Enlightened Despotism and Bourbon Reforms in 18th Century Spain
Enlightened Despotism
Upon the death of his brother Fernando VI, Carlos III ascended to the Spanish throne. Having ruled in Naples, he was familiar with Enlightenment ideals, advocating for progress and rationalization, thus introducing enlightened despotism to Spain.
In 1766, the Esquilache Riots erupted, a complex uprising fueled by civil unrest, food shortages, resentment towards foreign officials (Esquilache), and discontent among the privileged who saw their power diminished by reforms. The revolt targeted sanitation measures and policies implemented by Minister Esquilache, such as street cleaning, lighting, and prohibitions on gambling, weapons, and certain attire.
Carlos III dismissed Esquilache, paused reforms, and implemented popular measures like lowering commodity prices. However, he remained committed to reform. He collaborated with Spanish ministers like Pedro RodrÃguez Campomanes, Conde de Floridablanca, and the Count of Aranda, along with other figures like Pablo de Olavide, Francisco Cabarrus, and Gaspar Melchor de Jovellanos.
Reform Legislation
In the religious sphere, the Enlightenment fostered challenges to the Church’s authority. Carlos III asserted control over church appointments, the Inquisition, and monastery foundations. The expulsion of the Jesuits, a powerful religious order directly obedient to the papacy, reflects this context. All professions were opened to individuals regardless of religious affiliation. Educational reforms were initiated in colleges and secondary schools, with new arts and crafts schools established and academies of letters and sciences promoted.
Economic reforms aimed to address stagnation in the property market. Measures included limiting the privileges of the Mesta (livestock organization), promoting land reform to increase tenant farmers and landowners, encouraging free movement of goods within Spain (including grain), and reorganizing trade with America. In 1778, free trade with America was decreed for all Spanish ports, ending the monopoly of Cadiz and Seville. Industry was supported by liberalizing royal factories and moderating tax policies to encourage production and limit public spending. Following the French model, the Bourbons promoted manufacturing to reduce reliance on luxury imports. The Economic Society of Friends of the Country was also established.
The government and Enlightenment thinkers, particularly the Economic Societies, identified agriculture as a major economic challenge. Influenced by Physiocratic ideas, they believed that the prevalence of undervalued property hindered agricultural development. Jovellanos’s report on land law highlighted these problems, but proposed remedies faced resistance from the nobility and Church.
Limits of Bourbon Reformism
The reforms of Carlos III, while boosting the economy, promoting education, and improving infrastructure, failed to resolve tensions arising from population growth outpacing food production. Unfavorable climate conditions, land scarcity, and low yields limited agricultural output. Expansion of cultivated land was hampered by land ownership restrictions and the poor quality of available land. The consumption of corn and potatoes, introduced from the Americas, became widespread.
Enlightened despotism under Carlos III had a positive overall impact. However, land reform threatened the power of the privileged. Challenging the nobility meant undermining the very foundation of the monarchy. Reform implied limiting the monarch’s own power and preserving the Old Regime. When the French Revolution signaled the end of this order, the new monarch, Charles IV, viewed the consequences of Enlightenment ideas in France with apprehension.