succession to crowns of aragon & castile Flashcards
when did ferdinand die
march 1516
why was the period until charles arrived in spain filled with unrest & uncertainty
- ferdinand left regency of aragon, catalonia & valencia to illegitimate son
- castile in hands of cisneros
- great nobles (grandees) saw opportunity go cause trouble
- number of spaniards previously travelled to charles’s court (brussels) to criticise cisneros’s regency in castile & flatter themselves with the king
- others from aragonese kingdoms journeyed to brussels to lobby charles for positions/power
- cisneros tried to introduce citizens militia (made crown independent of grandees) –> risings/resistance by castilian towns/nobility led cisneros to abandon plans
describe charles’s early life
- after his father died, his mother (joanna) stayed in spain alongside younger brother & 1 sister
- brought up with 3 sisters under care of his aunt (margaret of austria)
- education of burgundian prince
- chief tutor was adrian of utrecht
- luxury (expensive clothes/works of art, hunting & jousting, banquets & music)
- carefully instructed in public affairs
influence of adrian of utrecht on charles
- instilled him in genuine devotion to church
- regular attendance at mass & making confession
- instilled in him the dream of reclaiming the original heart of burgundian lands which had been previously lost to france
who was appointed when charles was 9 to instruct him in affairs of state
chievres de croy
first impressions of charles to the spaniards
- foreigner
- doubted his ability to rule
- wanted king who would support spanish interests/concerns (not those of other lands)
- did not speak any spanish
- never visited spain
- didn’t have much knowledge of spain/spanish affairs
- few of his advisers/household were spanish (eg. chief adviser was burgundian - william de croy)
how did charles early actions as king create resentment among the people of spain
- ximenez de cisneros was regent between ferdinand’s death & charles arrival
- favours/importance spanish offices were given away to charles’s burgundian supporters
- chievres gained important post in government of castile
- adrian of utrecht received bishopric of tortosa
- granted main archbishopric in castile (toledo) to guillaume jacques de croy (chievres nephew)
- spanish money sent out of spain to burgundian court
- elected as holy roman emperor (june 1519) = believed it drew charles’ attention away from new spanish kingdoms
what did charles require to be fully accepted
acknowledged as king by various cortes of new kingdoms
relationship with cortes of castile (held in valladolid 1518)
- started badly
- charles chose burgundian councillor (jean le sauvage) as president of cortes
- representatives of towns immediately expressed resentment & protested against inclusion of foreigner at meeting of cortes
- requested charles respect laws/privileges of castile, administer justice, remove foreigners from his service & learn to speak castilian
- however, cortes had little power to force acceptance of their will
–> charles granted servicio of 600,000 ducats without conditions after swearing to respect traditional laws of castile
difference between cortes of castile & aragon
cortes = 1 cortes
aragon =3 separate cortes & cortes of aragon was more able to resist royal powers (even more reluctant to accept charles as king - especially whilst joanna alive)
relationship with cortes of aragon (3 separate)
- cortes of aragon = accepted charles jan 1519 & grated 200,000 ducats
- cortes of catalonia (met at barcelona) = took over 1 year to agree but still objections to burgundian advisors & reluctantly granted 250,000 ducats
–> delays meant charles didn’t have time to visit valencia (3rd main kingdom which made up crown of aragon)
why did charles call another cortes in castile in 1520
needed money to pay expenses which incurred in becoming holy roman emperor
where was the cortes of castile called to in 1520 & why did this annoy many representatives
= santiago
- chosen due to convenience for charles
- no cortes had met in such a remote place
- santiago didn’t obtain right to send representatives to a cortes
further resentment regarding cortes at santiago (march 1520)
- previous subsidy granted less than 3 years prior
- some representatives bribed & eventually majority voted to approve grant
consequences for charles of cortes at santiago
- further increased growing hostility towards him = seen in revolts which occurred almost immediately
- charles left spain in may & appointed adrian of utrecht as regent (broke earlier promises not to appoint foreigners)
