Who began the Reconquista in the 8th century?

• A. King Don Pelayo
• B. Alfred the Great
• C. Charlemagne
• D. Isabella I

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is identifying who kicked off the long effort to reclaim the Iberian Peninsula from Muslim rule, known as the Reconquista. Don Pelayo, a Christian noble based in Asturias, is traditionally seen as starting this process by resisting early Muslim control and winning a decisive victory at Covadonga (around 722). That victory established the Christian foothold in the north and created a base from which later kingdoms would push south over the centuries. The Reconquista stretches for many generations, culminating with the fall of Granada in 1492, but its initial spark comes from Pelayo’s stand in the early 8th century. The other figures played different roles or times: Alfred the Great was a 9th-century English king defending against Vikings; Charlemagne conducted campaigns in Europe including Iberia but did not inaugurate the Reconquista; Isabella I came much later and completed the reconquest in 1492. So the one who began the Reconquista in the 8th century is Don Pelayo.