Tracing history back to medieval Spain, Andalusia is perhaps the only place in Europe where followers of three faiths: Muslims, Jews and Christians lived peacefully together to produce a common culture and a harmonious society. This unusual period aptly referred to as ?The Golden age of Andalusia? is also termed ?La Convivencia? or ?Coexistence?. A model for today's religious unrest and conflict, revisiting this era in Spain can provided us with valuable information and inspiration for our 21st Century.



The Origins of Andalusia and Al-Andalus

Al-Andalus refers to those regions of the Iberian Peninsula that were under the rule of Muslims, known as The Moors, from the period of 711 to 1492. At the launch of Muslim rule, Al-Andalus included Spain, Portugal and parts of Southern France; however, towards the end, the Kingdom of Granada alone was left in Al-Andalus. This era is rightly given the name of ?The Golden Age of Andalusia? owing to the largely peaceful coexistence of Muslims, Jews and Christians. Andalusia served as the hub for political, economic and cultural progress. This was the time when aspiring artists created some magnificent work and there was much advancement in the fields of medicine, sciences, math and the like.

Muslim Rule in the Region

Muslims arrived in Iberia in 711 under the command of Tariq ibn Ziyad and quickly occupied the majority of the Iberian Peninsula. Al-Andalus came to be ruled by the caliph Abdl Rahman III but internal wars and conflicts resulted in the emergence of competing city states.

With the decline of Muslim rule, Al-Andalus split into smaller regions like Granada, Seville and Cordoba. This led to a gradual weakening of the Muslim power at the center, thereby bringing the Muslim period to an end in the 13th century, with the exception of Granada. At this time, Christians regained control over the Iberian Peninsula and the La Conviviencia ended.

Life for the Jews

Jews, under the Muslim rule, led a prosperous and peaceful life. This medieval age was also the time when the Zohar was written. Zohar means ?splendor, radiance? in Hebrew. It is a group of books written in Hebrew and Aramaic that entails the origin of the universe, the nature of souls, sin, redemption, good, evil and similar mystical matters. The Zohar is perhaps the most important work of Kabbalah. The Jews of the time succeeded in their intellectual endeavors and gave birth to the Jewish philosophy. Many intellectuals believe that the treatment of Jews during this era is commendable and better than any Christian-dominated region existent at the time. The Jews prospered considerably and some of the wealthiest Jewish communities of today found their origins in Al-Andalus. Further, this era produced some of the most significant Jewish scholars, poets and commentators of the medieval age.

Life for Christians

The Christians regained control over most of the Iberian Peninsula in the 13th century - a process was called the ?Reconquista.? These Christians had been living under Muslim rule for a centuries and had acquired several Arab customs and traditions despite holding onto their values strongly. The Christians were as equally well-treated as the Jews. Their church existed with few restrictions; they were required to pay taxes called the jizya just like the Jews. The Muslims paid its equivalent called zakat which was distributed among the poor. Overall, many Christians lived prosperously.

The Three Cultures Together

The three cultures were the ?People of the Book? and they lived together mostly harmoniously. This golden era demonstrates how coexistence led to some extremely notable achievements. The Jewish merchants brought treasures from far and wide and the honesty of the Muslims helped to regulate the market. This was truly a period of enlightenment; the progress made during this time serves as an example for us to learn from.

How we can learn from La Conviviencia Today

La Conviviencia describes the peaceful and culturally rich times; the beauty of the age can be seen in the works that resulted from this coexistence. La Conviviencia exhibits the glorious civilization that found its base in religious tolerance. It teaches us the lessons of universalism and fraternization whereby people from different backgrounds and cultures live together as one. La Conviviencia is a wonderful model of how different religions can co-exist today. Scientific progress and human development can attain unprecedented heights with coexistence. We should take inspiration from this and realize that the religious conflicts so prevalent today are of no avail and that together we are a much stronger force capable of soaring achievements.