What if the Reconquista Failed?

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#alternatehistory #history #spain #portugal #islam
An alternate history scenario asking what would happen if the Christian Kingdoms in Iberia failed to achieve the Reconquista against the Muslims. In particular we looked at the new long-lasting Islamic Iberia, the implications for the demographic and religious makeup of the peninsula, and important context regarding the history of the scenario.
Chapters:
0:00 - Introduction
0:48 - A Tumultuous History
3:55 - Unification and Fracture
7:39 - A New Reconquista?
13:09 - Colonial Endeavours
16:50 - Geopolitical Implications
Music Credits:
Ibn Al-Noor by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. creativecommons.org/licenses/...
Source: incompetech.com/music/royalty-...
Artist: incompetech.com/
The Legend of Narmer by WombatNoisesAudio | / user-734462061
Music promoted by www.free-stock-music.com
Creative Commons / Attribution 3.0 Unported License (CC BY 3.0)
creativecommons.org/licenses/...
Music by wael mamado (pixabay.com/users/waelart-218...) from Pixabay (pixabay.com//?...)

[@HistorysInfluence]

Thank you all for watching, and I hope you all have a merry Christmas.

[@JTL1776]

What if reconquista continued. What if the 4th crusade went to egypt, not Byzantium. What if the pope called upon the Italian states to Retake Constianiople from Ottomans.

[@JTL1776]

What if America annexed the Baja and Yucatan Peninsula's. What if America settled the territorial gains from the spanish american War Carribean and the Philippines. What if Imperial Federation formed. What if the English Carribean successfully United.

[@SirMilone]

Youre vieeos are so high quality, keep up the great work! Ever thought about collaboration with other alternate history channels?

[@HistorysInfluence]

@@SirMilone Thank you, I really appreciate it. I'd love to collaborate with other channels, I'm thinking of reaching out to other channels after I've released 1-3 more videos past this one.

[@benedictgyimah2673]

Will there be a part two?

[@thekingofmoab1181]

There's a good chance that France would have a relationship to Al-Andalus similar to what Austria had with Ottoman Turkey and be a target of Crusades during the high medieval period

[@advakart4208]

i think there would be an al-andalus austrian alliance similar to the ottoman french alliance to counteract each other

[@volbound1700]

The issue is that people underestimate truly how strong France was in that period. It was splintered but would have been more united to challenge Islamic Spain. Reconquista was inevitable as France would not have let Spain be a threat at its doorstep. It would change European history a lot, however, as France would have been even more militaristic due to the threat. I think it wasn't inevitable that a Muslims Kingdom would not have survived but I think with such a large Christian population unwilling to convert, France would have been able to eventually take out the Muslim Kingdom. Also it was far away from the stronger Islamic Kingdoms in Arabia, Persia, and Turkey. Berbers would have been able to help (and did) but they only have so may resources to right France.

[@hero4963]

@@volbound1700 This is actually so interesting now that im thinking about Arabs and Berbers didn’t really force convert anyone into Islam but obviously but instead native Visigoths Pagans and Christians did end up converting to Islam due to regular normal trades friendships and interactions some jews as well unlike post reconquista Spain and the Spanish inquisition that went on a massive conversion camps/Mass slaughter and expulsion from Judaism and Islam to Christianity if Arabs and Berbers Muslims did what Christian Iberia did perhaps we wouldn’t have a christian population and perhaps the reconquista wouldn’t take place obviously and Iberia would be majority Islamic however that would be with the cost of Innocent Jews and Christian civilians damn history is really mind blowing one little jenga piece is moved and the whole thing starts collapsing

[@angelcamachodelsolar]

@@hero4963 I don't know where you learned about the Reconquista, but many dhimmis fled to the kingdoms of the Northern Christians tired of paying taxes and being despised as third-class citizens, and the flight was massive after the arrival of the Alnmoravid and Almohad religious fanatics. There were no "inquisition massive conversion camps/Mass slaughter", I think you've got yourself mixed up with Nazi movies. After the conquest of Granada in 1492, the Jews were directly expelled, and the Moors at the beginning of the 17th century for their support of the raids of the Barbary pirates.

[@Mohamedali558]

@@angelcamachodelsolar the muslims and jews were forced out by the alhambra decree before the turn of the 16th century it was either convert leave or die and the spanish intentionally only gave them two weeks for hundreds of thousands of people it was ethnic cleansing

[@_unknown123.]

