Episodes

  • 27. Abd al-Rahman I, the Refugee Who Seized al-Andalus
    May 10 2025

    In episode 27 I tell the story of how a refugee became the ruler of al-Andalus. The man was Abd al-Rahman I, founder of the Emirate of Córdoba from the Umayyad dynasty that was overthrown in the Middle East.

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    TIMESTAMPS:

    00:00 Hook
    00:32 The Epic of Abd al-Rahman ibn Muawiya
    06:07 The Foundation of the Emirate of Córdoba
    12:41 Al-Andalus, a Rebellious Land
    26:09 Foreign Policy of Abd al-Rahman I
    30:45 Domestic Policy of Abd al-Rahman I
    34:28 The Umayyad Family in Al-Andalus
    37:41 The Construction of the Great Mosque of Córdoba
    43:53 The Verdict: Abd al-Rahman I’s Political Genius
    45:44 Outro

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    46 mins
  • 26. The Fall of the Umayyad Caliphate
    Apr 26 2025

    In episode 26 I explain how and why the Umayyad Caliphate of Damascus fell, how that affected al-Andalus, and the establishment of the little-known Fihrid Emirate that preceded the Umayyad Emirate of Córdoba.

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    Spanish show 'La Historia de España-Memorias Hispánicas': https://www.youtube.com/@lahistoriaespana

    TIMESTAMPS:

    00:00 Hook
    00:23 Why Did the Umayyad Caliphate of Damascus Fall?
    06:23 The Outbreak of the Third Fitna
    10:08 The Abbasid Revolution
    17:37 The Qays-Yaman Civil War in al-Andalus
    23:07 The Fihrid Emirate
    26:51 The Verdict: The Fihrid Alternative
    28:17 Outro

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    29 mins
  • 25. Pelagius of Asturias and the Battle of Covadonga
    Apr 12 2025

    In episode 25 of the chronological series we’ll separate fact from fiction and uncover the real story behind the origins of the Kingdom of Asturias under the magnate Pelagius, who revolted against Muslim Umayyad rule in the Battle of Covadonga.

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    TIMESTAMPS:

    00:00 Hook
    00:29 Asturias and Cantabria in the Year 700
    05:59 The Revolt of Pelagius
    13:48 The Battle of Covadonga. Myth and Reality
    21:51 Pelagius, the Sovereign of Asturias
    27:54 The Verdict: Drawing comparisons between Pelagius’ revolt and the American War of Independence
    28:59 Outro

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    30 mins
  • 24. The Reconquista Is a Lie. Here’s Why
    Mar 28 2025

    Many people still believe that the Reconquista was an 800-year war to reconquer Spain from the Muslims, but that view is wrong and outdated. In episode 24 I explain what the Reconquista is and how the discourses of reconquests have evolved over time and across different regions of the Iberian Peninsula.

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    Spanish show 'La Historia de España-Memorias Hispánicas': https://www.youtube.com/@lahistoriaespana

    TIMESTAMPS:

    00:00 Hook
    00:34 What is the Reconquista?
    10:02 The Loss and Restoration of Spania in the 8th and 9th Centuries
    15:25 The Reconquista in the 19th and 20th Centuries
    21:24 The Other Reconquistas
    29:22 The Islamic Response: The Reconquest of the Reconquista
    32:06 The Verdict: The Reconquista—A Necessary Myth?
    34:08 Outro

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    35 mins
  • 23. The Governorate of al-Andalus
    Mar 14 2025

    In episode 23 you will learn about the political history of the Umayyad Caliphate of Damascus and al-Andalus between 720 and 742, covering events like the Battle of Tours, the beginning of the Umayyad Caliphate’s crisis with the Great Berber Revolt, and details about how many Arabs and Berbers settled in the Iberian Peninsula.

