A History of Agriculture in India v2.c53.s7.14

v2.c53.s7.14

From the ninth to the thirteenth century, the Moslem civilization was greatly superior to the civilization of Europe. ‘While Europe lay for the most part in misery and decay, both materially and spiritually, the Spanish Muslims created a splendid civilization and an organized economic life. Muslim Spain played a decisive part in the development of art, science, philosophy and poetry, and its influence reached even to the highest peaks of the Christian thought of the thirteenth century, to Thomas Aquinas and Dante. Then, if ever, Spain was "the torch of Europe".¹