A world without Spanish inqiqusion sounds nice 😊

[@223sushi]

I think in terms of technology, al-andalus would carry on in part the golden age spirit of Islam, since well, unlike the east they wouldn't suffer from the Mongol atrocities/genocides that killed off what was left of the rational scholars when they were weakened and reset development in most of the islamic world back by centuries. Al andalus would very likely be a far more well developed part of the islamic world, and would probably be on par with the European powers at least

[@Lacteagalaxia]

Al Andalus is the darlk ; Cristianusm is the light

[@hero4963]

id agree yeah

[@uan9166]

Wel Morocco wasnt succesfull in history despite being far from mongols. Al andalus would become another Morocco.

[@goatku8547]

Al Andalus was way more richer then Morocco, Morocco was divided at the time, and a vassal of Al Andalus for a long time... The Almoravids and Almohads were lucky, if the Emirate of Cordoba didnt collapse it would've easily influenced Morocco (which already did) + it did also influence some states in algeria.@@uan9166

[@223sushi]

@uan9166 that's cause of the heavy berber influence and conquests (the chaos that brings), as they tended to be a tribal people similar to the turks and Mongols, and as a nomadic people they tended not to care much about settled peoples and their sciences until they were ruling for a few decades. Also Morroco was sparsly settled as well even after the expulsion of the andalusians, where half just migrated to the territories of the ottoman empire

[@skincap30]

I would say this video explain what the history Al-Andalus itself could be a lot better than Althistoryhub. Cody (Althistoryhub) went very deep into how Europe might be effect by Muslim Spain, which is good, but I think it would be better to focus on the history of Al-Andalus. But I do believe that Andalus would lose their North African holdings, just like how Spain and Portugal lost numerous cities to Morocco in our timeline. North Africa was inhabited by some battle hardened Berber tribes and the native empires would probably kick them out at some point. Otherwise amazing video. Edit: I also think that not all the Iberian states would unite with the main Emirate. So a Muslim equivalent of Portugal or Aragon my still exist, but they will still get absorbed into the larger and more powerful emirate.

[@kesorangutan6170]

Have you ever heard of a language called mozarabic? It's a romance language with arabic influences. That's what they would speak in this timeline because that's what happened irl :D Hell they might even use both latin and arabic scripts to write this language lol.

[@goatku8547]

Most Mozrabs were Christian, what they actually spoke was Muwaladi

[@skincap30]

Mozarabic would evolve into a Spanish like language. Christians may use the Latin script and Muslims use the Arabic script.

[@Conglomeration]

Glad to see you back!!

[@M_Dun]

Very good video! Love your channel, and the detail you go into in your videos.

[@jacobgorokhovsky4677]

Great Timeline, I like how these videos are presented!

[@iakinose]

Loved the video! ❤

[@bennpadulo]

Great video!

[@Rayan2Musikahan]

The Philippines would certainly be Islamic and had a different name

[@GatoMestizo.]

Or maybe the Philippines would never have existed, and they would be small island nations, or they would be part of Indonesia or Brunei.

[@soudino2723]

suggestion, what if the Mali empire colonized the Americas during the 1300s? also the al andalus colonization would likley be similar to the Portuguese or Omanis( Oman had an empire from southern iran to southern Tanzania and possibly northern Mozambique ) also great video

[@Lacteagalaxia]

😂😂😂

[@abhiprakash74999]

Great video man Hope you do ones that are about or have an effect on the Indian subcontinent too

[@HistorysInfluence]

I'd love to cover that region in the future. I was floating around a Muslim India timeline, although because I've done this I'd prefer to do a different topic. So many interesting time periods to choose from.

[@oreothewanderrer6107]

What if egypt won egyption turkish war and built the suez canal by itself(not by a French company as de lesepse, which helped the british invade egypt in 1882)

[@a_m5115]

A world without jamón ibérico is not a world worth living in

[@mohamedrafik2237]

First guy that does a reltively true scenario

[@liammckevitt8096]

i think that geographically, andalus would be subject to the same economic pressures as the portugal and spain of our timeline, would try to discover another route to asia around africa, and would inevitably encounter eastern brazil through trade winds, perhaps still being the first colonial power. In our timeline, the portuguese discovered brazil only 8 years after columbus discovered the carribean so it doesnt seem ridiculous to me

[@angelcamachodelsolar]

Your hypothesis is wrong, the reason why the portuguese and spanish looked for an alternative route to Asia was due to the fall of Constantinople and the refusal of the Ottomans to trade with Christians. Precisely the kingdom of Granada survived 2 and a half centuries after the battle of Las Navas de Tolosa (1212) because the kingdom of Castile was more interested in collecting tribute from it as a vassal for its trade with the East than in conquering it.

