Help with a Medieval Spain Timeline

Are there any people who are knowledgeable on early medieval spain here? I'm thinking of writing a timeline with involving a less unified Spain, with all the small, early christian kingdoms in Iberia remaining independent. Periodic infighting between them means that the Reconquista stalls and is never completed, leaving a muslim kingdom or two in southern Iberia. There are, of course, butterflies, which radically change both Europe and the Islamic world.

I have a lot of half formed ideas in my head at the moment, include what I think is a good PoD, but I'd like some advice and some people to bounce ideas off of. Anyone know enough about the period to help me?
 
Sorry my interest in spain dies with the Visigoths, and only begins agian when they discover the new world.
 
Sorry my interest in spain dies with the Visigoths, and only begins agian when they discover the new world.

Well isn't that boring :p Al-Andalus is one of the most interesting cultures of the Middle Ages in my opinion.

As for OP, you might find this discusion interesting: https://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=269638

Unfortunately, I'm not really an expert in medieval Spain. What I know about the Andalusians is that they tended to dissolve themselves in taifas quite quickly if given the opportunity, and then they were conquered either by they northen Christians or the Berbers at the south (I'm of course generalizing). With more Christian infighting a united muslim state is possible, but they'll have to keep an eye with the Berbers. You might see interesting differences between the urbanized and overall richer Al-Andalus and the more conservative Christian nations. And of course, remember that while not as tolerant as modern historians make it up, Iberia was a true melting pot of religions and cultures: certainly it wouldn't be hard to balkanise it.
 
My plan is for Bermudo III to win the battle of Tamaron in 1037, which prevents the union of Castille and Leon, and butterflies keep Navarre independent as well. After a century or so of small reconquista gains, exchange of border provinces, and Aragon and Barcelona uniting and then splitting almost immediately, the Christian kingdoms become more established. The Reconquista gets bogged down so that about 1/3 to 1/2 of the peninsula remains in Muslim hands, either in a single state or two separate ones. This unification and solidification as an Islamic state occurs during a particularly nasty bit of infighting between the Christian kingdoms.

I'm not sure whether we'll see Portugal (or maybe some other county) appear, but I do know that once the New World appears, colonisation will get messy fast :p

As for back in Europe, I'm still working on what will happen with the berbers, but I'm thinking that the different Barcelona will lead to a more independent county of Toulouse (not sure how to do that yet) which will really shake things in France up. And, of course, the butterflies (somewhat explained) will lead to a somewhat different invasion of England a few decades later...
 
Well isn't that boring :p Al-Andalus is one of the most interesting cultures of the Middle Ages in my opinion.

As for OP, you might find this discusion interesting: https://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=269638

Unfortunately, I'm not really an expert in medieval Spain. What I know about the Andalusians is that they tended to dissolve themselves in taifas quite quickly if given the opportunity, and then they were conquered either by they northen Christians or the Berbers at the south (I'm of course generalizing). With more Christian infighting a united muslim state is possible, but they'll have to keep an eye with the Berbers. You might see interesting differences between the urbanized and overall richer Al-Andalus and the more conservative Christian nations. And of course, remember that while not as tolerant as modern historians make it up, Iberia was a true melting pot of religions and cultures: certainly it wouldn't be hard to balkanise it.

That thread is focused a bit too late for what I'm going for, but I'll remember that advice about the Berbers. I'm thinking that once the Reconquista pretty much stops, then cross-cultural exchange will start to be greater; we might see the conservative Christian kingdoms become slightly less conservative, and the arabc numerals might be adopted earlier. Hell, there could well be an earlier Renaissance (such as it was, although it's impact is exaggerated).
 
Well isn't that boring :p Al-Andalus is one of the most interesting cultures of the Middle Ages in my opinion.

As for OP, you might find this discusion interesting: https://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=269638

Unfortunately, I'm not really an expert in medieval Spain. What I know about the Andalusians is that they tended to dissolve themselves in taifas quite quickly if given the opportunity, and then they were conquered either by they northen Christians or the Berbers at the south (I'm of course generalizing). With more Christian infighting a united muslim state is possible, but they'll have to keep an eye with the Berbers. You might see interesting differences between the urbanized and overall richer Al-Andalus and the more conservative Christian nations. And of course, remember that while not as tolerant as modern historians make it up, Iberia was a true melting pot of religions and cultures: certainly it wouldn't be hard to balkanise it.
Andalusian Spain might have been cultured, but Visigothic Spain was badass.
 
Are there any people who are knowledgeable on early medieval spain here? I'm thinking of writing a timeline with involving a less unified Spain, with all the small, early christian kingdoms in Iberia remaining independent. Periodic infighting between them means that the Reconquista stalls and is never completed, leaving a muslim kingdom or two in southern Iberia. There are, of course, butterflies, which radically change both Europe and the Islamic world.

I have a lot of half formed ideas in my head at the moment, include what I think is a good PoD, but I'd like some advice and some people to bounce ideas off of. Anyone know enough about the period to help me?


I also have a fascination of having Al-Andalus survive but Al Andalus would become more tolerant than Christian states, at least in my timeline.
 
Top