WI/AHC: Christian Andalusia*

Urcea

Most AH's/oneshot maps/etc seem to hold onto the OTL notion of Christian reconquista states being separated along lines of longitude, and for good reason - the North would always have the most connection to the Franks and the furthest distance of Islamic Africa, making a march south natural.

I would like to see something different, though. Is it possible to have a distinct, reconquista state (so POD post-1000) that primarily consists of southern Iberia (think something akin to the Almohad borders, perhaps)? Put another way, is it possible to have a Christian state based out of, say, Cordoba, in opposition to Leon/Castille/Aragon that embraces southern Iberia?
 
Ricard (i.e. Rdffigueira)

Ricard (i.e. Rdffigueira)

Some years ago I drafted a TL that would consist in what the Normans did in Italy but in Iberia. The POD would be a much larger Crusade of Barbastro, which becomes de facto the 1st Crusade, involving the main French Christian nobles of the period, including William the Conqueror (who never goes to England).

They would do war against the fractured Taifas of Andalusia and then conquer some lands in Valencia and Cuenca, becoming in the next century akin to the "Frankokratia" that resulted from the 4th Crusade. This would hamper the Castillian expansion south of Toledo, and, if the tradition of dividing the kingdom adopted by the House of Jimena continued, the northern kingdoms would be weakened, while a Christian Andalusia would be formed as a Crusader State out of the Taifas. My doubt would be about butterflying away or keeping the Almoravid invasion in Sevilla on schedule (I suppose having the Almoravids never form would be easier).
 

thekingsguard

There was a GREAT TL about that, the name of which I forget - a Muslim ruler ousted converts to Christianity, unites Medieval Spain, and they become a major power in the early middle ages.

I have a minor detail of a Vinlandic story I am working on be that, since Canute and his Kingdom of the North has a firm grip on Britain, William the Bastard goes crusading in Iberia, and conquers most of Muslim Spain. The sons of William the Crusader rule the Kingdom of Iberia.
 
Ricard (i.e. Rdffigueira)

Ricard (i.e. Rdffigueira)

thekingsguard said:
There was a GREAT TL about that, the name of which I forget - a Muslim ruler ousted converts to Christianity, unites Medieval Spain, and they become a major power in the early middle ages.

I have a minor detail of a Vinlandic story I am working on be that, since Canute and his Kingdom of the North has a firm grip on Britain, William the Bastard goes crusading in Iberia, and conquers most of Muslim Spain. The sons of William the Crusader rule the Kingdom of Iberia.
Click to expand...

That's somewhat like I envisioned, a Norman Andalusia (with a possible Aquitanian+Catalan Valencia). Great stuff. I had put something on paper, but never went far. Then I decided to work on my current Kingdom of Jerusalem TL and lost the focus. Someday I'll try to piece stuff together and publish here as a vignette or short story (as I tend to get too bogged down on the details of how the divergences happen, instead of what happens after the divergences).

Without the intent of derailing the threat, but I'd like to see something of your Vinland TL!
 

thekingsguard

Rdffigueira said:
That's somewhat like I envisioned, a Norman Andalusia (with a possible Aquitanian+Catalan Valencia). Great stuff. I had put something on paper, but never went far. Then I decided to work on my current Kingdom of Jerusalem TL and lost the focus. Someday I'll try to piece stuff together and publish here as a vignette or short story (as I tend to get too bogged down on the details of how the divergences happen, instead of what happens after the divergences).

Without the intent of derailing the threat, but I'd like to see something of your Vinland TL!
Click to expand...

In fairness, it's less of a TL, and more of a shared setting for some AH stories all in various stages of finished to still rattling around my head.

The main POD is Canute's heirs maintain control of his empire, allowing a singular centralized nation to take shape in Scandinavia and the British isles.

As a result, William the Bastard wins his kingdom crusading in Andalusia, there is a steady stream of Norsemen heading to Vinland rather than chafe under the Kingdom of the North, the Byzantines remain strong, and the Mongols devastate Europe all the way to the Pyrenees.

You have a Europe divided between the Norse, the Iberians and the Byzantines, with a heavily fractured impoverished Holy Roman Empire spanning from Occitania to Bessarabia in the middle. Vinland has a thriving federation hybrid between the Christian Norse and the Haudenosaunee, while a young breakaway state of Pagan Norse and oddly enough, European Jews takes root in the Chesapeake Bay.
 
FleetMac

FleetMac

thekingsguard said:
There was a GREAT TL about that, the name of which I forget - a Muslim ruler ousted converts to Christianity, unites Medieval Spain, and they become a major power in the early middle ages.

I have a minor detail of a Vinlandic story I am working on be that, since Canute and his Kingdom of the North has a firm grip on Britain, William the Bastard goes crusading in Iberia, and conquers most of Muslim Spain. The sons of William the Crusader rule the Kingdom of Iberia.
Click to expand...

Would that be "Raptor of Spain"? I too miss that awesome TL, especially since Spain ends up more Arabized/Berberized and Francia remains Frankish instead of Gallo-Roman (shame about Britain though).

Your TL sounds pretty cool!
 

Teejay

Gone Fishin'
Spelf said:
Most AH's/oneshot maps/etc seem to hold onto the OTL notion of Christian reconquista states being separated along lines of longitude, and for good reason - the North would always have the most connection to the Franks and the furthest distance of Islamic Africa, making a march south natural.

I would like to see something different, though. Is it possible to have a distinct, reconquista state (so POD post-1000) that primarily consists of southern Iberia (think something akin to the Almohad borders, perhaps)? Put another way, is it possible to have a Christian state based out of, say, Cordoba, in opposition to Leon/Castille/Aragon that embraces southern Iberia?
Click to expand...

The POD is that the Kingdoms of Castile and Leon, along with Aragon win at the Battle of Sagrajas in 1086. The various Almoravid taifs get annexed to Castile and Leon. A later King of Castile and Leon might give Andalusia to either his first or latter born son.
 
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