizadodds126]

You are amazing! As a history graduate and Tour Guide/Educator I am so impressed by your delivery, your insight, your ability to explore the surrouding cultural reasons for events.

[@evaschubert1]

@@lizadodds126 Thank you very much for your kind comment 😊

[@wadeclyke8105]

Just listen again . Love your story telling skills.

[@evaschubert1]

If you listen to these lengthy episodes more than once I take it as a huge compliment!

[@wadeclyke8105]

@evaschubert1 I listen to and watch them all more than once. You need to to take it all in.

[@riffcrescendo1740]

Magnificent: fascinating, compelling presentations of interesting past times.

[@bebesilencioso9827]

Bravo, Eva!!! Excelente historia la que has contado.

[@henryrivas2525]

I really enjoy your enthusiasm.! Teaching and sharing as all you were there..

[@officialtmpwavesmedia8753]

Great content. I am binge watching your Ferdinand and Isabella series. I purchased a book on Spanish history and recently visited Cuba.

[@kenwalker687]

Ditto

[@flowtribe]

This video series is fantastic! Thanks for the detailed and engaging videos

[@evaschubert1]

So glad to hear you are enjoying them. 😊

[@phillipmoore9012]

Another outstanding presentation.

[@nyckolaus]

Fantastic!

[@kimberlybiback]

Extremely well done, can't wait for the next! Fully engaged from start to end

[@evaschubert1]

I am thrilled to hear it had that effect. Thank you for letting me know.

[@cherylfraser7914]

So pleased to find your podcast , Bravo ! I’m a history nut ,, thank you 🙏🏼

[@evaschubert1]

Welcome! So glad you found it. 😊

[@DanielArevalo-my1sh]

Great presentation thanks

[@skiboltskieskye1238]

The amount of detail and research done is phenomenal. Learnt more here than in 5 years of studying. Well done.

[@evaschubert1]

I am so glad you found it useful. There were many hours of research and hundreds of pages involved in creating this series.

[@patshifflett4205]

Great lecture. I am going to Spain in a few months and this is great background

[@evaschubert1]

Enjoy the incredible architecture!

[@joelas87]

i have been to Spain so many times when i was younger as a partygoer and at that point i hadn’t completely embraced the love for history as now; never got to go to Granada; i mostly stayed locally; Madrid; Barcelona; Ibiza; but now i keep kicking myself in the head over and over since i have ZERO interest in partying again; and now im boring and as some call it all the boring history interest and study brings along; not boring one bit to me; but now i have to plan around family and other logistics to actually take a trip to Spain; which is not like i wont ever return;; its just that my role in the family increased my responsibilities and roles changed and its not as easy as when i was a younger; i used to literally jump on a plane every summer for years and spend the whole summer in Barcelona; and at some point i knew everything about the city but not once did i think about taking a trip to historical towns in Spain as Granada; Segovia; Tordesillas; Toledo;Omg just so many!!!! i would die to go now; i just cannot believe i wasnt even aware where Queen Isabel was interred to be honest and that Christopher Columbus is also interred in the same chapel in Granada; i mean those facts today seems just fascinating to me; to be where these people who changed world history and that they were people like the rest of us; but i dont think they could have imagined just how much their influence and legacy would transcend humanity for centuries to come leading up to this date; their legacy and influence is everywhere and it all comes down to these historical illustrious characters that makes it just so freaking awesome; i dont know why people think history is boring; enjoy you time in Spain visit as much as historical places as you can; go to Segovia where she crowned her self in the town’s square and where her authentic golden and silver crown and her scepter are still on display along with all the regalia; Enjoy🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸

[@anacasanova7350]

La reina Isabel, no solo cosia camisas, estaba muy preparada, sabia latin , y humanidades, y era prudente e inteligente. Y Católica desde luego. Como todos los reyes de Europa . Eran católicos. En El ADN de los españoles hay muy pocas trazas del Magreb, o ninguna. El ADN de los españoles esta mas cerca del británico que del bereberb o árabe.

[@CestLePanda]

Both my parents are from El Salvador but I've always been told I look rather racially ambiguous if not that I look Arab or Mediterranean. I decided to have one of those ethnicity dna tests done to help with building a family tree and it turns out that while I definitely have about less than half indigenous Salvadoran dna inheritance, I have about 12 other regional ethnicities in my inheritance. I also have Portuguese, Spanish, Basque, Maltese, Welsh, French, English, North African/ Maghreb Egyptian, Slavic, West German, Ashkenazi Jewish,and Cameroonian segments. At least enough to be detectable in my segments. Your podcast is really helping me better wrap my head around how this salad bowl of ethnicities could have come to end up in my genes. In fact, one side of my family seems to have ties back to Malaga and some of the distant relatives from there ended up settling in Louisiana. lol. Thanks! Great narration and voice!

