The Siete Partidas in regards to the Jewish people in Iberia - Term Paper Example

They also introduced Islam and new ideologies. The end result was constant conflict and stratification. The Muslim Spain (al-Andalus) had to tighten their political and military system so as to ensure an intensive and effective regime that would gain control of the earlier occupants, with minimum opposition, attacks and revolts. Having gained dominion over the peninsula, the al-Andalus sought to introduce the political and administrative systems and structures that they were conversant with those that were already established in the East.

For instance, they destroyed the monarchy that characterized the Visigothic system and substituted it with emirate system3. Under this system, the al-Andalus was to form an administrative unit, with an Arab military ruler from amongst the Muslims in Muslim Spain. Technically, this administrative unit would be said to be a sub unit under Damascus at first, as the ruler pledged loyalty to the Umayyad caliph (the overall ruler) in Damascus. However, a few years later, this emirate gained its independence when `Abbasids took over leadership, killed members of the Ummayad family and defied the traditional requirement of pledging loyalty to the Caliph in Damascus.

However, some Muslims, in theory continued to recognize the caliphate of Baghdad. The emirate was divided into provinces, each headed with its functionaries. Under Emirate system, the overall political head that would be in charge of the entire Muslim Spain was called the amir. The final administrative authority was also vested in the amir. As administrative and political head, Amir made all the political; and administrative decisions that pertained to the provinces. He was also in charge of appointing all the functionaries.

He also decided on issues pertaining to taxation, like the quantity of tax to be levied at particular place and