 It is derived from the (), i.e., "the (Sharia) judge," who often had administrative, as well as judicial, functions.Although the Castilian "alcalde" and the Andalusian "qaḍi" had slightly different attributes (the "qaḍi" oversaw an entire province, the "alcalde" only a municipality; the former was appointed by the ruler of the state but the latter was elected by the municipal council), the adoption of this term reflects how much Muslim society in the Iberian Peninsula influenced the Christian one in the early phases of the "Reconquista".As Spanish Christians took over an increasing part of the Peninsula, they adapted the Muslim systems and terminology for their own use.