Convince your instructor that you read the chapter carefully by answering the questions below.
- How was Spain different, compared to the traditional stereotype of medieval society?
- How does Debating Truth explain the term convivencia?
- What was the Kingdom/Crown of Aragon and what were its origins?
- What was the Reconquista, according to Debating Truth?
- Who were the mudéjares and how were they treated under Christian rule?
- Write a brief (4-5 sentence) biography of King James I the Conqueror. At least one sentence should be devoted to his record keeping practices and how they compared to earlier monarchs.
- What role did Jews play in James I’s approach to controlling and governing his kingdom?
- Who were Hasdai ibn Shaprut and Samuel ha-Nagid and what do they tell us about Jewish life in Al-Andalus?
- How did Jewish life in Al-Andalus change following the arrival of the Almoravids and the Almohads? (Hint: The exiles of Judah ha-Levi, Petrus Alfonsi, and Maimonides are useful here.)
- What role did “disputation” (oral & literary debate) play in university and intellectual life in medieval Spain?