Economy

Question 1

Introduction

- How many measures did they implement overall?

Answer 1

Not a priority for middle ages but
–> increased revenues
–> Towns more likely to provide support for regime bc they benefited
–> // less chance of social disorder
Overall, implemented over 120 measures affecting virtually aspect of Castilian economic life

Question 2

Points in the Essay

Answer 2

1) Castilian Agriculture
2) Castilian Trade
3) Castilian Internal trade/ textiles industry
4) Aragon economy in decline

Question 3

Castilian Agriculture dominated by….

Monarchs actions…

Answer 3

Wool Production

Protected and enhanced the privileges of the Mesta
= sheep and wool producers guild, exported - huge flock

For Example: protected the tracts of land along which flocks migrated, forbidding to turn them over to arable/ increase rents they charged to Mesta

Question 4

Strength of Monarchs Actions in Castiles Wool Agriculture

Answer 4

• -> In return, Monarchs gained control of Mesta + resources - formally acknowledged 1500 when member of the Royal Council became president of the cooperation
• -> Monarchs benefited, more money because Servicio y montazgo tax on sheep

Question 5

Weaknesses of Monarchs Actions in Castiles Wool Agriculture

Answer 5

–> Measures provoked hundreds of lawsuits, but F + I backed landowners in such cases
–> Economy distorted = food production fell behind
1502-8 = shortages // necessitated large scale imports

• Crown tried to enforce prince controls on GRAIN and FLOUR to prevent PROFITEERING and HORDING

Grain still had to be imported from American colonies, Aragon, Galicia –> // sales imports tax , internal toles

Question 6

Castile Overseas trade focused on….

Monarchs actions…

Answer 6

Wool exports

Agents sent to London, Bruges to facilitate sale of wool BUT also wine + Iron

• -> Nagigation Laws passed to stimulate the carrying the good in Spanish ships
• -> Supported Columbus’s voyages of discovery // lead to developments of Spanish Empire in USA

Question 7

Strengths of Monarchs actions in overseas Trade

Weaknesses

Answer 7

• Servisico y montazgo = sheep tax + more revenues from customs duties
• Trade increased with Northern Europe
• Navigation Laws helped with Domestic Traders

Weaknesses

• Navigation laws discouraged international links
• Cloth trade suffered because exporting all overseas, didnt develop

Question 8

Castile Internal Trade + textiles Industry…

Monarchs Actions…

Answer 8

Monarchs relied on existing arrangements –> gave royal sponsorship to the great annual trade fair at medina del Campo

Santa Hermandad organised

Question 9

Strengths of Monarchs actions on Castile Internal Trade + textiles Industry…

Answer 9

1484 = Trade Fair at Meldina del Campo reorganised
–> Some imporvements made to delapidated road systems
BUT too much responsibility fell on small settlements for highways and not on major towns

–> Santa Hermandad cleared many roads of bandits // safer for good and transport of people

Question 10

Weakness of Monarchs actions on Castile Internal Trade + textiles Industry…

Answer 10

Focus on trade –> Persecution of skilled workers in the country which further decreased domestic trade

• Moors - silkworms in Granada
• Reliance on Guilds

–> Juros tired investment capital that migh have been used to develop economy into the crown

Increase in Wool ecports through city of Brugos + consequences imports of finished cloth from Low Countries damanged native wollen Cloth industry based in Segovia //
LEAD TO LONG LASTING BITTER RIVALRIES BETWEEN CITIES

Question 11

Why was the Economy of Aragon in Decline?

Monarchs actions?

Answer 11

Aragon focused on trade with Mediterranean –> fall of Constantinople // encroachment of the Ottomans made trading unstable

Little direct intervention

• Internal Custom barrios remained
• Protected the Rights of the Aragonses peasants to sell their produce freely in the Sentence of Guadalupe 1486
• But F implemented few of the measures adopted in Castile to ARAGON eg. Hermandad short lived

Question 12

Strengths of monarchs actions in Aragon

Answer 12

Trade expanded from Valencia

• -> Fixed exchange rate set - 1497
• One Castilian ducat, to One Catatonia Principat, One Valencian Exculente

Question 13

Strengths of monarchs actions in Aragon

Answer 13

Internal tolls still remained despite being a major trade barrier in Spain –> No attempt made to encourage cooperation between merchant classes of Castile and Aragon

Aragon excluded from Castilan Trade with the North and America
CATALONIANS dominated trade with Sicily and Naples at the expense of not only Castilian but also citizens of Valencia