[@captainvardia9923]

Thank you very much !🌹🌹🌹

[@craigramage5022]

I don't know how they can call any war a holy war.I do think my 16th.greatgrandmothet was a smart and strong woman .Who was ahead of her time.Thank you for all the story and research you have done on my 16th grade grandparents. Sincerely Maureen Ramage

[@pablohernandez5550]

I think we can conclude war and slavery on both sides is terrible. Appreciate that you’re trying to be balanced between Castile and the Moors. Not sure walking us through the slavery terms of surrender at Zahara was worth the time. I’m sure the reality was far worse.

[@illumencouk]

Hearing how Princess Isabella helped establish 'state education' despite herself having only been taught to 'darn men's shirts' sounds like a constructed backstory that fuels the Goddess cause. The real possibility is that the Moorish empire ensured they would AL-WAYS remain the dominant force with a foot in the door of each House, so to speak. Slow and steady and quiet as a mouse they systematically intergrate themselves into every single royal blood line, which by definition alludes to a 'master' race, of sorts.

[@jujubees5855]

Haven't listened, checking out comments, etc before I commit time, but is Eve the one saying that or have others been giving Isabella the Mary Sue treatment?

[@anacasanova7350]

Eres un fantasma, no tienes ni idea de quien era la Reina Isabel de Castilla, la mejor Reina de Europa.

[@jojolafrite9265]

​@@anacasanova7350cuando ingleses hablan de Espana , no es con miel , para nosotros son los moros blancos 😂😂😂

[@LacyFikes]

I have just found your podcast and have been bingeing on history with you for the last few days. I would like to request a video on The "Lost" Colony of Roanoak. I became interested in the so-called mystery as a child and it took a lot of research to find out that there is no real mystery after all. The information is out there but it's fragmented and buried; you have to work to dig it up. If the truth were told, it would be known as the Abandoned colony of Roanoak, left for dead. I hate how the narrative is painted in most documentaries. Facts are ignored, glossed over, misrepresented, or never really explained leaving the illusion of a mystery. In fact the true story is so much more interesting than the narrative we've been fed; full of adventure and exploration, love and betrayal, Hope and desperation, war and sacrifice, natives and pirates, broken promises and one father's undying devotion to reunite with the family he left behind. A reunion that would never come. I would love to see the true story done justice, and I think you are just the one to do it. And due to recent excavations, interest in Roanoak may be about to blow up. Thanks for bringing us a beautifully presented unbiased view of history.

[@evaschubert1]

Thank you for the excellent suggestion and your comments. I am delighted that you have been enjoying the podcast 😊

[@ChaplainDaveSparks]

Wow! The _Siege of Malaga_ seems eerily similar to the Roman siege of first century _Masada,_ except that the Jewish refugees of Masada chose suicide instead!

[@evaschubert1]

Well sieges in general share many terrible characteristics. If prolonged, starvation was usually involved. But whenever the surrounding army breached the wall, theft, violence and murder were almost guaranteed.

[@kentuckydan]

Slavery was not such a horrifying custom when you condsider the previous alternative was to put everyone to the sword. Holy War also comes from Jihad it was on both sides. ie both sides were determined to wipe out the other religion

[@Savannah_Simpson]

How about neither?

[@jujubees5855]

​@@Savannah_Simpsonwe're human. We're always fighting.

[@montrelouisebohon-harris7023]

Exactly right and even the pope called it holy war during the Crusades

[@dennishassler605]

WoW!! Eva looks striking with the RED hair and Blue Top!!!!!! Smart and beautiful is an amazing combination!!!

[@marcpelta4055]

What are the sources relied upon for this video?

[@matthewclaridge8063]

I don't mean to sound cynical about the European nations (my ancestors ) call to abolish slavery but..... Every "great civilization" developed/flourished off the back of slavery (whether you call them slaves, indentured peasants, surfs or prisoner's of war). The simple and sad truth is without slavery we would not have poetry, art, science, philosophy etc... Just think how much poetry you would wright if you had to spend all day everyday hunting and chopping firewood to ensure that you have gathered enough provisions to keep your family alive during winter... When we came together to create "civilizations" we forced (one way or another) those on the bottom rung of society to perform. All the basic day to day chores/jobs required for our survival. This gave those on the "top" of society the luxury to spend all day pondering things like science, philosophy and theology. "Civilization" advances apon the blood, sweat, tears and abstract misery of our fellow humans. Whether we think of the slaves of classical Greece and Rome. Or the indentured peasants and serfs of feudal Europe. Our "society" and "culture" has always spring boarded up off the back of other's... Then in the 18th century something very important happened. Something that changed everything. Something happened that gave us the ability decrease our workforce/labour while increasing our production ...forever... The Industrial Revolution!!!. The Industrialization of Europe( ie the meconisaton, modernization and mass production of goods and services we require) ment we no longer needed massive amounts of slave labour (relatively speaking that is... As all the new mines and sweatshops still needed to be staffed). Now this is were I start to get cynical... Instant it a coincidence that as soon as we developed technology which meant we didn't require thousands and thousands of people performing (free) backbreaking unskilled labour anymore. We (Europeans) all of a sudden happened to developed a morale problem with slavery. Curious isn't it.....🤔🤔🤔

