Isabella and Ferdinand Flashcards
What was the political conditions of Spain before Ferdinand and Isabella’s reign?
- Lacked political unity
- No uniformity
- No attempt to centralise the government
- Separate Kingdoms
- Castillian monarchy had greatest power
What were the economic conditions of Spain before Ferdinand and Isabella’s reign?
- Boom in sheep farming
- Water shortages
- Infertile soil
- Merchants and professionals were a minority - stayed in coastal towns
- Towns competed with nobeles and churches
What percent of the population were peasantry?
95%
What were the religious conditions of Spain before Ferdinand and Isabella’s reign?
- Affected by churches possession of property of land
- Spanish church needed reforms
When were Isabella and Ferdinand married?
19th October 1469
What were Isabella’s marriage conditions?
- Ferdinand had to respect the customs of Castille
- All appointments and decisions were in accordance with Isabella’s wishes
- Live in Castille
- Support policy for gaining land from the Moors
- All decisions had to have both signatures
When did Isabella grant Ferdinand independent power in Castille?
1475
What were the corregidos?
Crown governers appointed to Castillian towns
What were the Cortes?
The parliament in each of the Kingdoms in Castille and Aragon
What is Cruzada?
Tax or money offering which was earmarked for the Christian crusades against the Muslims
What were Fueros?
Aragonese laws and privileges
What was the hermandades?
A local peace keeping force
What does junta mean?
Council
What were letrados?
Lawyers with 2 academic degrees and 10 years of experience
What were pragmaticas?
Laws which two monarchs had issued without going through the cortes of castille but was still obeyed
What was the audencia?
A court of appeal
What was the establishment of peace and order?
- Pre-eminent monarchy
- Strong position of peace and order
- Respect rights and customs
- Castille is ‘more important’
What was personal presence?
- Method for peace keeping
- Medieval rulers
- Constantly moving
- No fixed court - travelled
How many years did it take Isabella and Ferdinand to visit every part of Castille?
30 years
Who ruled Aragon when Ferdinand wasn’t there?
Viceroys
Where were the hermandades?
Every town with more than 50 people
When were the hermandades in place?
1476-1498
What were the features of the hermandades?
A police force controlled by the crown who tried with severe punishments however only dealt with small disorders
What were the features of corregidos?
- Every town
- Disliked
- Reported affairs back to the crown
- Resented by towns
- Made sure the councils were working properly
What was the income of tax?
2.7 million
How much was spent on foreign ambassadors?
75 million
How much did the Granada war cost?
80 million per year
What was the main cause of past civil wars?
Nobles
How did Isabella and Ferdinand bring the nobles to heal?
- Troublesome arrested
- Castles burnt
- Property taken away
- Forbade private wars
- Created opportunities for service in foreign wars
- Forbidden to build new castles
Which cities were taken to protect the southern coast?
Cadiz and Cartagena
What land did the nobles regain?
All land lost since 1464
What was Alcabala?
A royal tax of 10%
What was Mayorazgo?
Forbade division of land when inherited
What were the 3 orders of chivalry?
Santiago, Calatrava, Alcantara
What are the 5 parts of the royal council of castille rules?
- Foreign policy
- Justice
- Finance
- The Hermandades
- Getrados
What was the supreme inquisition?
Discovering people’s religion
When was the supreme inquisition set up?
1483
What was the council of orders?
Controlled military orders
When was the council of orders set up?
1489
What was the council of indies set up to do?
Oversee the exhibition and running of the New World