The timeline and history of Spain and the Iberian Peninsula is home to a vast and diverse array of civilizations and cultures. Dozens of different societies brought their influence to the region over the last few millennia.
The peninsula is located in southwestern Europe and home to the modern day countries of Spain and Portugal. Both countries have benefited from the mixing of cultures and host an extremely diverse population.
Modern day Spain can trace its origins back to some of Europe’s most advanced civilizations. The Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthaginians and Romans all controlled parts or the entirety of the peninsula.
In fact, the name Iberia derives from the Greek word for the river Ebro (Iberos) located in the northeast and which flows into the Mediterranean Sea. The east coast of Iberia is located along the western edge of the Mediterranean Sea, making it an ideal location for ancient trade routes. The modern Spanish cities of Barcelona, Valencia and Malaga all thrived as centers of trade and dominated regional affairs.
Upon the end of Roman rule, a long struggle engulfed the peninsula between varying powers attempting to control its vast and fertile lands. The Visigoths and Byzantines ruled for a time, but the most well-known struggle is between that of the Islamic conquerors from North Africa and the assorted Christian kingdoms that emerged in defiance.
The long conflict, known as Reconquista, left a measurable impact on the timeline, history and legacy of modern day Spain. The new nation emerged as a world power upon the re-discovery of the Americas, though it was quickly eclipsed by other Europeans.
Since the erosion of the nations overseas territories in the 18th/19th centuries, Spain has taken a backseat on world affairs, though through its rich history it has ingrained itself as a cultural hub and travel destination.
Timeline of the History of Spain and the Iberian Peninsula
The chart below shows a rough timeline of the various political entities that reigned throughout the history of Spain and the Iberian Peninsula.
Pre-History of the Iberian Peninsula
DNA evidence shows that for thousands of years the Iberian Peninsula was a crossroads of sorts. Mass migrations came in several different waves. First was the influx of hunter-gatherer groups called the “Villabruna” who came to coexist with the original hunter-gather groups called the “Goyet”.
Next was a mass-migration of peoples originally from Anatolia about 7,500 years ago, who brought domesticated plants and animals with them. The new farmers virtually overran the hunter-gatherers, though there is evidence of the Goyet-Villabruna people adapting to farming methods.
Another later migration came from North Africa. DNA from excavated skeletons in central Spain show ancestry from the North African region. Later archeological digs also confirmed this finding.
Copper and Bronze Age Spain featured some highly advanced cultures for its time. The Los Millares and subsequent El Argar civilizations give a glimpse at what life was like 4,000-6,000 years ago, prior to yet another large migration, this time from Celtic peoples speaking Indo-European languages from central Europe.
The Celts intermarried with the existing peoples of the region and formed a new group collectively called the Celtiberians. This is a reference to the strong cultural influences of the Celtic people on the region, and how they came to dominate the landscape in pre-Roman times.
These discoveries show that for thousands of years before the major civilizations graced the region, mass migrations were engulfing and shaping Spain from every direction.
Phoenician, Greek & Roman Rule of the Iberian Peninsula
At the end of the Bronze Age and early Iron Age the Phoenicians began building settlements along the south coast of the Iberian Peninsula. The Phoenicians were a sea faring people from the opposite end of the Mediterranean Sea and were primarily interested in the trade of the metal producing societies of the coast.
The abundance of precious metals – particularly silver – was a major draw for the trade based society. Historians even theorize that the Iberian mountains were the biblical Tarshish where King Solomon sent his men to collect gold, silver, and other luxeries.1
The Phoenician city of Gadir (modern day Cadiz) was founded around 1100 BCE and is one of the oldest continually inhabited cities in Western Europe. Other trade cities such as Malaga and Ibiza were founded and inhabited by the Phoenicians.
While the Phoenicians remained in the south, the Greeks founded cities on the northeastern coast. A major hub was the city of Emporion and nearby Rhode also became a regional trade center.
The Phoenician city of Carthage became an empire in its own right, and soon established cities on the Mediterranean coast competing with the Greeks. The city of Carthago Nova (modern day Cartagena) was its central hub that traded precious metals for the Carthaginian Empire. Carthage was the first entity to move significantly inland from the coast as it established its domain far into central Spain through brutal warfare.
With the Roman victories in the Punic Wars, in 218 BCE the Romans occupied former Carthaginian cities on the Iberian Peninsula. It wasn’t until nearly 200 years later, in 19 BCE, that the Romans brought the entire peninsula under their control.
The Iberian colonies were a treasured part of the Roman empire. The Roman elite welcomed influential Iberian families into the political fold of Roman society, and several emperors (such as the “Good Emperors” Trajan and Hadrian) hailed from Iberian cities.
