Political Authority Flashcards
Finance was an issue
- Inheriting a giant debt of 36 million ducats, this grew to 100 million ducats by the end of his reign
- His growth in political power was not matched by his increasing income
Later drains to his income like the 21 million ducats sent to the Netherlands - He went bankrupt 5 times during his reign
Finance was not an issue
- In this period income grew from 3 million ducats to 10/11 million ducats per year
- Income from the New World increasing from 90,000, to 270,000 between 1560 and 1590
- This increase in income did not match his outgoings as demonstrated by debt and bankruptcies
Revolts were an issue
Philip suffered two revolts within Spain
- The revolt of the Moriscos 1568-1570, after laws which ban Islamic traditions in Morisco life such as the speaking of Arabic in 1567 revolt breaks out
- Many of the 400,000 Moriscos in Granda revolt
- The Revolt of Aragon 1590, the town of Saragossa rose in revolt and the Viceroy of Aragon, Almenara was killed
Revolts were not an issue
- The Aragonese revolt was a very minor revolt never spreading out of the the small town of Saragossa
- Damage was limited, Almenara being one of few casualties
- The revolt of the Moriscos did not lead to a serious threat to the reign of Philip, through the killing of 20,000 and scattering of 100,000 Moriscos around Castile the threat was dissipated and never rose to fruition again
Political Opposition was an issue
Only serious political opposition coming from Antonio Perez who, after arriving in Aragon in 1590 ignited the revolt and whose writings whilst in exile in London and Paris lead to the creation of the Black Legend dictated opinion of Philip
Political Opposition was not an issue
- Firstly the threat of Perez was minor, the Revolt of Aragon 1591 was contained to the small town of Saragossa with only the death of Almenara, the viceroy as damage.
- With 14,000 troops the revolt was quickly crushed
- Secondly the Black Legend and the writings of Perez were only really damaging to Philip’s international reputation and legacy of Philip, not truly a threat to his rule of Spain
- Philip was actually very politically astute when it came to opposition using the factionalism of his government, split between the Toledo and Eboli groupings, to divide and rule, no figure became so powerful that they were a threat
Definition of absolutism in monarch
A monarch whose power is centralised to the individual, whose power is not limited by legal or constitutional checks and balances
Absolute in being above the law
Assassinations
- The killing of Escobedo in 1578, saw him as a political threat so killed him without trial
- The killing of Montigny in 1570, after failed attempts to try him for treason Philip ordered his garroting and failed in passing it off as natural causes
Law Courts
- With the Perez affair Philip attempted to use the inquisition as a legal structure to try Perez in 1590 when he was under the control of the Aragonese Courts, thus attempting to work above the law
Not absolute in being above the law
Other than these few exceptions Philip was bound by fundamental law which ultimately inhibited his ability to wield his power
It was even possible to sue Philip though the legal system, many of which were successful
Absolute in dealing with the representative assemblies
- Philip theoretically had control over all assemblies in his empire as monarch of each individual possession
- Using 66 corregidores and yearly visita reports he assured that his political authority was exercised across his monarchia
Not absolute in dealing with the representative assemblies
- Each dominion had its own representative assembly, for example the Cortes in Castile, the States General in the Netherlands. These wielded a lot of power and certainly checked Philip’s powers across his monarchia
- The individual rights of each possession also had to be observed, the fueros of Aragon
- Each possession was not even particularly united, the Netherlands was comprised of 17 small states which Philip was individually king off which all had their own individual liberties and Castile was comprised of 18 individual towns which all had powerful local councils
Absolute in dealing with the councils and juntas:
- Using the consultas, printed reports of the meetings, Philip dealed with many specific councils such as the Council of finance and the council of the Indies rather than using the Council of State. Thus he never allowed one council a few councillors gain any power to challenge him
- Moving his capital to Madrid in 1561 he no longer had to compete with the ancient and powerful families rooted in the old cities of Spain. For Madrid he was the centre of his Spain with his 14 councils close to him
Not absolute in dealing with the councils and juntas:
- Only ever communicating with the specific councils with consultas Philip was desk bound, seeing so many paper reports a day he earned the title the paper king, it is said he had authority over 1252 items in May 1571.
- This meant that his power was thinly spread over too many issues, his failure to manage from the centre meant that in practice he actually had to rely on the heads of council s far too much to be seen as absolute
Ruy Gomez de Silva (Prince of Eboli)
- Leader of the Eboli Faction until his death in 1573
- A completely loyal advisor of Philip who sat on the Council State
The Perez Affair
- Antonio Perez became head of the Eboli Faction in 1573 with the death of Gomez
- Perez advised that Escobedo should accompany Don John in the Netherlands in 1577
- Escobedo allies with Don John returning to Spain to announce Don John’s intentions to marry Marry Queen of Scots
- Worried that this would damage his reputation Perez persuades Philip to murder Escobedo in 1578
- Velazquez Philip’s private secretary and most prominent advisor accuses Perez of corruption leading to Perez’s arrest in 1579
- Perez escaped to Aragon causing the revolt in 1590
- He lived the rest of his life in Paris and London spinning the Black Legend