[@liammckevitt8096]

@@angelcamachodelsolar the portuguese started making attempts at rounding africa in the 1430, and the venetians held a virtual monopoly on silk road trade before the ottomans gave them one after conquering constantinople. the fact is that finding an access to silk road goods at the source would be incredibly profitable instead the markups of 50 middlemen, and those economic pressues remain no matter the religion of the iberian power

[@angelcamachodelsolar]

@@liammckevitt8096 What the Portuguese wanted in 1434 was to avoid the Muslim states of North Africa, which was where the gold and slave routes from sub-Saharan Africa ended up. It was not until 1487 when Bartolomé Díaz rounded and named the Cape of Good Hope, 34 years after the fall of Constantinople, looking for an alternative route to the one that the Ottomans had closed.

[@54032Zepol]

It would be dope to see Muslim expanding across the Atlantic and into North America

[@TheHatersarebad]

What if Timur conquered China? Or at least Northern China?

[@fazrieisa6654]

It would be fallen apart shortly, but maybe timurid descendants would create a dynasty/state who will conquer entire china similar like mughal empire who conquer india

[@TheHatersarebad]

What if Henry VIII had a healthy surviving son by Catherine of Aragon?

[@RobespierreThePoof]

The most persistent question with the Arab world is what is the ultimate cause of it's severe dysfunctionality in modern times. Modern Spain would be suffering a similar fate if the reconquista failed. (Of course there would also be fer more Sephardic Jews and Muslims as well in modern Iberia.) But from a contemporary perspective it's hard to imagine a better Mediterranean if a more Islamic Mediterranean had lasted even longer. The Christian world has modernized and secularized - and is thriving as a result. The Islamic nations have not and that can be traced back to their decline at the end of the Middle ages.

[@hero4963]

You realize the decline in current Muslim countries are due to mainly western backed wars, colonialism and wealth exploitation I mean look at the UAE,QATAR, KSA , Bahrain they are doing waaaay better than some of the more Liberal\secular Islamic countries such as Morocco Tunisia Egypt Sudan Somalia Pakistan Bangladesh India etc etc and what do these countries have in common history if colonialism wealth theft exploitation and divide the natives into these opposing tribes and religious beliefs I mean its literally their motto divide and conquer which we don't see in strong politically stable countries like the Gulf countries so Islamic Iberia for sure would be way ahead of other European countries assuming no invasion or subjugation of course since they already were the most developed part of the whole entire globe/earth for 800 years what was later known as the Islamic golden age while central and eastern Europe were basically in the dark ages and were literally dying of multiples diseases so yeah I would even go further to saying if it continued strong it would be the strongest/most powerful Islamic country in this day and age unlike current Spain that is economically inferior to other European countries

[@skincap30]

The Middle East was severely set back by the Mongol invasions. The Mongols destroyed books, manuscripts, and universities during their sack of Baghdad, which was the centre of the Islamic world. Al-Andalus would be free from the genocides and continue developing. The reason why the Maghreb never developed to the same degree of is because of the tribal nature of the people who lived there.

[@tylerellis9097]

Balearic Islands weren’t taken until 903AD by Al Andulus Btw. The Islands only started paying Tribute in 707. Archeology and sources confirm continued Byzantine control until the end of the 8th, brief Frankish Vassaliage or tribute under Charlemagne, then a cloudy period in the 9th century where it served as a base for Christian pirates and was raided by Vikings, the former causing another Cordoban intervention to renew the tribute in the 840s. It was finally annexed into Córdoba with the 903 Invasion, where Arab accounts of it say the island was still guarded by Byzantine Soldiers(Rum). All these internet maps are a decade outdated and it’s mega cringe especially showing it under Cordoba during Charlemagne’s reign where Frankish sources confirm the island submitting for Frankish protection. Also I imagine such a timeline would see a Stronger Cordoban Byzantine alliance in the 10th century against the Fatimids as Cordoba would be able to project more power in the Mediterranean against them.

[@TheHatersarebad]

What if the Portuguese colonial empire fell to major revolutionary wars like the Spanish had in the aftermath of the Napoleonic Wars?

[@hishamalaker491]

6:16 As a Arab, I found that funny but again its no laughing matter those poor Camels had to go through surgery.

[@isa_the_salafi]

As well as maybe the ottomans win Vienna with Muslim support from the Cordobans

[@georgios_5342]

3:17 after Constantinople though

[@hdufort]

One of fhe consequences might be a shift west of fhe islamic centers of political power. The rise of ottomans in the east might elicit a stronger response from the emirate, with Ottoman conquests petering out, and the Byzantine Empire enduring and protecting Eastern Europe. There wasn't any love between the emirates and the Ottomans. We end up with a much stronger Orthodox world, and a diminished Catholic realm, with the southern half of Italy being conquered permanently by the emirate. The Carolingians hold Italy down to Naples.

