A Revision Of Sardinian History 127
between Sardinia and Byzantium lies in the greater recognition granted by the
aristocracy of Sardinia—like that of Campania in the same period—to the au-
thority of the basileus, which was decisive in resolving difficult problems of
internal politics, such as those involving the region of Tharros.
It is pertinent to remind ourselves that the possibility of an Islamic presence
in Sardinia does not necessarily indicate a conquest of the island, the impossi-
bility of contact or trade with natives, or rational building activity or settlement
on the part of the Islamic community. What is more plausible is that a network
of complex ties—including cultural ones—existed between the two worlds,
which were not always marked by conflict, and which, during the Middle Ages,
had demonstrable points of contact and, even to some extent, collaboration.
The prevailing view of two worlds irreconcilably opposed to each other seems
to relate to later conditions, which grew increasingly rigid in the course of the
eleventh century, until the outbreak of the Crusades.28 Rather, the vision of the
“other” remained characterized by dialogue, and not the conflict that was still
some time to come.29
4 The Invasion of Mughaid and the Breakdown of the Balance of
Power
At the onset of the eleventh century, after a period of relative stability between
Islam and Christianity, the declining power of the caliph of Cordoba caused
the “warm front” to shift to the center of Tirreno. The islands of Sardinia and
Corsica were now on the front line of battle: on one side, Christian forces were
initiating their reconquest of the Mediterranean, while on the other, Islamic
forces were attempting to defend their supremacy with counterattacks.
Sardinia thus became a logical objective for both parties, as control over the
island would have been vital. This was the context in which Mughaid, the lord
of the Taifa of Denia and of the Balearic Islands, whose exploits are recorded
by various Christian and Islamic sources, attempted to conquer Sardinia.
28 The Islamic presence on the Christian coasts of the Mediterranean was naturally a
genuine danger perceived by all of Christianity. Saracen incursions into Provence had
caused serious damage and led to the destruction of important monastic settlements;
cf. M. Lauwers, “Des Sarrasins en Provence: représentations ecclésiales et luttes pour
l’hégémonie en Méditerranée occidentale du Xe au XIIIe siècle,” in Héritages arabo-
islamiques dans l’Europe méditerranéenne, dir. Catherine Richarté, Roland-Pierre Gayraud,
and Jean-Michel Poisson (Paris, 2015), pp. 25–40.
29 Giulio Cipollone, “L’immagine mutevole dei Saraceni e dei Cristiani nelle lettere papali
(sec. XI–XIII),” Archivum Historiae Pontificae 44 (2006), pp. 11–34.