Muslim-ruled al-Andalus flourished while Christian Europe stagnated.

Evidence

While the rest of Europe was enduring a period of cultural stagnation known as the Dark Ages, al-Andalus, as the Iberian Peninsula came to be known under Muslim rule, saw the growth and development of human knowledge. The works of various great societies, from the Greeks to the Persians, were translated into Arabic in the many libraries created by Muslim rulers (not only in al-Andalus but also in Baghdad under the Abbasid dynasty). One great seat of learning was Córdoba in Spain. Here, as elsewhere, tremendous advances were made in the fields of philosophy, medicine, astronomy, architecture, and even urban development. While the rest of Europe stagnated in darkness, the citizens of Córdoba enjoyed streetlights and running water. — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 52

Categorization

• XREF: Direct counter to the myth of perpetual Muslim backwardness that the reader wants dismantled. — connects to: Christian communities sometimes preferred Muslim rule to Latin Christian dominion. — Ali Qureshi, The Fall of Constantinople: A Critical…, 54; Orthodox authorities perceived an invasion by the Latins as worse, for they would not afford them autonomy which might be hoped under Muslims. The land might remain under Christian rule, but the Orthodox churches would have to yield to papal supremacy. While the Muslim conquest might lead to a change of the head of state, the churches would not be forced to make any doctrinal changes or alter their church hierarchy.; Religious tolerance in Isfahan was unusual compared to Christian Europe. — Neil MacGregor, A History of the World in 100 Objects, 1245

Broader Connections

• Christian communities sometimes preferred Muslim rule to Latin Christian dominion. #expands (0.55) — Ali Qureshi, The Fall of Constantinople, 54
• Orthodox authorities perceived an invasion by the Latins as worse, for they would not afford them autonomy which might be hoped under Muslims. The land might remain under Christian rule, but the… #corroborates (0.50)
• Religious tolerance in Isfahan was unusual compared to Christian Europe. #corroborates (0.45) — Neil MacGregor, A History of the World in 100 Objects, 1245