Spain came under Islamic rule with the fall of the Visigoth Empire and the rise of Umayyad Caliphate. The Caliph Al-Walid I from Africa initially had summoned his commander Tariq ibn Ziyad to Spain to fight in the civil war with the Visigoths. During this campaign, Tariq was able to kill the King and acquire control over the Iberian Peninsula. Caliph Al-Walid I was an organized administrator and was known for having a strictly disciplined army and structured navy, which collectively made him the most successful Caliphs of the Umayyad dynasty. Al Walid I had converted most of the Arabs and Berbers from Africa into Muslims during his rule. These Berbers were commissioned in his strong army which was sent with commander Tariq.

After establishing complete control over the Iberian Peninsula by the end of the first half of the eighth century, the Berbers started spreading Islam throughout Spain. The Christian religion’s control waned within a short time, and Islam took its place in Spain. There were several churches during the rule of the Umayyad that were converted to mosques. African history claims that the Berbers were actually raiders in Africa, and this was the reason that Spain was raided from North to South when they invaded. The Umayyad Caliphs were overpowered for a short span by the Abbasids Caliphs, though they were successful in regaining control and ruled Spain until the last decade of the fifteenth century.

As the Christian power started growing in the Iberian Peninsula after the fall of the Umayyads, different Kingdoms of Christians evolved in parts of Iberia. These Kingdoms of Christians in the Iberian Peninsula included the Kingdom of Aragon, the Kingdom of Castile and finally, the Kingdom of Spain. The Kingdom of Spain was formed by combining of the Kingdoms of Castile and Aragon after the marriage of monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella in the second half of the fifteenth century. The Kingdom of Spain further became stronger due to the riches that Columbus collected from his expedition to the New World and due to the strategic marriages of all the children of Ferdinand and Isabella in royal families of the neighboring kingdoms.

During the sixteenth century, Spain started dominating the European countries due to its strategically build navy and strong army. It also controlled the trade between American continent and other Europe with the help of its excellent navy. The Imperial Spain controlled the region of Mexico and encouraged the extraction of precious metals from Mexico which helped in making its economy richer. During the sixteenth century, Spain was regarded as the largest Empire in the world.