Is there a way for any of the great dynasties who held Muslim Iberia to survive and thrive into the modern age without completely altering the balance of power?
It is not necessarily inevitable, but once the Arab campaign in Francia failed, it became likely, IMO. Even then, Francia was considerably more populous than Hispania. An isolated Muslim state with a large Christian neighbor, while ruling over a large Christian population itself, is going to be on the defensive.
Nope, just some bad luck,plus the umayyds getting it apart the main caliphate didn't helpedIs there a way for any of the great dynasties who held Muslim Iberia to survive and thrive into the modern age without completely altering the balance of power?
What killed the Umayyad caliphate was the heritability problem in the kingdom. There are other factors such as ethnic disputes, but as a whole the country was very functional. This is the realm with the highest chance of surviving. They were tolerant enough not to cause an extreme reaction from Iberian Catholics like the other kingdoms that followed did.I think that Iberia could had kept Muslim at least partially if they just wouldn't had fall as multiple fighting small emirates and Christian kingdoms would had remained pretty weak.
yes, this idea that the non-conquest of france killed Muslim Iberia is quite wrong.I don't think that you need change something with Francia since between days of Charles Martel and fall of last Iberian Muslim kingdom is some centuries. You probably can do something even with 13th century POD.
“The Almohads will brutally change the living conditions of Jewish and Christian dhimmis”, forcing them to convert, in violation, according to Michel Abitbol, of the Muslim tradition, which until then reserved a special status for the “people of the Book”. Thousands of Jews and Christians converted to Islam against their will; thousands more fled; many were killed, in North Africa as in Spain.I'm of the idea that if anyone was going to maintain Iberia divided and partly Muslim it was going to be the Almohads
maybe use Iberian Muslims and Christians instead of foreign mercenaries?IMHO, for al-Andalus to survive some state or dynasty would have to build up and maintain a local military base, rather than relying on fighters from North Africa. The Ottomans managed this with the sipahis and janissaries, but even the Umayyads ended up dependent on Berber soldiers and the later dynasties were all reliant on maintaining their powerbases in North Africa.
so I picked the absolute worst people for the jobThey were fanatics who managed to radicalize the Iberian Christians. quite a feat
an Iberian Muslim dynasty, and the easiest, the Umayyads do not fall. (Basically one of the leaders see the nation's problems and reforms the institutions to be healthier). A better form of heritability (Be it something like the Ottomans, with the best son killing the others, or by some other method). Stop importing Berbers to solve problems, stop treating Iberian Muslims as second class compared to those of Arab origin (who at that time had nothing of Arab origin, considering that the greatest Muslim leader in Iberia had blue eyes and red hair), focus in dealing with the rest of the catholic kingdoms in iberia using the pyrenees mountains as a border between them and france, not following the reactionary and anti-science islamics (which doesn't happen in otl, and i doubt it would happen, considering that the place that questioned the al ghazali's work was andalus. Or reject things like printing press). Maintain a scientific, commercial and naval focus. Having a good local army. Good diplomacy with European and North African countries, Andalus had good diplomacy with England for example. I think that's itso I picked the absolute worst people for the job
Which dynasty do you reckon had the best chance of keeping it together indefinitely?
But by that point Granada was weak and basically a vassal of Castille.I think that Iberia could had kept Muslim at least partially if they just wouldn't had fall as multiple fighting small emirates and Christian kingdoms would had remained pretty weak.
I don't think that you need change something with Francia since between days of Charles Martel and fall of last Iberian Muslim kingdom is some centuries. You probably can do something even with 13th century POD.
IMO holding not all of France but a buffer beyond the Pyrenees (like Visigothic Septimania and southern Gascony) for a century or more would help. This requires either Muslim unity (a POD in the early 700s to butterfly the Berber revolt and keep Iberia Umayyad + consolidation after the victory on the Garonne) or Frankish disunity (worse succession crises for the mayors of palace and more enmity between the Visigoths in Septimania and the Franks). With Septimania in Muslim hands, Charlemagne has no route into Iberia to conquer the Spanish Marches and establish the foundation for Aragon and Christian reconquest down the Mediterranean coast.yes, this idea that the non-conquest of france killed Muslim Iberia is quite wrong.
maybe use Iberian Muslims and Christians instead of foreign mercenaries?
imitating the armies of Christian Iberia
The most underrated but lovely... The Taifa of Murcia led by the Wolf King Mardanis. That guy almost unificate all Al-andalus and during 20 years he alone served like shield against the Almohads. His reign was prosperous and he was enough nice for hire Christian mercenaries for serve like h. Infantry and h. Cavalry.so I picked the absolute worst people for the job
Which dynasty do you reckon had the best chance of keeping it together indefinitely?
perhaps a Muwallad dynasty, ie Banu Qasi, or a rebel like Umar ibn Hafsun with an army of Mozarabs and Muwallads would be able to breakdown the pseudo-caste system developed from the legacy of the pro-Arab Umayyads into a system that would allow Al-Andalus to be considered "Hispanic" like the the Kingdoms of the North. IMO the Reconquista really didn't begin until the invitation of increasingly orthodox and apocalyptic Berber kingdoms from the south forced an equal and opposite reaction from the North in the form of Crusades and combined invasions of territories.an Iberian Muslim dynasty, and the easiest, the Umayyads do not fall. (Basically one of the leaders see the nation's problems and reforms the institutions to be healthier). A better form of heritability (Be it something like the Ottomans, with the best son killing the others, or by some other method). Stop importing Berbers to solve problems, stop treating Iberian Muslims as second class compared to those of Arab origin (who at that time had nothing of Arab origin, considering that the greatest Muslim leader in Iberia had blue eyes and red hair), focus in dealing with the rest of the catholic kingdoms in iberia using the pyrenees mountains as a border between them and france, not following the reactionary and anti-science islamics (which doesn't happen in otl, and i doubt it would happen, considering that the place that questioned the al ghazali's work was andalus. Or reject things like printing press). Maintain a scientific, commercial and naval focus. Having a good local army. Good diplomacy with European and North African countries, Andalus had good diplomacy with England for example. I think that's it
to be honest if the Muslims of Iberia were conquered pre Almoravid the situation would be an inversion with the Muslims being second class citizens but without persecution. It only became a truly religious conflict with the entry of extremists from north africa .perhaps a Muwallad dynasty, ie Banu Qasi, or a rebel like Umar ibn Hafsun with an army of Mozarabs and Muwallads would be able to breakdown the pseudo-caste system developed from the legacy of the pro-Arab Umayyads into a system that would allow Al-Andalus to be considered "Hispanic" like the the Kingdoms of the North. IMO the Reconquista really didn't begin until the invitation of increasingly orthodox and apocalyptic Berber kingdoms from the south forced an equal and opposite reaction from the North in the form of Crusades and combined invasions of territories.