[@DStein22]

what a horrifying alternate history

[@Hexaglyph]

The notion that "oh, we'll just assume the aztecs and peruvians just get conquered anyway" is pretty idiotic.

[@shzarmai]

It would be interesting to see the demographics of the Americas if Al-Andalus forms a colony or colonies there with Arabized Berbers (arabized Amazigh people)/Arabs, Catalan muslims & other Native Muladis, Jews, Mozarab Christians plus maybe some Slavs ("Andalusian Slavs") and African slaves.....

[@zaidatimash713]

Amazing video although I didn’t quite agree with how colonization would take place and how the Iberians wouldn’t be Arabized.

[@TheHatersarebad]

What if the Brazilian Empire survived?

[@ntluck1592]

If Iberia remains Muslim then it is safe to say they would also adopt the Arabic language. We could even see a case of them keeping their romance language yet adapting it with the Arabic script, similar to how Urdu and Parsi are basically Hindi and Persian but with Arabic script in use. Arabic is the language of the Quran, and has remained relatively the same for at least 1400 years. The only example of a Muslim nation abandoning the Arabic script are the Malay nations and that was due to British and French intervention and unless the same happen in a Muslim Iberia situation, then they would also use the Arabic script. Btw, Cordoba didn't exactly collapse, but rather surrendered to the Spaniards in return for peaceful coexistence. That peace lasted until the king died and his heir asked the pope to nullify his father's promise so he can ethnically cleanse the Muslims and Jews. I know, disturbing as hell, amirite?

[@uan9166]

It exist, Castellano Aljamado and Mozarabe.

[@shzarmai]

yeah, I can see that happening

[@TheHatersarebad]

What if Margaret, Maid of Norway, survived her illness and married Edward II of England?

[@chonconnor6144]

Kind of think it wouldnt have happened, the French would have taken Aragon at least most certainly even if the Spanish kingdoms failed.

[@Sergio1Rodrigues]

Nice video, but I don't understand how will colonization still happen without Portugal and Spain

[@bakthihapuarachchi3447]

With the fall of Constantinople there would still be an European need to reach Asia through other ways, prompting the Age of Exploration

[@SiPakRubah]

​@@bakthihapuarachchi3447I wonder which Empire that will find America first

[@GlizzyGoblin757]

@@SiPakRubahalmost definitely England

[@bakthihapuarachchi3447]

@@SiPakRubah England most likely. In our timeline, if the Spanish turned him down, Columbus was going to make his offer to the French (who were engaged in foreign, continental wars) and the English (who were in an expansionist mood)

[@manuelrivera7101]

My issue with these videos is in these completely different universes, somehow Europe is going to colonize the Americas. If it werent for the pressure of the Spanish on top of the disease ravaging the Mesoamerican and Andean empires, they would not have fallen in the same way. The Spanish were lucky to also have found each state in their most vulnerable (Tlaxcalan and other Uto-Aztecan enemies and the Incan civil war). If there was no Iberian colonies, the americas would not be found for much longer, maybe a century or two.

[@josephleebob3828]

well the colonization part is a huge speculation

[@abdulrafay1664]

The best ending

[@shmoosmith]

I felt like you really glossed over the Aztecs and Incans just being conquered by someone else, im not so sure that would happen?

[@GatoMestizo.]

The Spanish conquered them through their alliances with the indigenous American peoples. In an alternative world like this, the Mexica and Inca Empire would not be conquered.

[@shmoosmith]

@@GatoMestizo. exactly what i was thinking

[@fazrieisa6654]

If this happen in our timeline, Al andalus will the most unique islamic/european countries

[@00martoneniris86]

What if the Austrian Habsburgs won the war of the Spanish succession know one has created a what if about it What if the franks conquered al Andalus Spain What if the mongols conquered all of Asia and all the Islands in the continent instead of conquering Persia and Russia Europe and the middle east

[@GattsuOfficial]

Doesn't Al-Andalus mean Europe in General?

[@rondiliman]

no it comes from an arabic pronounciation of the vandals

[@GattsuOfficial]

@@rondiliman kay

[@bennpadulo]

What if the great schism never happened…

[@Legio_Purpura_20_18]

Just weaker "Ottoman Empire" in the west with "Different kind of Habsburgs" to the north.

[@arcticchain5264]

i see iberia, i click immediately

[@00martoneniris86]

What if Russia converted to Catholicism instead of orthodoxy

[@astrominer11]

Russia would rather be Islamic than Catholic

[@TheHatersarebad]

What if France was Protestant?

