Module manager: Dr Jonathan Jarrett
Email: J.Jarrett@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun) View Timetable
Year running 2025/26
This module is not approved as a discovery module
In 711 the last king of Visigothic Spain, Roderick, was defeated in battle by an invading army of Muslims arrived from Africa. The rule they established would last until 1492, when Granada was finally recaptured, but historians now see the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa, in 1212, as the point after which a return of Christian dominance was assured. In between these dates much of the Iberian peninsula became a Muslim country, for a while with its own caliph. Unlike more recent instances, the Caliphate of Córdoba is famous for its tolerance of non-Muslims, but there is as much cliché here as in Charlton Heston’s portrayal of El Cid, supposed champion of a supposed 'Reconquista'. Using a variety of sources, with all texts in English translation, this module looks beneath the clichés to explore questions of conversion, acculturation and, most of all, opposition, from the Christian polities of the north that escaped Muslim rule and eventually replaced it. <p>Please note this is an optional module and runs subject to enrolments. If a low number of students choose this module, then the module may not run and you may be asked to choose another module. </p>
To give you a working acquaintance with the history of the Iberian Peninsula from the arrival of its Muslim conquerors until their irreversible defeat at the Battle of las Navas de Tolosa and the latest understanding of them as processes and social developments as well as political history; to enable you the ability to give a critique of modern uses of the period to either demonise or idealise medieval Islam and its impact in Europe; to refine and expand your skills and experience with the critical study of primary sources; and to build on and refine your skills in debating issues, constructing and presenting arguments in both written and oral form.
The module will be taught in twenty two hour seminars, which will usually be tripartite, consisting of a student presentation on the week’s topic, open discussion, and group-work close-reading a designated primary source extract in translation. This format will be varied on occasions as necessary.
On successful completion of the module you will have demonstrated the following learning outcomes relevant to the subject:
1. Demonstrate that they can express opinion and develop and present an argument in both oral and written expression;
2. Identify and discuss a wide range of primary sources and problems associated with them;
3. Analyse the debates and methods of historians working on medieval Iberia, understanding how their arguments are constructed based on the primary sources they use and their theoretical and ideological frameworks;
4. Evaluate the processes and social dynamics active in the rise and fall of Muslim versus Christian power and religion in the Iberian Peninsula.
Details of the syllabus will be provided on the Minerva organisation (or equivalent) for the module
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Workshop | 4 | 1 | 4 |
| Seminar | 20 | 2 | 40 |
| Tutorial | 2 | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Private study hours | 355.6 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 44.4 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 400 | ||
Essay: You will have the opportunities to discuss an essay plan with your tutor in a one-to-one meeting.
OTLA: There will be two formative source criticism (gobbet exercises) set, one in Semester 1 and one in Semester 2, to allow those of who have not before encountered such assessments to build up competence and confidence in them for the OTLA. These will done in-class and marked by the tutor according to the mark scheme to be used in the OTLA. The module will also involve student presentations on a weekly basis, on which oral feedback will be given in class, to secure your knowledge and ensure a critical use of materials from those presentations going forward.
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Coursework | Essay | 50 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 50 | |
Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated
| Exam type | Exam duration | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Online Time-Limited assessment | 48.0 Hrs 0 Mins | 50 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Exams) | 50 | |
Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated
The reading list is available from the Library website
Last updated: 30/04/2025
Errors, omissions, failed links etc should be notified to the Catalogue Team