Aims of the participants of the Reconquista in Spain results and consequences of the Reconquista

After the Arabs conquered almost the entire Iberian Peninsula in the 8th century, a long process began to conquer it by Christians, mainly Portuguese and Spanish. The fact that the Pyrenean rulers themselves also fought among themselves in parallel, stretched the Reconquista for several centuries. It ended only in 1492. Initially, the knightly orders themselves, for example, such as the Templars, were created to fight the Moors, tk. the war against them was perceived as a war for all of Christianity as a whole. After the conquest of the peninsula by the Arabs, Christians were in the position of half-slaves, they were mercilessly exploited. This is the main reason for the outbreak of uprisings that undermined the forces of the Caliphate. The peasants were promised land in the territories reclaimed during the war against the Arabs, and freedom from the feudal lords. The consequences of the Reconquista were mixed. Many areas in Spain were depopulated, many workers left the country, the irrigation system was destroyed. The influence of the church increased, and during the war it acquired enormous wealth. New estates appeared, the so-called Cortes and Seniors. From generation to generation they led a military lifestyle.