Abstract

This review examines how Al Andalus (711 to 1492) is often romanticized in the historical memory of Muslim thinkers in the Indian subcontinent, showing a recurring pattern of pride in the early conquest followed by deep mourning over the fall of Granada. Drawing on collective memory and cultural trauma frameworks, it highlights how literary works like Iqbal’s Masjid e Qartaba reinforce this emotional narrative. The study also challenges common myths, such as the story of Tariq ibn Ziyad, and presents a more nuanced view that includes coexistence, internal fragmentation, and external pressures behind the decline. By comparing similar historical losses in other societies, it explains how such memories shape identity over time and concludes that moving beyond nostalgia toward evidence based historiography is essential for a balanced understanding of the past.