Rodrigo "Ruy" Díaz | The Kingdom of León | The Taifa of Zaragoza | The Christian Kingdoms | The Moorish Taifas
The Moorish Taifas
When the Caliphate of Cordoba collapsed in the early XI century, it fragmented into multiple city-states and petty kingdoms. These Taifas (ṭā'ifa, in Arabic) are the inheritors of the Caliphate's legacy of cultural and artistic splendor, and like the Christian Kingdoms are more concerned with their own interests than in forming a united front. Though weak militarily, the Taifas are very wealthy, making them a tempting target for the Christian Kingdoms, who wish to conquer or vassalize them to exact substantial tributes from them, called Parias. At the start of the show, four Taifas pay tribute to León: Badajoz, Seville, Toledo and Zaragoza.- "Arabian Nights" Days: Present in the visual design and characterization of the Taifas, presumably to make them more distinct and exotic when compared to the Christian Kingdoms. It's especially notable with the palaces and mosques of Zaragoza, which are crowned by domes large enough to be seen from far away. For more details on the accuracy of employing this trope, see Artistic License - History.
- Balkanize Me: The Taifas are the remnants of the once-mighty Caliphate of Cordoba, now broken into independent and squabbling city-states.
- Cultural Blending: Middle Eastern and North African Islamic culture blended with the old Hispanic and Visigothic peoples. It’s not unusual to find peoples of the three major Abrahamic faiths in the Taifas. Zaragoza provides an example of such blending: Emir al-Muqtadir’s visir is Jewish, and the city is stated to have a Christian community.
- Fiction 500: The Taifas are rich enough, both through their own means and their access to Mediterranean trade routes, that they pay substantial Paria tributes to the Christian Kingdoms in return for not being attacked. Zaragoza seems to be so especially, with extensive silk fields, access to Damascus Steel, and magnificent palaces flaunting said wealth. It’s little wonder it’s so sought after as a prize by the Christian kingdoms.
- Logical Weakness: Paying the Christian Kingdoms their Paria tributes means that the Taifas are often not left with enough coin to field large armies, resulting in them being militarily weaker than their northern neighbours.
- Manly Facial Hair: Like in León, it seems to be fashionable for men to be bearded in the Taifa. Notably their facial hair tends to be a little more well-kept, such as with al-Muqtadir or Abu Bakr, while Prince Mundir has a neat moustache that doesn't join his beard. This serves to further highlight the differences between the Moors and the Christians.
- Realpolitik: The Parias imposed by the Christian kingdoms siphon away the Taifas' funds to raise large armies with which to defend themselves, leaving them at a military disadvantage. This results in them engaging in political maneuvering, manipulation and outright backstabbing as a simple survival tactic. This is demonstrated by the actions of both Badajoz and Zaragoza regarding the kingdoms of Galicia and Castile, respectively, in Season 2 (see their entries for more details).
open/close all folders
The Taifa of Badajoz
One of León's vassals at the start of the show. In Season 2, after Fernando's death, they, along with Seville, become a tributary vassal to Galicia and its new king, García.- Fair-Weather Friend: Despite supposedly being García’s vassal, Badajoz does the absolute bare minimum when Castile invades Galicia, paying a small part of its tribute and not sending any soldiers to fight against Sancho. Given that Galicia is conquered soon after, it seems likely the Taifa was cutting its losses and seeing who would emerge victorious.
- The Ghost: While spoken of by other characters, the Taifa doesn’t appear during Season 2 and its Emir, Muhammad al-Muzaffar (called by his Spanish name Modáfar) is only mentioned.
The Taifa of Toledo
Once the capital of the Visigothic kingdom of Spain, Toledo (Tulaytula in Arabic) controls one of the largest stretches of territory among the Moorish Taifas. It starts the series as an important tributary vassal to León, having pledged itself to Fernando I in 1062. It's also a bitter enemy of Zaragoza, despite the fact that both Taifas are nominally vassals to the Kingdom of León.- Minor Major Character: In Season 2. Historically, Toledo was one of the most important Moorish Taifas due to its central location, being more powerful than many of its neighbors, and its status as the ancient Visigothic capital of Spain. In the show, Toledo is mentioned once and only appears briefly in the the second season finale, though, by sheltering Alfonso, it arguably plays an important role when it does so.
The Emir of Toledo
The Emir of Toledo
Played by: Nick Shakoour
- No Name Given: He’s not named during his brief appearance in Season 2. Historically, the Emir of Toledo at this time was Yahya ibn Ismail al-Mamun.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: He has no reason to grant Alfonso refuge, and arguably would benefit by handing him over to Sancho, yet still does so when Alfonso and Amina respectfully request his hospitality. Even more notable for the fact that Amina is the daughter of the Emir of Zaragoza, who is an enemy of Toledo.
- Small Role, Big Impact: Only appears briefly in the last episode of Season 2. In that appearance, he grants Alfonso Sacred Hospitality, keeping him safe from Sancho and ensuring that the man with a still-legitimate claim to the throne of León remains alive and a potential threat.
