Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa |
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| Part of the Reconquista | |||||||
 Portrayal of the battle by Francisco de Paula Van Halen (1864) |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
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 Almohad Caliphate |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
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Centre: Vanguard:
Right wing: Left wing:
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Muhammad al-Nasir |
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| Strength | |||||||
| 12,000–14,000 | 22,000–30,000 | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| ~2,000 |
Very high ~20,000 |
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The Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa was a super important battle that happened on July 16, 1212. It's also known as the Battle of Al-Uqab in Islamic history. This battle was a major turning point in the Reconquista, which was a long period when Christian kingdoms took back land from Muslim rulers in what is now Spain.
In this battle, Christian armies from different kingdoms joined together. King Alfonso VIII of Castile led his forces. He was joined by his rivals, Sancho VII of Navarre and Peter II of Aragon. They fought against the Almohad Muslims, who ruled the southern part of the Iberian Peninsula. The Almohad army was led by Caliph Muhammad al-Nasir, also called Miramamolín.
Contents
Why the Battle Happened
In 1195, the Almohad army had a big victory over Alfonso VIII of Castile at the Battle of Alarcos. After that, they captured several important cities.
Then, in 1211, Muhammad al-Nasir brought a huge army across the Strait of Gibraltar. They invaded Christian lands and captured Salvatierra Castle. This castle was a strong base for the Order of Calatrava knights. The Christian kingdoms felt very threatened. Because of this, Pope Innocent III called for a crusade, asking Christian knights to join the fight.
Before the Big Fight
Before the battle, there were some disagreements among the Christian armies. Knights from France and other parts of Europe were not happy. They didn't like how Alfonso treated the defeated Jewish and Muslim people after capturing cities like Malagón and Calatrava la Vieja.
These disagreements caused problems in Toledo, where the different armies had gathered.
The Battle Begins
King Alfonso's army found a way to cross the mountains that protected the Almohad camp. They snuck through the Despeñaperros Pass. A local shepherd named Martín Alhaja showed them the way. Because of his help, the Christian army surprised the Almohad army. Alhaja was later given the special family name Cabeza de Vaca for his important assistance.
The fighting was very close and intense. Both sides fought hand-to-hand with lances, swords, and axes. There wasn't much space for archers to shoot arrows. The Spanish knights were very good at this close-up combat. They pushed hard against the Almohads.
"They attacked, fighting against one another, hand-to-hand, with lances, swords, and battle-axes; there was no room for archers. The Christians pressed on."- (The Latin Chronicle of The Kings of Castile)
Some of the Spanish knights, especially those from the Order of Santiago, managed to break through the Almohad defenses. They caused many casualties and created openings in the enemy lines. King Sancho VII then led his mounted knights through these gaps. He charged straight towards the Caliph's tent.
Legend says the Caliph had a special bodyguard of slave-warriors around his tent. It was once thought they were chained together, but it's more likely they were just standing very close in a tight formation. Sancho VII's knights broke through this bodyguard. The Caliph managed to escape, but the Almohad army was completely defeated. Many of their soldiers were killed.
The victorious Christians took many valuable things from the battlefield. Muhammad al-Nasir's tent and his royal flag were sent to Pope Innocent III.
The Christian army had far fewer losses, about 2,000 men. However, many important knights from the military orders were killed or badly wounded.
Muhammad al-Nasir died in Marrakech soon after the battle.
What Happened Next
The Almohads' huge defeat greatly weakened their power. This happened both in Spain and in North Africa. The victory gave a big boost to the Christian Reconquest. It also sharply reduced the power of the Moors in Spain.
Soon after the battle, the Castilians captured Baeza and then Úbeda. These were important cities near the battlefield. They were like gateways to invade Andalusia. According to a letter from Alfonso VIII, Baeza was emptied, and its people moved to Úbeda. Alfonso then attacked Úbeda, and many Muslims were captured or killed.
After this, Alfonso VIII's grandson, Ferdinand III of Castile, continued to conquer more cities. He took Córdoba in 1236, Jaén in 1246, and Seville in 1248. He also captured Arcos, Medina-Sidonia, Jerez, and Cádiz. In 1252, Ferdinand was planning to invade Almohad lands in Africa. However, he died in Seville on May 30, 1252, due to an outbreak of plague. His death was the only thing that stopped the Castilians from taking the war to Africa.
Meanwhile, James I of Aragon conquered the Balearic Islands (starting in 1228) and Valencia (which surrendered in 1238).
By 1252, the Almohad empire was almost completely gone. A new group of Berber tribes, the Marinids, took control of Morocco in 1269. The Marinids later tried to take back the old Almohad territories in Spain. But they were finally defeated by Alfonso XI of Castile and Afonso IV of Portugal in the Battle of Río Salado. This was the last major battle between large Christian and Muslim armies in Spain.
So, the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa was a true turning point. It changed the history of Spain and the western Mediterranean Sea forever.
The Kingdom of Granada
In 1292, Sancho IV captured Tarifa. This city was key to controlling the Strait of Gibraltar. After these conquests, Granada, Almería, and Málaga were the only major Muslim cities left in Spain. These three cities formed the Emirate of Granada, ruled by the Nasrid dynasty. Granada became a state that paid tribute to Castile. It remained Muslim until it was finally taken by the Catholic Monarchs in 1492.
In Stories
The 1972 science fiction novel Tunnel Through the Deeps by Harry Harrison tells a different story. In this book, the Moors won at Las Navas de Tolosa. This means they kept part of Spain even into the 20th century in that fictional world.
See also
In Spanish: Batalla de Las Navas de Tolosa para niños
