- A fr ican ▁Muslim ▁sect ▁of ▁Mas m uda ▁Ber ber ▁origin ▁who ▁had ▁previously ▁und erm ined ▁the ▁Al mor avid ▁rule ▁south ▁of ▁the ▁Stra it ▁of ▁Gib ral tar , ▁first ▁entered ▁the ▁pen ins ula ▁in ▁ 1 1 4 6 . ▁ ▁By ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 3 th ▁century , ▁a ▁power ▁re orientation ▁took ▁place ▁in ▁the ▁I ber ian ▁Pen ins ula ▁( parallel ▁to ▁the ▁Christian ▁expansion ▁in ▁ ▁Southern ▁I ber ia ▁and ▁the ▁increasing ▁commercial ▁imp et us ▁of ▁Christian ▁powers ▁across ▁the ▁Mediter rane an ) ▁and ▁to ▁a ▁large ▁extent , ▁trade - wise , ▁the ▁I ber ian ▁Pen ins ula ▁re orient ated ▁towards ▁the ▁North ▁away ▁from ▁the ▁Muslim ▁World . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁Middle ▁A ges , ▁the ▁monarch s ▁of ▁Cast ile ▁and ▁León , ▁from ▁Alfonso ▁V ▁and ▁Alfonso ▁VI ▁( c rown ed ▁His p ania e ▁Imper ator ) ▁to ▁Alfonso ▁X ▁and ▁Alfonso ▁XI ▁t ended ▁to ▁em brace ▁an ▁imperial ▁ideal ▁based ▁on ▁a ▁dual ▁Christian ▁and ▁Jewish ▁ide ology . ▁ ▁Mer ch ants ▁from ▁Gen oa ▁and ▁P isa ▁were ▁conduct ing ▁an ▁inten se ▁trad ing ▁activity ▁in ▁Catal onia ▁already ▁by ▁the ▁ 1 2 th ▁century , ▁and ▁later ▁in ▁Portugal . ▁Since ▁the ▁ 1 3 th ▁century , ▁the ▁Crown ▁of ▁Arag on ▁expanded ▁over se as ; ▁led ▁by ▁Catal ans , ▁it ▁att ained ▁an ▁over se as