Islamic Conquest of Spain
After the fall of the Roman empire there was a brief power vacuum in the peninsula. In its wake various Germanic tribes moved into the region, such as the Suebi, Vandals and Visigoths.
By the early/mid 5th century, the Visigoths had conquered most of the peninsula. Only the south remained independent under Byzantine rule from 554-624.
The Visigoths ruled until the early 8th century when they were beset by new invaders from the south. A combined Arab and Berber force launched an invasion of the peninsula from North Africa upon reports of political division within the Visigoth kingdom.2
The invasion and subsequent conquest was swift, with a vast majority of the peninsula coming under the control of the Umayyad Caliphate within eight years. Only a few small Christian kingdoms remained in the north of the peninsula.
The region of Muslim control of the Iberian peninsula was known as Al-Andalus and Europeans generically referred to the Muslims invaders as “The Moors.” The Umayyad’s of Al-Aldalus were essentially an autonomous polity by the mid-8th century and transformed the region into a center of culture and learning.
The Islamic rulers themselves dealt with fractured polities and periods of upheaval. Their Christian enemies seized upon these to gradually claw back territory. By the 13th century, Islamic power had waned and only held a small amount of territory in the south.
The Christian Kingdoms of Spain & Reconquista
Almost immediately after the Arab/Berber conquest of Spain in the 8th century, the small Christian kingdoms that remained sought to win back their lost territory. At the Battle of Covadonga in 718 or 722, the Christians scored a major victory against the Umayyad.
This victory is often referred to as the first of the Reconquista, or expulsion of Muslims from the Iberian peninsula. It was a struggle that would last for centuries, and lead to near constant warfare across the peninsula throughout.
From the 8th to 15th centuries, a variety of Christian kingdoms would emerge. Not only would these kingdoms fight with the Muslims, but they also vied with each other for regional dominance. Several of the emerging kingdoms included:
- Kingdom of Leon
- Kingdom of Navarre
- Counties of Catalonia
- Kingdom of Castile
- Kingdom of Aragon
- Kingdom of Portugal
Through the centuries, these kingdoms would also align politically at various times. The Christians delivered a staggering blow to the Muslims at Las Navas de Tolosa in 1212 and successfully transferred power and influence from the south to the north of the peninsula. Islamic influence gradually waned, until only one small province (Granada) was remaining by the 13th century.3
Three major polities remained towards the end of the 15th century: The Kingdom of Portugal, Castile and Aragon.
Creation of the Spanish Monarchy
The timeline and history of modern day Spain can be traced back to the political union of the kingdoms of Aragon and Castile. Queen Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon married in 1469. Ferdinand ascended to the throne of Aragon in 1479, bringing the two kingdoms together for the first time.
Historians refer to the two rulers as “The Catholic Monarchs” who oversaw the completion of the Reconquista in 1492. With that, the rulers issued an edict expelling all Jews and Muslims from Spain.
Isabella and Ferdinard also engineered the beginnings of Spain’s emerged to global power. Through funding the voyage of Columbus and subsequent voyages to the Americas, Spain acquired a vast overseas empire.
Upon their deaths, Aragon and Castile briefly reverted back to their independent polities. A few years later in 1516, Charles I of the Habsburg dynasty (grandson of Ferdinand II and Isabella I) became the king of Spain. This is the effective beginning of the Spanish monarchy under Habsburg rule.
With unification complete, Spain vied for global supremacy. Their overseas possessions made them arguably the most wealthy nation for a time. Spanish influence and power waned over the subsequent centuries, coinciding with the decline and loss of overseas possessions.
In the modern age, Spain no longer adheres to a monarchy, but has committed to democracy as a member of the European Union since 1986.
1) Treumann-Watkins, Brigette. “Phoenicians in Spain.” The Biblical Archaeologist, vol. 55, no. 1, 1992, pp. 29–35. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/3210238.
2) Lodge, John Davis. “THE IBERIAN PENINSULA AND WESTERN EUROPE.” Journal of International Affairs, vol. 16, no. 1, 1962, pp. 77–88. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/24363099.
3) O’Callaghan, Joseph F. A History of Medieval Spain. Cornell University Press, 1975. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.7591/j.ctt5hh0cv.
