Muslim Spain Reconsidered. From 711 to 1502 by Richard Hitchcock (review)

For centuries, religion has had a key role in the historiography of the Iberian Peninsula. Historical maps show the region change colours, green usually representing Islam, which waxes and wanes. This importance assigned to religion is rooted in the conventions of historians and political language of the past. Reconsideration is thus a natural response for critical scholars of the twenty-first century. How accurately do we capture the motivations and loyalties of past individuals if we categorize them in religious terms? How important was religion for realities on the ground? Who was it important for? What diverse reality is disguised by the uniform colours?