[@di3486]

While all other cultures that practiced slavery have zero remorse. This new “moral concern” of the west is hypocritical and self-righteous. The Muslims were notorious for kidnapping and slaving white women, particularly as sex slaves. They were ruthless and cruel.

[@jlau979]

What are you talking about?! Poetry, art, science, philosophy atc. existed before the warlike, cave dwelling "wild men" took over! Blacks were the ruling class all over Europe, and the people that were being killed, were black. Beethoven, Mozart, Shakespeare, all these people were black and was whitewashed .You people are filled with nothing but false pride. "Oh, what tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive."

[@Tradhistorian]

💯

[@anacasanova7350]

Cuando los demás , todos , compran, secuestran, venden, capturan a esclavos....era la época😂 y cuando lo hacían los españoles eran unos bárbaros. 😂😂🤣

[@montrelouisebohon-harris7023]

I'm a history major working on my graduate and I've heard of it called the conquista. It's also referred to as the Spanish Inquisition but Isabella of Castile what's a warrior Queen and the mother of Catherine of Aragon, who later on married Arthur Tudor who died a couple months after they were married and then ended up and being allowed to marry Henry Tudor, Henry VIII, because her marriage to Arthur was supposedly not consummated prior to him dying.. they married by proxy in August when she was 12 years old & he was 12 as well but they didn't marry in person until November 1501 just prior to her 15th birthday. Arthur had just turned 15 in septembar and her birthday was in December.. they married in November and Arthur died sometime around March 1502 but supposedly they never consummated their marriage during that time for whatever reason. Isabella was a fierce Queen and she went after the Muslim and defeated lemon bottle and if she didn't run them off, and out of Spain, she killed them, along with her Army. Other she would force to convert to Catholicism.

[@oladeji15]

While I understand the context of the physical description of Moors, it’s still dishonest to say that it wasn’t a description of race as used at the time. The fact that they were second class citizens, the fact that the designation pursued over generations, and the eventual INQUISITION are all proof that it was absolutely seen in the very same way we see race today. Sadly, even in present day America and much of Europe, we still clearly distinguish people of African descent as Black despite generations being born outside of the African continent. This doesn’t change simply with some “intermarriage” and/or ambiguous “physical features.”

[@pakaskwa]

Great content! I love the history, but don’t like your moral judgement on the people or Isabella living in the 1400s. Muslims or African tribes were no better at those times.

[@montrelouisebohon-harris7023]

I'm working on my masters in history and I've never been a religion to spread as quickly as! Islam. From what I learned about Muhammad, he seemed like a really nice honest man who wanted to do more for the needy.. he believed that it was the responsibility of the people who were wealthier to help take care of the older and the poor, or to help them help themselves, but just like every other religion as the years went on it kept getting more & more corrupted by human beings.. that's typical because the same occurred with Christianity. The Roman Catholic Church was corrupt as could be much earlier before the Protestant Reformation... Pope Leo IX started trying to reform it and then Gregory VII FIRST WORKED REALLY HARD ON REFORMS. Pope Gregory went overboard because he wanted to bring more political power into the church and it pissed off the Holy Roman Emperor, Henry IV.

[@xispaster]

Viva Cristo Rey !!!

[@Paul-r3v]

If Portugal didnt reach Asia by sea and defeated the Otmans in the sea, Europe would be speaking turk at this moment.

[@jojolafrite9265]

Tu confonds le Portugal a L'Espagne les seuls qui ont battu L'empire Ottoman en Méditerranée cet bien les Ibériques Espagnols en l'année 1571a la Bataille de Lepante ou la flotte Ottomane fût détruite par la Sainte ligue Chrétienne , composé par des Vénitiens et Espagnols commandé par JUAN DE AUSTRIA Prince et fils illégitime de Charles Quint . Ils ont battu les Ottoman qui étaient supérieur en numérique. Et leurs chef Ali Pacha fût décapité et se balancé au bout d'une lance Espagnole. Vérifier mes dires sources Wikipedia. Il faut dire merci au Espagnols et pas au portugais et encore moins au Français qui était du côté des Ottomans en leurs laissant leurs ports Français pour se ravitailler . Maintenant vous savez un peu plus a ce sujet 😊😊