James Baquet The Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa was called by Arab historians “The Battle of Al-‘Iqab,” because it was seen as a punishment (‘Iqab) by the Muslims. This was yet another battle in the ongoing Reconquista, or “Reconquest,” of those parts of Spain that had been taken by Muslims who had crossed over the Straits of Gibraltar from Africa. One interesting aspect of the battle was that it brought together four “Christian” (European) kings who were usually rivals. King Alfonso VIII of Castile, Sancho VII of Navarre, Peter II of Aragon, and Afonso II of Portugal banded together against the forces of the Muslim Caliph al-Nasir and the Almohad army, some of which had come from Africa to join the battle. The Almohad movement that had developed about a century before, in Morocco; they came to control much of northwestern Africa as well as Muslim Spain. To defeat the Muslims, the Spaniards used a clever ploy. A local shepherd, Martin Alhaja, had placed a cow’s skull on a path through the mountains in order to guide the troops to the Muslim camp. After the battle, he was given the title “Cabeza de Vaca” — Cow’s Head — for his service. This remains a Spanish surname today. Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca was a famous New World explorer, one of the first Europeans to travel across what is now the United States. The Christians fell on the Muslim camp by surprise. Caught unawares, the Caliph and his men — who were twice as many as the Christians — fled in defeat. Muslim casualties were said to be very high. The Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa, which took place July 16, 1212, was not only a victory for the Christians, allowing them to recover much of their territory (especially through a series of subsequent battles); it was also a crushing defeat for the Almohad Empire, and brought an end to their dominance, not only in Spain, but ultimately in North Africa as well. Starting in 1215, their enemies, the Marinids, seized on their weakened condition and began taking their African territories piecemeal. The last Almohad leader, Idris al-Wathiq, was murdered by one of his slaves in 1269, permanently ending their domination of the Western Maghreb. Vocabulary: Which word above means: 1. feature, characteristic 2. head bone 3. bit by bit 4. without warning, by surprise 5. took advantage (of) 6. joined 7. penalty, retribution 8. competitor, enemy 9. stratagem, technique 10. person who cares for sheep | 