Épisodes

  • 42. The Making of the Caliphate of Córdoba
    Jan 24 2026

    In episode 42 we see the political history of the Iberian Peninsula in the 920s with the struggles between Christians and Muslims in the north, the end of the fitna of the Emirate and the proclamation of the Caliphate of Córdoba, and the Andalusi advances in the proxy war of the Maghreb between Umayyads and Fatimids.

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

    TIMESTAMPS:

    00:00 Hook
    00:25 The Partition of the Banu Qasi Domains
    06:24 Power Struggles in León, 924–932
    10:00 The Legacy of Sancho I of Pamplona
    12:46 The End of the Hafsunid Rebellion
    16:01 Abd al-Rahman III of Córdoba Proclaims Himself Caliph
    21:33 The End of the Fitna: The Submission of Mérida, Badajoz, and Toledo
    24:49 The Battle for the Maghreb: The Andalusi Conquest of Ceuta and Melilla
    27:45 The Verdict: What Truly Concerned the Umayyads?
    28:48 Outro

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    30 min
  • 41. How Abd al-Rahman III of Córdoba Saved the Umayyad Dynasty
    Jan 11 2026

    Emir Abd al-Rahman III inherited a fragmented kingdom plagued by rebels and in just five years he had already reimposed Umayyad authority over most core provinces of the Emirate of Córdoba. How was this possible? I explain how he ended the fitna, the rise of the Fatimid Caliphate in the Maghreb, and the unpunished offensives of the sons of Alfonso III of Asturias in this episode on the political history of Iberia in the 910s.

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

    TIMESTAMPS:

    00:00 Hook
    00:24 The Accession of Abd al-Rahman III
    02:41 Who Was Abd al-Rahman III of Córdoba?
    05:42 How Was It Possible to End the Fitna of the Emirate?
    11:02 The First Reconquest Campaigns of Abd al-Rahman III
    16:44 Danger in the Maghreb: The Founding of the Fatimid Caliphate
    23:13 The Last Years of Umar ibn Hafsun
    26:29 The Reign of the Sons of Alfonso III of Asturias
    32:19 The Verdict: Separating the Political Figure from the Personal One
    33:16 Outro

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    34 min
  • 39. Wifred the Hairy and the Origins of Catalonia
    Nov 29 2025

    In episode 39, I explain the origins of Catalonia, the end of the Carolingian Empire, and the independence of the counties of the Spanish March. We explore figures such as Count Ramon of Ribagorza and Pallars, Sunyer II of Empúries, and Delà of Girona, and Wifred the Hairy himself, a much-mythologized figure. Here, I attempt to separate fact from fiction. I discuss the succession of Wifred the Hairy without the intervention of the Frankish king.

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

    TIMESTAMPS:

    00:00 Hook
    00:31 When Was Catalonia Born?
    04:07 The End of the Carolingian Empire
    08:45 The Last Appointed Counts of the Spanish March
    11:40 The lesser-known counts: Delà of Girona and Sunyer II of Empúries
    14:42 The Independence of the Counties of Ribagorza and Pallars
    17:29 The Ecclesiastical Conflict of Esclua
    20:27 Wifred the Hairy: Between Myth and History
    25:32 The Deeds of Wifred the Hairy's Rule
    29:54 The Hereditary Succession of Wifred the Hairy
    34:19 The Verdict: The Gray Scale of Independence and Sovereignty
    35:56 Outro

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    37 min
  • 38. Expansion and Betrayal under Alfonso III of Asturias
    Nov 15 2025

    The Kingdom of Asturias greatly expanded its borders under King Alfonso III of Asturias (866-910), nicknamed the Great. Episode 38 covers most aspects of his reign and the final years of his father, Ordoño, including the origins of Castile and Portugal as counties, the society of comital Castile, and the tragic story of the end of Alfonso's reign with the revolt of his sons and the division of the Kingdom of Asturias.