Historia ya Hispania na Peninsula ya Iberia ni nyumbani kwa safu kubwa na tofauti ya ustaarabu na tamaduni. Jamii nyingi tofauti-tofauti zilileta uvutano wao katika eneo hilo katika milenia chache zilizopita. Peninsula iko kusini-magharibi mwa Ulaya na nyumbani kwa nchi za kisasa za Hispania na Ureno. Nchi zote mbili zimenufaika kutokana na mchanganyiko wa tamaduni na zina idadi ya watu mbalimbali sana. Hispania ya kisasa inaweza kufuatilia asili yake nyuma ya baadhi ya ustaarabu wa hali ya juu zaidi wa Ulaya. Wafoinike, Wagiriki, Wakarthage, na Waroma wote walitawala sehemu fulani au sehemu nzima ya peninsula hiyo. "Jina ""Iberia"" linatokana na neno la Kigiriki linalomaanisha mto Ebro (Iberos) unaoingia katika Bahari ya Mediterania." Pwani ya mashariki ya Iberia iko kando ya ukingo wa magharibi wa Bahari ya Mediterania, na hivyo ni mahali pazuri pa njia za kale za biashara. Majiji ya kisasa ya Hispania ya Barcelona, Valencia na Malaga yote yalifanikiwa kama vituo vya biashara na kutawala mambo ya kikanda. Baada ya utawala wa Waroma kumalizika, vita viliendelea kwa muda mrefu katika peninsula hiyo kati ya majeshi mbalimbali yaliyokuwa yakijaribu kudhibiti maeneo yake makubwa na yenye rutuba. Visigoths na Byzantines walitawala kwa muda, lakini mapambano maarufu zaidi ni kati ya washindi wa Kiislamu kutoka Afrika Kaskazini na falme mbalimbali za Kikristo ambazo zilitokea kwa kupinga. Mapigano hayo ya muda mrefu, yanayojulikana kama Reconquista, yalibaki na athari kubwa kwa mstari wa wakati, historia na urithi wa Hispania ya kisasa. Taifa hilo jipya lilijitokeza kuwa nguvu ya ulimwengu baada ya kugunduliwa tena kwa Amerika, ingawa lilipigwa na Wazungu wengine upesi. Tangu kuharibiwa kwa maeneo ya nchi za ng'ambo katika karne ya 18 na 19, Uhispania imechukua nafasi ya nyuma katika masuala ya ulimwengu, ingawa kupitia historia yake tajiri imejisitawisha kama kitovu cha kitamaduni na marudio ya kusafiri. Mstari wa Historia ya Hispania na Peninsula ya Iberia: Mstari wa Historia ya Hispania na Peninsula ya Iberia Historia ya kabla ya peninsula ya Iberia: Uhakika wa DNA unaonyesha kwamba kwa maelfu ya miaka peninsula ya Iberia ilikuwa makutano ya njia. Uhamiaji wa wingi ulikuja katika mawimbi kadhaa tofauti. Kwanza ilikuwa mtiririko wa makundi ya wawindaji-wakusanyaji yaliyoitwa <unk>Villabruna<unk> ambao walikuja kuishi pamoja na makundi ya awali ya wawindaji-wakusanyaji yaliyoitwa <unk>Goyet<unk>. Baada ya hapo, watu waliohamia Anatolia walianza kuhamia nchi nyingine, na kwa miaka 7,500 hivi, walileta mimea na wanyama waliofugwa. Wakulima wapya waliwashinda wawindaji-wakusanyaji, ingawa kuna uthibitisho wa watu wa Goyet-Villabruna wakibadilisha mbinu za kilimo. Uhamiaji mwingine wa baadaye ulitoka Afrika Kaskazini. DNA kutoka kwa mifupa iliyochimbuliwa katikati mwa Hispania inaonyesha ukoo kutoka eneo la Afrika Kaskazini. Uchimbuaji wa baadaye wa vitu vya kale ulithibitisha pia jambo hilo. Katika enzi za shaba na shaba, Hispania ilikuwa na tamaduni zilizokuwa na maendeleo makubwa sana kwa wakati huo. Utamaduni wa Los Millares na baadaye wa El Argar unatoa mwonekano wa maisha ya watu wa Ulaya ya kati, kabla ya uhamiaji mwingine mkubwa, wakati huu kutoka kwa watu wa Kiselti wanaozungumza lugha za Indo-Ulaya kutoka Ulaya ya kati. Waselti walioa na watu wa eneo hilo na wakafanyiza kikundi kipya kilichoitwa Celtiberians. Hii ni kumbukumbu ya ushawishi mkubwa wa kitamaduni wa watu wa Celtic katika mkoa huo, na jinsi