The Jewish Golden Age
Samuel haNagîd and Ibn Gabirol
HISTORICAL OVERVIEW:
Below a map of the balance of power shortly after the Islamic conquest of the Iberian Peninsula.
The 'Emirate' of Cordoba at the beginning of Abd Al-Rahman III's reign:
The 'Caliphate' of Cordoba during the later part of Abd Al-Rahman III's reign:
The 'Caliphate' of Cordoba during the reign of Al-Mansur:
The 'Caliphate' of Cordoba falls apart into smaller 'Taifas':
Here below is a short video with an overview of the shift of territories within the Iberian Peninsula from the beginning of the Islamic conquest (ca. 700) until the end of the "Reconquista" (1492).
On a sidenote, a contemporary of Ibn Gabirol was David ibn Baquda.
David ibn Baquda mainly wrote religious poem, rarely employing Arabic meter, but the more traditional syllabic meter instead. Among other things, David wrote an introduction to Ibn Gabirol's Azharot. Here below is another example of David ibn Baquda's religious poetry.
Recording:
