Catholic Monarchs: Reign, Expansion, and Legacy
The Catholic Monarchs: Reign and Legacy
Succession and War of Castile
Jane, daughter of Henry IV, was the heir to the throne of Castile, but the nobles did not recognize her, considering her illegitimate. They proposed her aunt, Isabella, as heir, and she married Ferdinand of the Crown of Aragon.
When Henry IV died, Isabella was proclaimed queen. Alfonso V, king of Portugal, married Joanna la Beltraneja to claim the Castilian throne. Clashes ensued until the Castilian victory in 1476. Later, the Treaty of Alcáçovas was signed, ending the war and defining the maritime areas for the two kingdoms.
Dual Monarchy
Despite the union of the two monarchs, the two crowns remained independent, maintaining their own laws and institutions. Castile experienced a time of prosperity; it was larger and had a greater population than Aragon, so the court was mainly based in Castile.
Domestic Policy
The Catholic Monarchs ruled in an authoritarian manner.
- In Castile, they reorganized the council, encouraging the participation of better-prepared individuals, and the court was reformed. The position of Corregidor was established to safeguard the interests of the Crown.
- In Aragon, Ferdinand ended the conflict between peasants and lords of Catalonia, eliminating feudal abuses. He continued the pactista tradition of governing and consolidated the figure of the viceroy due to the king’s long absences.
Both monarchs also pursued religious unification, introducing the Inquisition, decreeing the expulsion of Jews, and mandating the conversion of Muslims.
Foreign Policy
The monarchs conquered the Nasrid kingdom of Granada, pursued a dynastic union with Portugal, and annexed Navarre in 1512.
The Nasrid kingdom protected Barbary pirates, whose actions were harmful to the interests of Aragon, among other reasons. The king decided to conquer the kingdom in a long war that ended with the surrender of King Boabdil in 1492, in exchange for freedom and religious respect for the inhabitants.
Atlantic Expansion
The Canary Islands were conquered during the 15th century, reducing the indigenous population, and brought under the protection of the Crown against harassment from Portugal.
Queen Isabella I accepted a proposal from a Genoese sailor, Christopher Columbus, to find an alternative route to the Indies, since the Mediterranean was controlled by the Turks. A few months later, Columbus reached America. The discovered lands were awarded to Castile, but Portugal pressed to enforce the Treaty of Alcáçovas. This led the monarchs to sign the Treaty of Tordesillas, which divided the world into areas of Portuguese and Castilian influence. These new lands provided the monarchs with significant resources and fostered a great mixture of cultures and races.
Mediterranean Expansion
France invaded Naples, which was under Aragonese control. Ferdinand managed to isolate the French king, forcing the French troops to retreat.
In North Africa, the king managed to conquer several strongholds before being defeated by the Tunisians.
Succession
After Isabella died in 1504, Ferdinand assumed the regency until the arrival of their daughter Joanna and her husband Philip the Fair from Flanders. However, the untimely death of Philip and Joanna’s mental illness forced Ferdinand to maintain the regency until his death in 1516, leaving his grandson Charles I as heir.