6º SESSION: ANDALUSIAN STATE AND SOCIETY: QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

1. Here we have three concepts: rule, government departments, minister. Link them to visir, diwan and emir-caliph (IMG 36 UP).
Obvious.

2. What was the base of the tax system?
Cities, just like Rome.

3. On whom did it depend?
Non muslims, who payed capitation and for their wealth. There were, of course, extraordinary taxes for all.

4. Al Andalus was very rich and thus administration was very complex. (TEXT 36 DOWN). That tells us of a very modern and powerful state, which even gave certain rights to its subjects. Name an example.
To have someone judging possible abuses by those who had power.

5. The provinces were named Coras, and they were ruled by Valis. What about special frontier provinces?
This were marks, just like Carolingian Catalonia. There were three: Upper (Zaragoza), Middle (Toledo), and Lower (Badajoz).

6. What financial problem did the powerful andalusian army create?
Constant war threats created the need to compensate soldiers with land or directly buy mercenaries. SEE IMGE 37 UP AND TEXT 37 MIDDLE.

7. How was the 711muslim invasion in demographic terms?
Muslims were just 50000 among almost 4 million. They were a vast minority.

8. What privileges did the Jassia or arab aristocracy enjoy?
They ruled, took the majority of the land and income from conquest and taxes.

9. Was the Jassia racially homogeneous?
No, there were also converted visigothic families (Tudmir or Banu Qasi, which means sons of Cassius). SEE TEXT 38 UP.

10. The Famnia, the middle and lower class was also racially and culturally heterogeneous, why?
Because of muladies, converted local folk.

11. Were these classes socially peaceful?
No, they both resented discrimination from the Jassia.

12. Were Spanish muslims religiously tolerant? Name examples.
Though not at all times, they protected the peoples of the Book, jews and Christians.
Mozárabes (IMG 38 DWN), but also Jews (see MAP 35 DWN).

13. Was there any social unrest between these and muslims?
Yes, to the point that from the IX century on they fled to Christian lands (TEXT 37 DWN), where, among other things, they kept the memory of the Visigoths and started to talk about the Reconquest of the lost kingdom. SEE TEXT IN P. 50

14. Why were Jews content in Al Andalus? Until when?
Because they were permitted their religion and uses. Until the arrival of Almohads.

15. Which were the two types of slaves? Why did this social group become important?
African Sudanese blacks (IMG 38 UP), and slavs. They were mercenaries, often personal guards to rulers, thus having an important role in successions.

16. What did roman and andalusian economic structure have in common? MAP 39 DOWN.
6 things. The importance of agriculture (TEXT 39), which among muslims was even more intensive (new products, development of irrigation IMG 39 UP…).Further development of mining, which had been very important in roman times. Cities as a center of trade distribution (zoco), and craftsman guilds. The insertion of Spain in a complex global trade net, which went this time from the southern Mediterranean basin to India and Africa, and even the Baltic sea. Control of trade routes and strong currency (dinar, dirhem, IMG 39 DOWN).

17. Watch which products came from where. Try to state some conclusion.
Manufactures came from Europe, Luxuries from Asia and raw materials and metals from Africa. Nothing has changed, really.