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

    TIMESTAMPS:

    00:00 Hook
    00:22 The End of Musa ibn Musa
    03:41 The Conditions of Asturian Expansion
    06:17 The Birth of the County of Castile
    12:24 Settlement and Power in Comital Castile
    16:45 Alfonso the Great, King in Asturias
    21:03 Expansion on the Western Flank: The Counties of Portugal and Coimbra
    24:57 Ibn al-Qitt and the Day of Zamora
    29:10 Revolts and Conspiracies. The Division of the Kingdom of Asturias
    33:04 The Verdict: Alfonso the Not So Great
    34:14 Outro

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    35 min
  • 37. Iberia in the 850s: Shadows of Greater Wars to Come
    Oct 11 2025

    In episode 37, we explore the political history of the Iberian Peninsula in the 850s, with events such as a major rebellion in Toledo, the expansion of Asturias into León and Astorga under Ordoño I of Asturias, the founding of Madrid, and conflicts with the Banu Qasi and the Vikings. It was a period of significant political change that heralded the civil war that swept through the Emirate of Córdoba shortly afterward.

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

    TIMESTAMPS:

    00:00 Hook
    00:27 The rise to the throne of Muhammad I of Córdoba
    02:13 The Rebellion of Toledo and the Battle of Guadacelete
    09:43 The Asturian Incorporation of León and Astorga
    12:54 The Islamic Foundation of Madrid
    16:04 Musa ibn Musa, Lord of the Upper March. The Battle of Albelda
    22:16 The Vikings Return: The Expedition of 858–860
    25:30 The Verdict: Making the Enemy Bigger Than He Really Was
    26:27 Outro

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    27 min
  • 36. How Asturias Survived under Alfonso II and Ramiro I
    Sep 27 2025

    In episode 36, we explore the political history of the Kingdom of Asturias under Kings Alfonso II, Nepotian, and Ramiro I. I also discuss the origins of the Jacobean cult and the emergence of Asturian pre-Romanesque art.

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

    TIMESTAMPS:

    00:00 Hook
    00:22 Alfonso II of Asturias versus Abd al-Rahman II
    06:05 The Origin of the Cult of Saint James
    12:12 Ramiro versus Nepotian for the Asturian Throne
    15:21 The Reign of Ramiro I of Asturias
    18:25 Asturian Pre-Romanesque Art
    26:35 The Verdict: The Power of a Lie
    27:29 Outro

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    28 min
  • 35. Religious extremes and Islamic law in al-Andalus: Martyrs of Córdoba, Ziryab, and more
    Sep 13 2025

    In episode 35, I talk about the voluntary martyrs of Córdoba, the Jewish convert Bodo, the Black musician Ziryab, the situation of the Abbasid Caliphate from its foundation to the year 861, and how Islamic justice worked.

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

    TIMESTAMPS:

    00:00 Hook
    00:25 The Martyrs of Córdoba
    08:35 Bodo, the Deacon who Became a Jew
    11:25 Ziryab, the Influencer of Abd al-Rahman II's Court
    18:01 The Abbasid Caliphate up to 861
    25:03 Maliki Islamic Law and the Ulema
    36:04 The Verdict: The Danger of Focusing on Exceptions
    37:19 Outro

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    38 min
  • 34. Arabization and Islamization of al-Andalus
    Aug 30 2025

    How did al-Andalus become a country of Arab culture and a Muslim majority? Was there good coexistence between the Muslims, Christians, and Jews of al-Andalus? What legal restrictions were imposed on Christians and Jews? In episode 34, an essential chapter on the history of al-Andalus and medieval Iberia, I answer these and more questions.

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    TIMESTAMPS:

    00:00 Hook
    00:26 Arabization in al-Andalus
    05:59 Islamization in al-Andalus
    14:01 The Legal Status of the Dhimmis
    18:00 Conflict or Coexistence in al-Andalus? Interreligious Relations
    29:04 The Verdict: Sexual Domination under Islamic Hegemony
    30:45 Outro

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    31 min