Reconquista

Episode 43 - The Almoravids

The Almoravids of northern Africa arrive in al-Andalus and clash with King Alfonso VI at the battle of Sagrajas in October 1086.

Episode 42 - A serpent in the basket

As King Alfonso VI and Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar prepare to face off in Zaragoza, a new threat emerges to the south.

Episode 41 - The struggle for Toledo

As King Alfonso's attentions turn to the east, different factions inside Toledo struggle for supremacy.

Episode 40 - Toledo Part 3

In the first major victory of the Reconquesta, Toledo falls to King Alfonso VI.

Episode 39 - Toledo Part 2

The taifa of Toledo hits a rocky patch which King Alfonso VI swings to his advantage.  Meanwhile, Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar (later known as El Cid) makes a couple of bad choices and ends up in exile.

Episode 38 - Toledo Part 1

During the 1070s, two assassinations - one in al-Andalus and one in the Christian north - send shockwaves across the Iberian peninsula.

Episode 37 - Barbastro Part 2

Christian armies from France and beyond, hit some speed humps in their attempts to conquer parts of the taifa of Zaragoza.

Episode 36 - Barbastro Part 1

We turn our attentions to the Christian Kingdoms in the Pyrenees where the King of Aragon has been attempting to conquer territory in Muslim Zaragoza.

Episode 35 - Succession

Following the death of King Fernando I of Leon and Castile, his heirs embark on a messy succession journey.

Episode 34 - King Fernando I of Leon and Castile Part 2

We follow the exploits of King Fernando I until the end of his reign in 1065.

Episode 33 - King Fernando I of Leon and Castile Part 1

Taking advantage of conflict between the Taifas, King Fernando begins his policy of raiding into and extracting tribute from, regions across al-Andalus. 

Episode 32 - The Taifas

Following the collapse of the Caliphate, a number of regional kingdoms called Taifas, emerge across al-Andalus.

Episode 31 - Galicia, Leon & Castile

We complete our look at the Christian kingdoms by examining the Christian North.

Episode 30 - Aragon & Catalonia

We continue our focus on the Christian states by taking a look at the establishment of Catalonia and the rise of the Kingdom of Aragon.

Episode 29 - The Kingdom of Navarre

We track developments in the Kingdom of Navarre, up to the end of the Caliphate in the 1030s.

Episode 28 - The end of the Caliphate

The chaos in al-Andalus continues, with the Caliphate eventually stumbling and coming to an end.

Episode 27 - Sanchuelo

We take a look at the short but disastrous rule of Sanchuelo.

Episode 26 - After al-Mansur

We look back on al-Mansur's legacy following his unexpected death in the year 1002.  Then we examine the rule of his son and successor, Abd al-Malik. 

Episode 25 - Al-Mansur Part 3

Al-Mansur reaches the pinnacle of his power and celebrates by launching an audacious attack on Santiago de Compostela.

Episode 24 - Al-Mansur Part 2

Having assumed control of the administration of al-Andalus, al-Mansur turns his attention to the Caliphate's military forces.