oors, held the peninsula as a dependency of the province of North Africa, a division of the Caliphate of Damascus. It was called "Al-Andalus" after the Andalusians (Berbers) who settled it (McCabe). For 39 years the region was ruled by succession of emirs who were governors representing the Caliphate, which were appointed by the Caliphs who were frequently neglectful of their duties. There were local officials present in the peninsula, and they often conflicted with emir practices. So in 756, a member of the Umayyad faction of the Andalus, supported by the people, overthrew the line of emirs and began his rule as central leader of his own Caliphate known as Cordoba.
             During the establishment of the Moorish power, a remnant of Christian rule was preserved in the northern portion of the peninsula, in the countries of Asturias and Basque. The most important Christian State of the Northern Peninsula was the small kingdom of Astruias, which was founded about 718 by Oelayo, a Visigothic chieftain. The kingdom along with various other Christian factions begins a slow, but sure claiming of the southern part of the peninsula. Pelayo's son in law, Alfonso, conquered Galacia and Leon. His grandson, Alphonso III greatly extended these acquisitions during his reign. Leon was divided up into separate kingdoms, and each of these kings began his own conquest, eventually reaching Burgos. Because of the numerous forts on these newly acquired lands, this area near Burgos became known as Castilla, or Castille. There were two major Moorish Dynasties that ruled Spain form the 11th to 13th Centuries- The Almoravids, and the Almohads. The Almoravids ruled during the 11th and 12th Centuries. These were true Berber invaders. They were Muslim, but were slightly less interested in education, prestige, etc. than the original Caliphate. The Almohads overtook Almoravids in 1174 and reigned in the 12th and 13th centuries. The Spanish a...