History of the Moors of Spain

[Transcriber's note: Page numbers in this book are indicated by numbers enclosed in curly braces, e.g. {99}. They have been located where page breaks occurred in the original book, in accordance with Project Gutenberg's FAQ-V-99.]

[Transcriber's note: This book contains a number of variations in the spelling of some words/names, e.g. Haccham/Hacchem, Gengis/Zengis (Khan), etc.]

Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1840 by

Harper & Brothers,

In the Clerk's Office of the Southern District of New York

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PUBLISHERS' ADVERTISEMENT.

We are accustomed to look upon the followers of the Arabian Prophet as little better than barbarians, remarkable chiefly for ignorance, cruelty, and a blind and persecuting spirit of fanaticism. As it regards the character of the Mohammedans at the present day, and, indeed, their moral and intellectual condition for the last two centuries, there is no great error in this opinion. But they are a degenerated race. There has been a period of great brilliancy in their history, when they were distinguished for their love of knowledge, and the successful cultivation of science and the arts; nor is it too much to say, that to them Christian Europe is indebted for the generous impulse which led to the revival of learning in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. Of the various nations of the great Moslem family, none were more {vi} renowned in arts, as well as arms, than the Moorish conquerors of Spain, whose history is contained in the following pages. The French original of this work has long enjoyed a deservedly high reputation; and the translation here offered is by an American lady, whose literary taste and acquirements well qualified her for the task.

A sketch of Mohammedan history, &c., from Rev. S. Greene's Life of Mohammed, has been appended at the close of the volume, to present to the reader a comprehensive view of that very remarkable people, of whom the Moors of Spain formed so distinguished a branch.

H. & B.

New York, October, 1840.

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CONTENTS

FIRST EPOCH

PAGE

The Origin of the Moors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 The Arabs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 The Birth of Mohammed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Religion of Mohammed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 The Progress of Islamism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Victories of the Mussulmans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 New Conquests of the Mohammedans . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 The Moors become Mussulmans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Condition of Spain under the Goths . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Conquest of Spain by the Moors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 The Viceroys of Spain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Insurrection of Prince Pelagius . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Abderamus attempts the Conquest of France . . . . . . . . 39 He penetrates as far as the Loire . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 The Battle of Tours . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Civil Wars distract Spain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

SECOND EPOCH.