The Spanish Crusader Invasion of Libya (1510–1530): Causes and Consequences

Arts

Abstract:
Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah, his family, companions, and those who follow him.
Libya is one of the North African countries that faced invasion by the newly unified Spanish Crusader Kingdom at the end of the Middle Ages. This kingdom emerged from the remnants of the Islamic Arab state in Andalusia, systematically conquering the fragmented and weakened Muslim states there. The last of these was the Islamic Kingdom of Granada in 1492.

Following this victory, Spain achieved political, social, and economic unity, which significantly boosted its nationalistic fervor and religious zeal. This triumph emboldened the Spanish to impose Christianity on the entire population, disregarding the religious freedoms of Muslims. Mosques were closed, Islamic books—numbering in the hundreds of thousands—were burned, with only medical texts spared. These acts violated all humanitarian principles and compelled large numbers of Muslims to flee to Arab countries in North Africa.

Yet, Spain did not allow these Muslims peace even in exile. Spanish forces, driven by religious hostility, pursued them across the Mediterranean, especially in coastal North African cities. This pursuit was part of a broader campaign to eliminate Islam wherever it existed. Supported by the Papacy in Rome and other Christian factions—particularly the Catholics, who led the movement—this campaign took on the character of a renewed Crusade, marked by brutal and barbaric actions in every region they occupied.

As a result, the Spanish formulated a strategic plan to capture several key North African territories, including Oran, Bejaia, and Tripoli.

This research focuses specifically on the Spanish invasion of Tripoli. It covers Libya’s geographic location and its strategic importance, the situation in Tripoli prior to the invasion, the internal situation in Spain leading up to the attack, the motives behind the invasion, the preparations for war on both sides, the battle itself, the local resistance to the occupation, the conditions in Tripoli under Spanish control, and concludes with an introduction, results, and references used in the study.