Medieval Iberian Peninsula: Society, Culture, and Politics
The Iberian Peninsula in the Middle Ages: Models of Reforestation and Social Organization of the Christian Kingdoms
Reforestation refers to the peaceful occupation of vacant land during the Middle Ages. This was made possible due to population growth and the Mudejar population. Military recruitment had four major stages:
- Monacal (8th-11th centuries): Free men and monks settled in the barren lands of the Douro Valley and the Pyrenees, sometimes under the direction of kings or counts, but mostly on their own initiative.
- Concejil (second half of the 11th century and the first half of the 12th century): Large councils arose, preferably between the rivers Duero and Tajo (Salamanca, Avila, Segovia, Cuellar) and the Ebro valley (Zaragoza, Daroca, Alcaniz, Calatayud). These were the basis of medieval Spanish greatness.
- Military Orders (from the mid-12th century to the early 13th century): Working in the Guadiana basin, and the Guadalope river, a tributary of the Ebro, Turia.
- Nobiliaria (13th century): The councils and military orders also intervened in a very small proportion. Andalusia, Extremadura, Murcia, and part of Valencia were repopulated, with many large estates of the nobility.
Within these stages, it should be considered that the Western States repopulated lands that were empty, while the eastern areas were repopulated with a strong Muslim population. Feudal society was structured, based on the economic base, into two fundamental classes: the landowners (nobility and clergy) and the peasantry. With the emergence of the city, a new element was added, quite different: the bourgeoisie. It was a stratified society. Each establishment had its own legal status, depending on its role within the overall structure of society.
The Iberian Peninsula in the Middle Ages: A Pluralistic Culture (Christians, Muslims, and Jews)
In medieval Spain, three religions and three cultures coexisted: Christians, Muslims, and Jews. The first two usually lived in areas separated by borders, and for centuries, they were in an almost permanent military conflict (Reconquista). The Jews lived in cities of one another. Christian-Jewish relations were not always peaceful, especially since the 14th century, when an anti-Jewish climate swept through the peninsula and forced many to accept conversion to Christianity. The Jewish community was very weak, and since the 15th century, they were forced to live in ghettos. The contact between Christians, Arabs, and Jews accounted for an exchange of experiences and ideas. Although there were boundaries between Christians and Muslims, there were Christians in Arab territory (Mozarabic) and Muslims in Christian territory (Moorish). In the Toledo School of Translators lived Muslims, Hispanics, Jews, and European foreigners.
Policy Organization and Institutions in the Late Middle Ages: The Kingdom of Castile
Castile’s political structure was based on three institutions: the monarchy, the courts, and municipalities. The monarchy in Castile was less feudal than in Aragon, and the King enjoyed more extensive powers (power to declare war, legislative and judicial power). The unification of Castile and Leon (St. Ferdinand) brought a process of administrative centralization and the creation of a general law. The Code of the Parties (1348) of Alfonso X the Wise gave a remarkable impetus to Castilian law by strengthening the real power over the ancient charters, but the opposition of the nobility and councils slowed this process. With the parties, a unification of law was achieved. This was beneficial for the monarchy, as the king could legislate without the Cortes, whose functions had been disengaged from the nobles and clergy. The courts were composed of three arms (nobles, clergy, and bourgeoisie). In Castile, they had a consultative capacity in which subsidies were approved. The municipalities had their own autonomy and jurisdiction. From the 13th century, a municipal system was established. With the municipal councils, the representation of the bourgeoisie in the government of cities and their governance standards were regularized.