The Moorish Empire - Essay Example

of the History and Political Science of the Teacher March The Moorish Empire The Moorish Spain signified a golden age in Islamic civilization that had a profound influence on the European civilization in particular and the larger world civilization in general. During its realm expanding over 780 years in Spain, the Moorish Empire not only had an emphatic influence over Spain, but it also deeply touched the entire Western Europe and Africa. The contributions made by the Moorish Empire to the world civilization happened to be multifarious and immense.

The Moors could pragmatically be credited for bringing in modern learning and education to Spain and Europe. It was the system of learning and education established by the Moors in Spain that gradually gained grounds in the rest of Europe. While in the Christian Europe the populations predominantly happened to be illiterate, Moors placed a highly value on knowledge and learning (Sordo & Swaan 117). During the times of the Moorish Empire, when the entire Europe could boast of merely two universities, the Moorish Empire was the home to almost seventeen universities placed at Almeria, Toledo, Cordova, Malaga, Cordova and other important cities (Sordo & Swaan 131).

The Moorish Empire in Spain had well stocked libraries housing some of the most important manuscripts and books. The library at Cordova happened to be one of the most expansive and well stocked libraries in Europe (Sordo & Swaan 55). It was this rich and well endowed system of education introduced by Moors in Europe that laid down the foundations for European Renaissance. It was the Moors who organized agriculture in Spain along the modern lines. They introduced elaborate systems of irrigation through artificially planned and constructed water channels, used modern manures and cultivation methods and introduced many new crops to Europe that included citrus fruits, cotton, sugarcane, dates, ginger, peaches, apricots and many more (Fletcher 63).

The new crops introduced by Moors in Spain in a way altered and transformed the local cuisine and this had a profound influence on the culinary techniques and tastes in Europe. The Moorish Empire also influenced the fashion and dressing styles in Europe (Sordo & Swaan 145). The urban planning of the Moorish Empire readily excelled over that of any other European nation or city. The capital of Al Andalus that is Cordoba happened to be an important city of those times that had all the modern urban utilities like hospitals, street lights, public baths, mosques, libraries and running water (Fletcher 65).

The Moors introduced to Europe a detailed and organized system of medicine and surgery (Fletcher 72). The Moorish system of medicine and surgery was later followed by many schools of medicine in Christendom. The Moorish scholars also excelled in the knowledge of varied disciplines like astronomy, mathematics and botany and laid down the foundations for the emergence of the European scientific knowhow (Sordo & Swaan 131). The Moorish Empire made immense contributions to the European and world civilization and had it not been for the Moorish Empire, perhaps Europe would never have achieved its scientific and economic predominance.

Works CitedFletcher, Richard. Moorish Spain. Berkley: University of California Press, 2006. Print. Sordo, Enrique, and Wim Swaan. Moorish Spain. London: Elek Books, 1963. Print.