walivyokuja kutawala mandhari katika nyakati za kabla ya Waroma. Ugunduzi huu unaonyesha kwamba kwa maelfu ya miaka kabla ya ustaarabu mkubwa kuibuka katika eneo hilo, uhamiaji mkubwa ulikuwa ukiathiri na kuunda Hispania kutoka pande zote. Uongozi wa Wafoinike, Wagiriki na Waroma katika Peninsula ya Iberia Mwishoni mwa Enzi ya Shaba na mapema Enzi ya Chuma Wafoinike walianza kujenga makazi kwenye pwani ya kusini ya Peninsula ya Iberia. Wafoinike walikuwa watu wa baharini kutoka upande ule mwingine wa Bahari ya Mediterania na walipendezwa hasa na biashara ya jamii za kutengeneza chuma za pwani. Wingi wa metali za thamani - hasa fedha - ulikuwa kivutio kikuu cha jamii iliyotegemea biashara. "Historia ya ""Tarshishi"" ya kale ya Misri inaonyesha kwamba watu wa Tarshishi waliishi katika eneo la kale la Misri, na kwamba watu wa Tarshishi waliishi katika eneo la kale la Misri, na kwamba watu wa Tarshishi waliishi katika eneo la kale zaidi la Ulaya Magharibi." Majiji mengine ya kibiashara kama vile Malaga na Ibiza yalianzishwa na kukaliwa na Wafoinike. Wakati Wafoinike walipokuwa wakikaa kusini, Wagiriki walianzisha majiji kwenye pwani ya kaskazini-mashariki. Kituo kikuu kilikuwa jiji la Emporion na Rhode iliyokuwa karibu pia ikawa kituo cha biashara cha mkoa huo. Jiji la Carthage la Wafoinike likawa milki yenyewe, na upesi likaanzisha majiji kwenye pwani ya Mediterania yakishindana na Wagiriki. Jiji la Carthago Nova (Carthage ya kisasa) lilikuwa kitovu chake cha biashara ya metali zenye thamani kwa ajili ya Milki ya Carthage. Carthage ilikuwa nchi ya kwanza kusonga mbali na pwani na kuanzisha milki yake katika eneo la kati la Hispania kupitia vita vikali. Baada ya ushindi wa Warumi katika Vita vya Punic, Waroma walichukua miji ya zamani ya Carthage katika Peninsula ya Iberia. Ni miaka 200 hivi baadaye, mwaka wa 19 KK, wakati Waroma walipoanza kutawala eneo hilo. Makoloni ya Iberia yalikuwa sehemu muhimu ya milki ya Roma. Wasomi Waroma waliwakaribisha familia zenye uvutano wa Iberia katika jamii ya Kiroma, na maliki kadhaa (kama vile "Walimu wa Ufalme Wazuri" Trajan na Hadrian) walitoka katika majiji ya Iberia. Ushindi wa Kiislamu wa Hispania Baada ya kuanguka kwa milki ya Roma kulikuwa na utupu wa muda mfupi wa mamlaka katika peninsula. Baada ya hapo, makabila mbalimbali ya Wajerumani yalihamia katika eneo hilo, kama vile Wasuebi, Wavandal, na Wasigothi. Kufikia katikati ya karne ya 5, Wasigothi walikuwa wametawala sehemu kubwa ya kisiwa hicho. Sehemu ya kusini ya nchi hiyo ilikuwa chini ya utawala wa Byzantium kuanzia mwaka 554 hadi 624. Wagothi wa Magharibi walitawala hadi mwanzoni mwa karne ya 8 walipokabiliwa na wavamizi wapya kutoka kusini. Majeshi ya Kiarabu na Berber yalianza uvamizi wa peninsula kutoka Afrika Kaskazini baada ya ripoti za mgawanyiko wa kisiasa ndani ya ufalme wa Visigoth. uvamizi na ushindi uliofuata ulikuwa wa haraka, na sehemu kubwa ya peninsula ikawa chini ya udhibiti wa Umayyad Caliphate ndani ya miaka minane. Ni falme chache tu za Kikristo zilizobaki kaskazini mwa peninsula hiyo. "Ulimwengu wa Kiislamu ulianza katika eneo la Al-Andalus, ambalo lilijulikana kama ""Mapinduzi ya Kiislamu,"" na wakati huo Umayyads walikuwa wakitawala eneo hilo kwa uhuru na kugeuza eneo hilo kuwa kituo cha utamaduni na elimu." Watawala wa Kiislamu wenyewe walishughulika na siasa zilizovunjika na vipindi vya msukosuko. Maadui wao Wakristo walitumia maeneo hayo ili kurudisha milki yao hatua kwa hatua. Kufikia karne