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BarkellWH -> RE: Diego del Gastor essay by Brook Zern, have a read. (Apr. 9 2013 19:30:56)
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quote:
"Moorish Spain" by Fletcher http://tinyurl.com/d78mc2n takes a somewhat more sober view of the status of non-Islamic minorities in al-Andalus.
I wouldn't call it a more sober view of the status of non-Islamic minorities in Al-Andalus. It is more a question of emphasis. Most historians grant that, given the era under discussion, Al-Andalus, particularly under the Caliphate of Cordoba, was a relatively tolerant society. Of course, Christians and Jews, "People of the Book" (referred to by the Muslims as the "Dhimmi") were second class citizens. They could not ride horses, carry swords, build houses higher than those of Muslims, hold high office, and they were subject to a special tax. Nevertheless, for the most part, Al-Andalus was a more tolerant society for Christians and Jews than, say, Europe north of the Pyrenees was for Jews. That said, there were periods, particularly under the Almoravids, when that tolerance disappeared and mass atrocities occurred. I would suggest that both Menocal and Fletcher reflect valid points of view regarding the history of Al-Andalus. Each emphasizes a particular aspect of that history. Above all, one must keep in mind the historical period under discussion, a period when there existed little tolerance anywhere, at least as we understand the term today. By that standard, Al-Andalus holds up pretty well.
Cheers,
Bill
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