Final answer:
The word Moor is used by Lane-Poole to describe the Muslims who ruled Spain for 700 years, demonstrating a merger of religious and ethnic identity during al-Andalus. This term includes a diverse population of North African Berbers and Mid-Eastern Arabs, reflecting the multicultural nature and religious tolerance of the period, contrasted with the post-reconquest drive for a homogenous Spanish Christian identity.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term Moor as used by Lane-Poole is a designation for the diverse Muslim populations—primarily North African Berbers and Mid-Eastern Arabs—that ruled the Iberian Peninsula for 700 years from 711 A.D. to 1492 A.D. This period, often referred to as al-Andalus, was characterized by a degree of religious tolerance, notably for 'people of the book' which included Jews and Christians, and a flourishing of cultural exchange, as evidenced by the adoption of Arab naval and navigation technologies which were crucial for later European explorations.
The phrase 'Arabized folk' or Mozarabs, to describe Christians living under Muslim rule, exemplifies how religious, rather than racial or linguistic markers, defined identity during this period. The complex interplay between religious and ethnic identities in the history of Spain refers to a broader narrative of convivencia (coexistence) and conflict underscored by Lane-Poole's narrative. When the Christian reconquest culminated in 1492, the emergent intolerance signified a shift towards a singular Spanish Christian identity, reversing the multiculturalism of the preceding centuries.
It is important to note that Lane-Poole's account of the Moors challenges a monolithic racial or ethnic interpretation by recognizing the diversity within the Islamic population that entered the Iberian Peninsula and shaped its history profoundly.