....to exxtend harem monopoly.
"VognoDuut165" <dawn@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message
news:tZ6dnQrU1IggRL7VnZ2dnUVZ_jmdnZ2d@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Why Muslims Invaded Spain?
>
> "From History"
>
>
> Thursday May 08 2008 14:38:31 PM BDT
>
>
> By Shazib Chowdhury, USA
>
>
> During the 7th Century when majority of Africa was enjoyingthe blessings
of
> toleration, justice and prosperity under the Muslims,neighbouring Spain
was
> groaning under the tyranny, and bigotry of its Gothic King Roderick. The
> honour of women was not safe and thetillers of the soil were put to
heavy
> taxation. The rulers and their henchmenrevelled in luxury while the
m*****
> groaned in poverty.
>
> A large number ofrefugees from Spainboth Christians and Jews who had
> suffered under the Gothic rule had takenrefuge in Muslim Africa. During
that
> period nobilities in Spain used tosend their sons and daughters in the
royal
> palace as an intern to be trainednoble manners and conduct. Julian, the
> Governor of Ceuta,whose daughter Florinda was sent toroyal place as an
> intern had been dishonoured and violated by King Roderick.Following this
> disgraceful incidence Governor Julian of Ceuta fled Spain and tookasylum
> across the Gibraltar in Muslim Africa. Thefled refugees from Spainalong
with
> Governor Ceuta appealedto Musa bin Nusair to liberate their country from
the
> tyrant's yoke. Tariqbin Ziyad, a newly converted Berber slave was a
> lieutenant of Musa binNusair, the Muslim Viceroy of Africarepresenting
> theUmayyad Caliph Al-Walid I.
>
> Following the appeal of the fled Spaniardrefugees Musa bin Nusair sent a
> messenger to the Caliph Al-Walid Iin Damascus.The Caliph after much
thought
> and after taking council of his advisors agreedin principle to consider
the
> appeal of the oppressed citizen of Spain andliberate them from the
> tyrannical King. According to the Islamicprinciples oppression should be
> stopped by all means.
>
> In response to their prayer and with the sanction of the Caliph Al-Walid
I,
> Musa bin Nusair made areconnaissance on the southern coast of Spain. The
> re****t was favourableand in May 711, Tariq bin Zaid with 7,000 Muslims
> crossed the Straits in****ps in small contingents. As his troops landed
in
> Europe, Tariq concentratedthem on a hill, which took the name of
> 'Jabl-ul-Tariq' (The Rock ofTariq) now called Gibraltar, and urged
> themeither to conquer or perish. They had no intention to go back home.
>
> The Gothic King Roderick collected a huge army of more than
70,000solders.
> Tariq, too was reinforced by 5,000 soldiers dispatched by Musaand now
his
> army numbered 12,000. The two armies met at the mouth of riverBarbate,
on
> the shores of a lagoon of Janda and fought a decisive battle onJuly 9th,
> 711, A.D. The two armies were unequally matched.
>
> Therefore, the armies of Tariq metlittle resistance in the interior of
> Spain. His was a triumphant marchfrom place to place in the Peninsula.
> Tariqhad divided his small army into four divisions and directed one of
> hislieutenants towards Cordova, the other towards Malaga,thethird
towards
> Granada and himself at the head ofthe main body hurriedly marched upon
> Toledo,the Capital of Spain. All these cities capitulated without much
> resistance. TheGoths were paralysed by the rapidity of Tariq's movement
and
> the severity ofhis blows. The Gothic armies fled before him. 'God', says
an
> analyst, 'filledthe hearts of idolaters with terror and alarm.' The
> oppressed m***** of Spain hailedthe Muslims as their liberators. The
> exemplary treatment of Tariq and his menendeared him to the conquered
races.
>
> The fiercest battle of the entire campaignwas fought at Ecija, which
> resulted in the victory of Tariq's forces. Toledo, the Capital ofSpain,
also
> capitulated after little resistance. Here Tariq was joined by hisMaster
> Musabin Nusair, thee Muslim viceroy of Africa.Hence forward, the two
> generals moved side by side and in less than two years,the whole of
Spain
> was inMuslim hands ****tugalwas conquered, a few years after. 'This
> constituted the last and the mostsensational of the major Arab
campaigns',
> writes Philip K. Hitti,' and resultedin the addition to the Moslem world
of
> the largest European territory ever heldby them. In its swiftness of
> execution and completeness of success, thi***pedition into Spainholds a
> unique place in the Mediaeval Military Annals.
>
> Musa and Tariq would have easilyconquered the whole of Europe which lay
> attheir feet. There was none to stop their victorious advance, but
> Providence meantotherwise. When they were planning the conquest of
Europe,
> they received summons from the Caliph to present themselves at Damascus.
> They exhibited a rare discipline byobeying the orders of the Caliph,
> reaching Damascus at the earliest possible time. Tariqdied there
afterwards.
>
> The Berber slave was destined to bethe conqueror of Spain, thebiggest
Muslim
> territory in Europe, which, foreight centuries under the Muslims, kept
aloft
> the torch of civilisation andculture that at last dispelled the gloom
that
> had enveloped the MediaevalEurope.
>
> Soon after the death of the HolyProphet of Islam (PBUH), the Muslims
were
> threatened from all sides. The mightyneighbouring Empires of the Roman
and
> Persians were conspiring to uproot thisnew force. But the Arabs not only
met
> this challenge but also crushed the twogreatest Empires of the world,
and
in
> less than half a century their arms heldsway over the three known
> continents.
>
> The Islamic principles of equalityand fraternity had enabled the
conquered
> and newly converted races to taketheir share in the government along
with
> the noblest of the Arabs. Islamrecognised no distinction of caste and
creed
> and readily patronised talentwherever found. This is why all capable
slaves
> have occupied the highestpositions in an Islamic polity and many slave
> dynasties have magnificentlyruled over Muslim subjects.
>
> The conquest of Spain by Muslims opened a new era for the Peninsula. It
> brought about a social revolution in whichthe freedom of religion was
fully
> recognised. The in- toleration andpersecution of the Christians gave
place
> to toleration and large-heartedness.The captured Christian cities
received
> favourable terms which were faithfullyobserved. Individual acts of
violence
> by the Muslim soldiers were severelypunished. No properties or estates
were
> confiscated. Instead, the Muslimsintroduced an intelligent system of
> taxation, which soon brought prosperity tothe Peninsula and made it a
model
> country inthe West. The Christians had their own judges to settle their
> disputes. Allcommunities had equal op****tunities for entry into the
public
> services.
>
> This wise and generous administration of Muslimconquerors had its good
> effects. The Christians including their priests, whohad first left their
> homes in terror came back and p***** a happy andprosperous life. A
> well-known Christian writer says: 'The Moors(Muslims)organised that
> wonderful kingdom of Cordova, which was the marvel ofthe Middle Ages,
and
> which, when all Europe was plunged in barbaric ignoranceand strife,
alone
> held the torch of learning and civilisation bright and ****ningbefore the
> Western world. The Muslimsruled Spainfor eight centuries setting the
best
> example in the history of sharedGovernance of an empire by the Muslims,
> Christians and the Jewish people. Thethree religion coexisted in a
peaceful
> harmony during a significant period oftime in Muslim Spain.
>
> --------------------
> Shazib Chowdhury
> USA
> E Mail :shazib_c@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
>
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