The Great Peninsular Kingdoms 13th-15th Centuries

Question 1

1-The reconquista 13th-14th centuries

Answer 1

-1212 Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa was crucial to continue with the Reconquista. Only Granada remained as a Muslim kingdom.

Castile, Aragón

Question 2

1.1- Castile

Answer 2

• They conquered Guadiana and Guadalquivir valleys with Ferdinand III and Alfonso X
• They conquered Baja extremadura, Huelva, Cadiz and
• From 14th century: Reconquista stopped. The following years a border was created with the last Muslim kingdom: Granada

Question 3

1.2-Aragón

Answer 3

• France tried to conquer the Rousillon
• Balearic islands were conquered.
• Valencia and Alicante were conquered
• Murcia->Aragon and Castile signed the Treaty of Almizra-> Murcia became part of Castile

Question 4

3-The Crown of Castile

Answer 4

-1230 Leon+Castile united into the crown of Castile

Goverment of the kingdom, livestock farming economy, stratified society, Function of Cortes

Question 5

3.1-Government pf the kingdom

Answer 5

-3 institutions: King/Cortes/Municipalities
King: Full of powers->2 most important: collect taxes, raise armies
Cortes: A representation of the kingdom composed by nobles, clergy and bourgeoisie. Main function: Approve new taxes

    Municipalities:A group of people that governed a city or town. These people are called “regidores”. King also selected “corregidores” to ensure that in the municipalities were acting to his decisions.

Question 6

3.2-Livestock farming economy

Answer 6

• Agriculture was important: grapevines, cereals and olive trees.
• Merino sheep farming was a crucial activity. Sheep were owned by nobility and the king protected their interests with the Mesta in 1237.

Question 7

3.3-Stratified society

Answer 7

-14thC: 4million inhabitants divided into privileged and non privileged Jews and Muslims were minorities.

Question 8

3.4-Function of Cortes

Answer 8

• Cortes were meetings attended by nobility, clergy and bourgeoisie(representing cities)
• They had no fixed location
• Cortes approved taxes but first they presented some complaints to the king. If the king approved them, they would raise taxes, if not, some problems appeared

Question 9

5-The crown of Aragon

Answer 9

-It was composed by 4 territories( Aragon, Catalonia, Valencia and Murcia) which had their own laws and institutions

One crown several kingdoms, Commercial dynamism, growth of bourgeoisie, Mediterranean expansion

Question 10

5.1-One crown, several kingdoms

Answer 10

-According to these differences, the king governed not imposing, but negotiating with the Cortes->PACTISMO

       Institutions:

        - Royal court- king+advisors
        - Viceroy- king’s representative in each kingdom
        - Cortes-one in each kingdom to approve taxes
        - Generalidad-Permanent commission of Cortes that governed the kingdom

Question 11

5.2-Commercial dynamism

Answer 11

-Agriculture and livestock farming where important: Wheat, grapevines and olives. BUT the bourgeoisie was very dynamic and worked as artisans and traders. They produced clothes to export and made huge profits.

Question 12

5.3-Growth of Bourgeoisie

Answer 12

• The privileged groups(nobility and clergy) were in confrontation with the bourgeoisie, which demmanded more power.
• In Barcelona, the bourgeoisie could take part in the government of the city hall.

Question 13

5.4- Mediterranean Expansion

Answer 13

• The bourgeoisie of the Crown of Aragon helped the king to conquer the Mediterranean area because they wanted to obtain new trade routes.
• New territories: Sicily, Athens and Neopatria, Sardinia, Naples

Question 14

6-Kingdom of Navarra

Answer 14

-France, Castile and Aragón tried to influence in Navarra during the Middle Age.

Several dynasties, one Fuero- Districts and social groups-Dual economy-The Agramonteses and Beaumonteses

Question 15

6.1-Several dynasties, one Fuero

Answer 15

• 1234 King Sancho VII died without a heir. His nephew Theobold of Champagne became the new king. He was French
• The new king had to agree the Fuero General to be the king. The document contained the rights and duties of Navarre people.
• This agreement was also agreed in the meeting of Cortes in 1253
• More dynasties from France governed Navarre. Capetian +Éverux and Charles II of Éverux was considered the best kingInstitutions
  • King:Governed the kingdom. His power was limited by Cortes and Fuero
  • Royal council: advisors that helped the king to govern
  • Cortes:Approved the taxes and made
  • Cort:Supreme Tribunal of Justice
  • Camara de Comptos: collected taxes and minted coin.

Question 16

6.2-Districts and social groups

Answer 16

• Navarre had 150000 inhabitants and was divided into 6 Meridades or districts: Pamplona, Estella, Olite, Tudela, Sanguesa and Ultrapuertos (in France)
• The nobility was very powerful and rich (ricoshombres) and Jews and Mudëjars were important in cities

Question 17

6.3-Dual economy

Answer 17

-Livestock and vegetable farming were important in the South. The Camino de Santiago stimulated the trade and artisanship.

Question 18

6.4-The Agramonteses and The Beaumonteses

Answer 18

• In the 1441 the queen Blanche died. According to the Fuero, her son Charles must’ve been the king. BUT his father John II of Aragon disagreed and the war started.
• The civil war lasted from 1441 to 1456
• In 1479 John II died and the throne was for his daughter Eleanor, who also died soon. So, Catherina de Foir became the queen and had a French origin.
• In 1512 Ferdinand the Catholic conquered Navarre and united it to Castile

Question 19

Agramonteses

Answer 19

• Nobles from the Pyrenees
• Defend the livestock farming
• They supported John

Question 20

Beaumonteses

Answer 20

• Powerful farming nobles from the South

- They supported Charles

Question 21

7-Civil wars in Castile and Aragon

Answer 21

Conflicts in the Crown of Aragon-

Question 22

7.1-Conflicts in the Crown of Aragon

Answer 22

• In 1410 the king Martin “The Humane” died without a heir. So, te nobility of Aragon decided to choose Ferdinand of Antequera as king by signing an agreement, the Compromise of Caspe in 1412.
• In this century, nobles made a lot of feudal abuses to peasants, who had to pay more money. Because of that they made some revolts.
• In cities as Barcelona, artisans and traders formed a group called “Busca” against the nobility and rich bourgeoisie called “Siga”
• So, when John II confronted the nobility a civil war started
• King John II won and limited the privileges of nobility

Question 23

7.2-Conflicts in The Crown of Castile

Answer 23

-In 14th Century, nobles demanded more privilefes and they supported a new dynasty, The Trastamara, to the throne. Also favourites governed in Castile. They were nobles in whom the king trusted.

1st/2nd Civil war

Question 24

1st Civil War

Answer 24

• King Peter I wanted to promote the wool industry against the nobility
• The King’s step brother, Henry of Trastamara promised to nobles more power if they helped him to be the king against Peter
• So, a war started and the nobles achieved the victory->Henry II became the king and nobles were granted with more privileges

Question 25

2nd Civil war

Answer 25

• When Henry IV died. His brother Alfonso supported by his sister Isabella, fought against his nephew Joanna to be the king, accusing her of not being king’s daughter
• When Alfonso died, Isabella challenged Joanna helped by his husband Gerdinand of Aragon and she became the queen and won the war