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    Spanish show 'La Historia de España-Memorias Hispánicas': https://www.youtube.com/@lahistoriaespana

    TIMESTAMPS:

    00:00 Hook
    00:28 Important concepts of al-Andalus
    05:47 The Governorate of al-Andalus in the 720s
    08:31 Al-Gafiqi and the Battle of Tours
    13:43 The Umayyad Caliphate of Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik
    18:36 The Great Berber Revolt and the Arrival of the Syrians
    24:15 The Arab and Berber Colonization of al-Andalus
    28:22 The Verdict: Muslim Spain
    30:13 Outro

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    31 mins
  • 22. The Muslim Conquest of the Iberian Peninsula
    Feb 22 2025

    How did the Visigothic Kingdom collapse after one decisive battle? Were the Muslims actually planning to conquer the Iberian Peninsula in 711? What do we truly know about the Muslim conquest, and how has it been interpreted? In episode 22 we take an in-depth look at how the Arab and Berber conquest of the Iberian Peninsula and Septimania happened.

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    Spanish show 'La Historia de España-Memorias Hispánicas': https://www.youtube.com/@lahistoriaespana

    TIMESTAMPS:

    00:00 Hook

    00:27 Interpretations of the Muslim Conquest

    06:42 Sources for Studying the Muslim Conquest

    09:04 Context to the Islamic Conquest

    14:42 Count Julian and the Surrender of Ceuta

    18:43 The Prelude: The Raid of Tarif ibn Malik

    20:53 Roderic and Tariq ibn Ziyad: The Battle of Guadalete

    29:57 The Fall of Toledo and the Collapse of the Visigothic Kingdom

    35:05 The Arrival of the Arabs under Musa ibn Nusayr

    40:23 The Pact of Tudmir

    43:57 The Muslim Conquest of the North

    48:06 The Conquerors Are Held Accountable

    50:45 Abd al-Aziz and the Challenges of Rule

    53:07 The Governor al-Hurr and the Establishment of Córdoba as the Capital

    56:32 Septimania, the Last Visigothic Stronghold

    01:00:14 The Verdict: Were the Goths Traitors?

    01:02:21 Outro

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    1 hr and 3 mins
  • 21. Islam and the Arab Conquests Explained
    Feb 8 2025

    How did a group of desert tribes, divided for centuries, manage to build one of the largest empires in history in just a few decades? What were the origins of Islam? And what made the Arab conquests so transformative? In episode 21, I give an overview of the first century of Islamic history, leading up to the Muslim conquest of the Iberian Peninsula.

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    Spanish show 'La Historia de España-Memorias Hispánicas': https://www.youtube.com/@lahistoriaespana

    TIMESTAMPS:

    00:00 Hook
    00:30 The Beginning of the Middle Ages
    04:19 Pre-Islamic Arabia
    11:01 Muhammad, the Last Prophet
    13:53 What is Islam?
    18:12 The Hijrah and the Constitution of Medina
    21:32 Toward the Unification of the Arabs
    25:03 The Rashidun Caliphate and the Great Arab Conquests
    34:16 The First Fitna in Islam
    37:45 The Establishment of the Umayyad Caliphate of Damascus
    42:33 The Arab Conquest of the Maghreb
    46:01 The Verdict: Barbarian Conquerors vs. Arabs
    47:48 Outro

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    48 mins
  • 20. The Twilight of the Visigoths
    Jan 25 2025

    In episode 20 I cover the reigns of the last Visigothic kings leading up to Roderic, from Wamba to Witiza, and we explore whether the fall of the Visigothic Kingdom was truly a foretold demise.

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    TIMESTAMPS:

    00:00 Hook
    00:26 Visigothic Decline?
    04:44 The Election of Wamba
    06:00 The Rebellion of Paulus
    11:31 The Reign of Wamba
    14:39 The Reign of Erwig
    16:48 The Extreme Anti-Judaism of Erwig and Egica
    22:14 The Turbulent Reign of Egica
    26:15 Witiza: A Good or Bad King?
    30:25 The Verdict: Historical Determinism
    31:59 Outro

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    33 mins