[@germanconvert1903]

Pov the good ending

[@nubnubdubdeh]

The worse ending

[@zakback9937]

@@nubnubdubdeh The best ending*

[@marquesgorham4226]

I honestly think that European colonization wouldn't even happen in this timelime due to such drastic changes I don't even think Christopher Columbus would even be able to strike a deal with France and England due to the general consensus that people in Europe had during the time they most likely wouldn't believe him and would laugh him off similar to Portugal. the quit young Spain was different during the time due to the fact that they had just acolmplished what they thought to be a truly phenomenal and outstanding conquest this would help follow up them wanting more fame and power and to also spread the word of God leading to Spain eagerly accepting Columbus deal Since the Spaniards would of done anything at the time for the glory they were heavily driven by religion/God, ambition and power. No kingdom in Europe would of fit this description during the time since most were either constantly at war or just poor and I Just think that over time Christopher Columbus would eventually get tired and just give up on his ambitions all together. European Colonialism just doesn't seem realistic in this alternative timeliness which goes show hiw easly changeable fragile history can be stuff like, if humans never learned to intentionally create fire then we probably wouldn't even where we're at today or if humans never domesticated animals and plants then would still be hunter gatherers and primitive are examples of this

[@pokemata1035]

That's unrealistic, someone would EVENTUALLY find and subsequently colonize the America's. Maybe the Nordic countries rediscover it through Greenland and Canada or someone just journeys far enough from either Europe or Asia but 150 years later or less they would be found, it's unrealistic to assume that with technology advancing how it was that continents like the America's could go largely undiscovered.

[@hero4963]

You forgot an extremely important thing is Iberia remained Muslim there would be no Spanish inquisition and forced conversions and expulsion of any religion lmao

[@xxvxxv5588]

Extremely stupid comment. Muslims achieved the complete extinction of Christianity in neighboring Morocco and Algeria, and this is exactly what would have happened in Spain if not the reconquista. Forced conversions are still practiced by Muslims.

[@CMEIIIHOu_KOT]

It would be called Pain

[@kuroazrem5376]

Great video! I always thought that, if Al-Andalus still existed, it would be romance and distinct from North Africa. However, I think they would colonize all of Morocco, create an African trade route to Asia, and colonize Brazil and Argentina.

[@isa_the_salafi]

I also think that Native American religions would still be alive today. As Muslims wouldn’t stop their religion unlike the christians

[@dayros2023]

What? Muslims would have forcibly converted or killed them, like they die everywhere else.

[@Alruwaili11]

I hate when you called it occupation for Muslims 4:00 but when it come to the Germanic invaders who occupied Spain for centuries you don’t call it the same!

[@papalol1327]

(S)pain

[@crocodileguy4319]

What if the gamers rose up next year??

[@GustavoRodriguez-qr5po]

Then the Americas would be British or French Actually a British South American might be better it’ll preserve more of our culture

[@francogiobbimontesanti3826]

I’ll just be honest, I think France would just conquer the land for them selves.

[@Barqop]

Imagine if they colonized like the spanish, we coulda had a muslim mexico and that would've been a trip

[@rodrigovd33]

That would have been a nightmare scenario for the US , especially with the rise of anti Americanism by Muslim countries post Iraq war. Imagine having a region similar to the Middle East / North Africa next door 😮

[@Barqop]

@@rodrigovd33 exactly what I had in mind

[@isa_the_salafi]

Also I think Europe would be a lot less developed a lot of the reason why Europe got super developed was because of their colonies in America. Without Spain and Portugal helping them they wouldn’t have that. I think they would still be using swords well into the 18th century. And I don’t think India would be colonized nor Africa.

[@TheEpikalREKT]

Ah yes, Islam in europe (and yes I know albania is islam)

[@tylerellis9097]

Plus Bosnia

[@hero4963]

Bosnia and Herzegovina bro abd Kosovo as well as soon apparently North Macedonia

[@tylerellis9097]

@@hero4963 North Macedonia? The Christian population in total is still 2X larger than the Muslim population. Kosovo too though true.

[@hero4963]

@@tylerellis9097 if im not mistaken i read on the Pew research website a few weeks ago that in 2050 Macedonia are going to be majority Muslims far higher than Christians according to that research statistic oh and Christianity is on a rapid decline in North Macedonia (in the world generally tho) so its not just people converting to Islam also as far as i know these european countries don’t really have an open border/immigration policy so its really fascinating that the natives themselves are converting

[@evanschoepke6375]

FIRST

[@nubnubdubdeh]

The worse ending

[@zakback9937]

The best ending