Since the 7th century, Islamic power from the Arabian Peninsula has grown and its territory has expanded. When the Umayyad dynasty of the Arab Empire was established, its power began to influence West Asia, North Africa and other places. By the beginning of the 8th century, the territory of the Arab Empire had extended to the western tip of North Africa.
In 710, as a result of the struggle for the throne, a rival to the throne of the Christian (Catholic) Kingdom of Spain (also known as the Visigothic Kingdom) sought help from the Arabs. From this point on, Muslims began to cross the Strait of Gibraltar, and Islamic forces landed on the Iberian Peninsula. The following year, King Roderick of the Kingdom of Spain was killed in battle.
Upon the death of the king, Spain quickly disintegrated, which gave the Muslims an excellent chance to conquer. In just 7 years, they had basically occupied Spain, with only a small part of the territory in the north and northeast still in the hands of the Christians. Since then, Spain has begun nearly 800 years of Islamic rule, and the countries established by Muslims in Spain are collectively known as the "Andalus State".
Although the country was occupied by Muslims, Christians have never given up their desire to reclaim their homeland and drive out the invaders, and have been at war with Muslims. In the battle against the Muslims, Spain has produced many heroes who can sing and cry, the most famous of which is Queen Isabella I. So what's going on?
Isabella I was born in 1451 in the town of Pastoral in the Kingdom of Castile (part of Spain) and was a devout Catholic. At that time, Spain was divided into many kingdoms due to the invasion of Muslims, and the kingdom of Castile was only one of the more powerful and the largest of them.
In addition, Isabella I had a half-brother, Enrique IV. In 1469, at the age of 18, Isabella I was promised to the King of Portugal by Henrique IV. However, she was not satisfied with the marriage. So Isabella I ran away from marriage and went to the Kingdom of Aragon to marry Ferdinand II, the heir of the kingdom.
However, this angered Enrique IV, because he felt that his sister did not have his brother in his eyes. In retaliation, Henrique IV announced that Hesabella I had been stripped of his right to the throne and made a will appointing his illegitimate daughter Juana as his heir to the throne. Originally, Isabella I was the first heir to the throne of Castile at that time.
In December 1474, King Enrique IV of The Kingdom of Kastril fell ill and died without leaving any legal male heirs. The domestic nobility quickly split into two factions, one supporting joanna, the daughter of the old King Henrique IV, and the other supporting Isabella I, the sister of Enrique IV.
In February 1479, after nearly five years of civil war, Isabella I seized supreme rule over the kingdom and became queen. In the same year, King Juan II of Aragon died, and Isabella I's husband, Ferdinand II, became the new king. Since then, the couple has jointly ruled over large areas of the kingdoms of Castile and Aragon.
After seizing the throne, Isabella I's greatest dream was to eliminate Islamic forces and revive her country and religion. In order to drive the Muslims out of the country, reclaim the lost land, and revive Christianity, the queen also issued a poisonous oath: "If I do not achieve my goal, I will never remove my armor!" Isabella I then led the Christian army south to war against the Muslim army.
Under the powerful offensive of the Queen, the Islamic kingdoms established by the Muslims in Spain were destroyed, and only the Kingdom of Granada (the Nasr dynasty) remained. In 1482, civil unrest broke out in the Kingdom of Granada. In the same year, Isabella I's Army of Christ completed the suppression of the kingdom of Granada to the east and west.
In 1490, the Army of Christ besieged Granada, the capital of the Kingdom of Granada, and fought a bitter battle with the Muslim army for 2 years. On January 6, 1492, the Alhambra, the capital of the Kingdom of Granada, fell, the Nasr dynasty collapsed, the last Muslim rule in Spain collapsed, and the Christians finally regained their lost land.
Of course, the Queen's poisonous oath was also fulfilled. During his long war with the Muslims, Isabella I kept her oath and never removed her armor except at night and on ceremonial occasions. Because the Iberian Peninsula has long been ruled by Muslims, many Christians have converted to Islam and become new Muslims.
So after the destruction of the Islamic kingdom of Spain, the queen began the road to the revival of Christianity, ordering Muslims and Jews in Spain to convert to Christianity, and did not promise to be expelled from the country. Although this practice is very cruel, the effect is very good. Under the coercive measures of Isabella I, Christianity in Spain was revived again.