ya 13, nguvu za Kiislamu zilikuwa zimepungua na zilikuwa na eneo dogo tu kusini mwa nchi. Katika karne ya 8 karibu mara baada ya ushindi wa Kiarabu na Berber wa Hispania, falme ndogo za Kikristo zilizobaki zilijaribu kurudisha eneo lao lililopotea. Katika vita vya Covadonga mwaka 718 au 722, Wakristo walipata ushindi mkubwa dhidi ya Waumayyad. Ushindi huo mara nyingi huitwa ushindi wa kwanza wa Reconquista, au kufukuzwa kwa Waislamu kutoka peninsula ya Iberia. Mapambano hayo yaliendelea kwa karne nyingi na kusababisha vita vya kudumu katika eneo hilo. Kuanzia karne ya 8 hadi ya 15, milki mbalimbali za Kikristo zilitokea. Si tu kwamba falme hizo zilipigana na Waislamu, bali pia zilishindana kwa ajili ya utawala wa eneo hilo. Ufalme wa Leon, Ufalme wa Navarre, Kaunti za Catalonia, Ufalme wa Castile, Ufalme wa Aragon, na Ufalme wa Ureno zilikuwa na uhusiano wa kisiasa. Wakristo waliwashinda Waislamu huko Las Navas de Tolosa mwaka 1212 na kufanikiwa kuhamisha nguvu na ushawishi kutoka kusini hadi kaskazini mwa peninsula. Uongozi wa Uislamu ulipungua hatua kwa hatua, hadi mkoa mmoja tu mdogo (Granada) ulipobaki kufikia karne ya 13. Historia ya Uhispania ya kisasa inaweza kufuatiliwa hadi muungano wa kisiasa wa falme za Aragon na Castile. Mfalme Isabella wa Castile na Ferdinand wa Aragon walifunga ndoa mwaka 1469. Ferdinand wa Aragon, mfalme wa Aragon, alishinda ufalme wa Aragon mnamo 1479 na kuunganisha ufalme wa Aragon na wa Italia. "Wahistoria wanawaita ""Wafalme Wakatoliki"" ambao waliongoza kukamilika kwa Reconquista mwaka 1492." Baada ya hapo, watawala walituma amri ya kuwafukuza Wayahudi na Waislamu wote kutoka Hispania. Isabella na Ferdinard pia waliunda mwanzo wa Hispania kuibuka kuwa nguvu ya kimataifa. Kwa kufadhili safari ya Columbus na safari zilizofuata za kwenda Amerika, Hispania ilipata milki kubwa ya ng'ambo. Baada ya kifo chao, Aragon na Castile zilirudi kwa muda mfupi kwenye serikali zao huru. Mwaka 1516 Mfalme Charles wa kwanza wa Habsburg (mjukuu wa Ferdinand II na Isabella wa Kwanza) alitawala Hispania. Huu ndio mwanzo halisi wa utawala wa kifalme wa Hispania chini ya utawala wa Habsburg. Kuunganishwa kwake kumekamilika, na Hispania ikajipinga ili iwe na mamlaka ulimwenguni pote. Mali zao za ng'ambo za bahari ziliwafanya wawe taifa tajiri zaidi kwa muda fulani. Uvutano na nguvu za Wahispania zilipungua katika karne zilizofuata, zikipatana na kupungua na kupoteza mali za ng'ambo. Katika kipindi cha miaka ya hivi karibuni, Hispania haitumii utawala wa kifalme, lakini imejiunga na demokrasia kama mwanachama wa Umoja wa Ulaya tangu 1986. (1) Treumann-Watkins, Brigette. <unk> Wafoinike huko Hispania.<unk> The Biblical Archaeologist, vol. No. 55 1, 1992, ukurasa wa 10. 2935, na JSTOR (https: www.doi.org) ni jina la kampuni ya teknolojia ya teknolojia ya teknolojia ya teknolojia ya teknolojia ya teknolojia ya teknolojia ya teknolojia ya teknolojia ya teknolojia ya teknolojia ya teknolojia ya teknolojia ya teknolojia ya teknolojia ya teknolojia ya teknolojia ya teknolojia ya teknolojia. 2) Lodge, John Davis. <unk> THE IBERIAN PENINSULA AND WESTERN EUROPE.<unk> Jarida la Mambo ya Kimataifa, toleo la 1. 16 - Hapana 1, 1962, ukurasa wa 778 - Mfano wa Uongozi JSTOR (http: www.jstor.org) 3) O'Callaghan, Joseph F. Historia ya Hispania ya Enzi za Kati. Cornell University Press, 1975) ni kitabu cha kwanza cha JSTOR (http: www.jstor.org) ni mfumo wa uhifadhi wa data unaoendeshwa na JSTOR (http: www.jstor.org)