Caliphs and Kings

Caliphs and Kings: Spain, 796-1031 is a compelling synthesis of existing knowledge alongside an exploration of new historical thinking, perspectives, and methods, all presented in the context of the last twenty-five years of rigorous research and writing on Spanish history.

The nearly three-hundred-year rule of the Umayyad dynasty in Spain (756-1031) is often celebrated as an era of unprecedented harmony and mutual tolerance among the three major religious faiths in the Iberian Peninsula—Christianity, Judaism, and Islam—a peaceful coexistence unmatched in history. Yet, as this book reveals, the historical reality is far more complex than the myth suggests.

The mid-tenth century saw a flourishing of artistic culture and sophistication within the Umayyad court and the city of Córdoba, but this period was all too brief and geographically restricted. Ultimately, a protracted civil war spanning twenty years led to the collapse of the Umayyad regime. It is through the examination of the divisive forces within Spanish society, rather than its unifying elements, that we can truly understand its nature and glean important lessons.

Caliphs and Kings, crafted by historian Roger Collins, aims to deepen our understanding of these circumstances. By reevaluating old and new certainties alike, the book seeks to dismantle the mythic narrative of ninth- and tenth-century Spain, uncovering the more intricate truths that lie beneath.