218 EARLY MEDIEVAL SPAINfrom the early eighth century onwards a general avoidance of the
depiction of figures in art seems to have existed throughout the Is-
lamic world, this was not observed in Spain, in respect of the minor
arts at least. Thus, it is theoretically possible for figurative styles of art
in Al-Andalus to have directly affected those of the Mozarabs. How-
ever, the almost total absence of contemporary manuscripts and the
diminutive rate of survival of any artefacts of Umayyad Al-Andalus
inhibit judgement.
The Mozarabic refugees made their distinctive mark on the north,
and in the abbey of San Miguel de Cuxa, even across the Pyrenees.^8 )
Their churches and manuscripts may, in many cases, still be seen,
although they had little apparent influence on the subsequent tra-
ditions of the regions in which their creators came to settle. Less
palpable but possibly of greater significance was the effect of their
bringing of books from the south with them. From these stem some
of the collections of monastic libraries and cathedrals of later centu-
ries. They may also have been instrumental in spreading interest in
the cult of the Cordoban martyrs in the Christian states, so that by
883 Alfonso III was concerned enough to acquire the relics of Eulogius
from the amir Mul).ammad I in the course of diplomatic negotiations.
He may also have obtained some of Eulogius's collection of books at
the same time.^82
What were the reasons for the exodus of Mozarabs from the south
during the course of the ninth and tenth centuries? It may have been
the result of deliberate persecution by the amir Mul}.ammad I. Alvar
of Cordoba, writing soon after 859, spoke of 'the time when the
savage rule of the Arabs miserably laid waste all the lands of Spain
with deceit and imposture, when King Mul}.ammad with unbelievable
rage and unbridled fury determined to root out the race of Chris-
tians .. .' .83 However, this was in respect of the fates of the martyrs of
Cordoba, who had in most cases deliberately provoked Muslim hos-
tility. No Arab source records any change from normal practices in
relation to the Christians. The idea of a systematic and sustained per-
secution that would have been required to engineer the continuous
migration of Mozarabic monks cannot be established.
A more probable explanation might lie in the effects of the violent
and almost uncontrollable conflicts that affected most regions of Al-
Andalus throughout the reigns of Al-Mundhir, 'Abd-Allah and the
opening years of 'Abd al-Ral).man III (880s to c. 920). With the ef-
fective disintegration of the authority of the central government and