Key Concepts of Medieval Spain: Society & Politics
Mozarabic
Mozarabs were Christians living in Muslim-controlled territory. Their numbers decreased due to conversions to Islam and migration to Christian kingdoms, especially after the Almoravids and Almohads imposed stricter interpretations of the Quran.
Military Orders
Military orders were institutions created in the Middle Ages, inspired by European orders like the Templars. Organized as monasteries, they had military purposes related to religion, such as crusades to recover the Holy Places and combat the Muslim conquest of territories in the Iberian Peninsula. Prominent Spanish orders included Calatrava, Santiago, Alcantara, and Montesa. They gained land and privileges for their role in the Reconquista.
Town Charter
A Town Charter (Fuero) was a document in which the king outlined rules for the establishment of inhabitants and their political organization, particularly in areas of recruitment. These charters often granted privileges to those populating border regions with Islam, encouraging land occupation.
Reconquista
The Reconquista was the process of military occupation of Muslim lands in the Iberian Peninsula by Christian kingdoms between the 8th and 15th centuries. It was justified by the idea of restoring the Visigothic monarchy and a crusade against infidels.
Señorio Court
A Señorio court (Señorío) was land where the king granted a noble the exercise of rights with immunity. This meant no royal agent intervention, allowing the noble to collect taxes, appoint local authorities, and administer justice.
Mesta
The Mesta was an association of Castilian livestock owners created to regulate cattle movements. It was unified into the Honorable Council of the Mesta in 1273, when King Alfonso X granted it significant privileges, often to the detriment of farmers’ interests. It was dissolved in 1836.
Cortes
Cortes were institutions in the Spanish Kingdoms, established in Castile in the 12th century. They represented the estates (nobility, clergy, and towns) and had functions such as swearing in new kings, settling inheritance matters, advising the king, and approving grants. The king summoned the Cortes, and the estates met separately.
Camino de Santiago
The Camino de Santiago (Way of St. James) is the pilgrimage route followed by Christians after the discovery of the Apostle James’s tomb in Compostela in the early 9th century. It consists of various routes (Northern Way, French Way, Sea Way, etc.). Churches, hospitals, and monasteries were built along the way, facilitating the spread of ideas and the articulation of European regions.
Mayorazgo
Mayorazgo was a property or set of properties transferred intact to the eldest son of each generation. It could not be sold, divided, or seized for debt. It became a privilege of the nobility to protect family assets.
Subsistence Crises
Subsistence crises were economic crises characteristic of the Ancien Régime. They involved rising agricultural product prices due to poor harvests caused by bad weather. This led to hunger and catastrophic mortality rates.
Encomienda
An Encomienda was a royal grant in the Americas to an individual, consisting of land and its indigenous inhabitants. In exchange, the individual was responsible for the inhabitants’ maintenance, education, and evangelization.