muladi

Muladi, plural muladí, is a historical term used in medieval Iberia to describe Muslims who were born among the Christian populations of the Iberian Peninsula and later converted to Islam, as well as Muslims of Iberian origin who were not of Arab or Berber descent. The term derives from the Arabic muwallad, meaning born or native, and was used in Castilian and other sources to distinguish locally born Muslims from those of Arab or Berber ancestry.

In the years after the Muslim conquest of the Iberian Peninsula in 711, converts from Christianity who embraced Islam became a substantial and influential portion of Al-Andalus society. Muladís often occupied a middle position in the social hierarchy, beneath the Arab or Berber elites but sometimes achieving high administrative or military roles. They contributed to the administrative, agricultural, and economic life of the Muslim-ruled territories and helped facilitate cultural exchange between Muslim rulers and the local population.

Social status among muladís varied with time and place. Periods of strong central authority could elevate or integrate convert communities, while times of factional politics or dynastic change could relegate them to lower ranks. The muladí identity also intersected with evolving classifications such as Mudéjar (Muslims under Christian rule) and various regional distinctions within Al-Andalus and its successor taifas.

With the later Christian Reconquista and the shift of political power, the term muladí gradually fell from prominence. Its usage today is largely historical and is employed by scholars to understand questions of origin, identity, and social mobility in medieval Iberia.