The Golden Age of al-Andalus

Nicole Waldecker
Per. 2 12/11/09

Political:
What is a standing army? A standing army is a fighting force that al-Andalus had in their golden Age from the 1000’s through the 1100’s. al-Andalus conquered and prospered in a political matter. They had a fierce standing army and a powerful leader. Much like the U.S. Nation nowadays. We have the navy, air force, and the army that fights for our country in times of war and is maintained in times of peace. As did al-Andalus. Even though the two nations are on different halves of the world, we are very similar. That is how al-Andalus prospered politically.

Economic:
Wouldn’t it be OUT OF CONTROL if we all didn’t follow the same order? Common Coinage, Common language, and a bureaucracy kept the great al-Andalus from being chaotic. al-Andalus was an economically linked nation. Abd al-Malik developed all these great things for al-Andalus to be successful. Much like al-Andalus, the United States also has all these things. We have the dollar bills and the U.S. quarter, nickel, penny and dimes. The U.S. also uses the same language, English, although, some people may be bilingual, we all must know English. Every year it is a good idea to vote on your president and who will be leading your country. If we didn’t have the same money system, the same language, and an elective system we might as well have been living in a jungle because that is how WILD our society would have been. This is how al-Andalus was similar to the U.S, and how it prospered economically.

Socio-Cultural:
Isn’t it a great that everyone in America can believe in different beliefs and cultures! Al-Andalus was one of the very few nations that allowed their people to not be persecuted for being a Jew or Christian. That is how al-Andalus and America were similar culturally. We are a multi-cultural nation and are free; which the Jews and Christians were when they fled to al-Andalus. That is how al-Andalus prospered socio-culturally in their Golden Age.