Social Stratification in 16th-17th Century Spain
Society
Privileged Classes
1. The Nobility
Legal status and geographic location. Internal levels.
The nobility, comprising 15-20% of the population (according to Ruiz Ibáñez and Vincent), was spread throughout the peninsula. The gentry concentrated in the Northern Peninsula, while the nobility held lands in Castile and Andalusia.
At the apex was the Royal Family, followed by the titled nobility and those without dominion. A manor was the area where a noble held legal rights (judicial, political, economic, tax) over vassals.
Great nobles owned large estates, though exceptions existed. Lordships were acquired through royal service or land purchase, enhancing a noble’s political and economic standing.
The high nobility possessed vast fortunes from lands, rents, vassals, and prestige. In the 16th century, they engaged in European projects, supporting Charles V’s empire, though this led to increased royal grants, particularly knighthoods in military orders. These knights formed local and regional elites.
The gentry included urban gentlemen and lords of vassals. Knights dominated cities and villages, often attaining nobility through royal favors and strategic marriages. Lords of vassals held ancient lineage but lacked social advancement.
The lower nobility, the largest group, had lower incomes but retained privileges. Northern nobles were often impoverished, while southern nobles resided in cities. Migration from north to south facilitated strategic marriages between nobles and wealthy burghers, increasing urban nobles.
2. The Clergy
Was the Church an open estate?
No. Entering a convent required a significant dowry, limiting access to middle and upper classes. Upward mobility was restricted to wealthy families. Religious vocations served family strategies, as noted by Enrique Soria, with high positions used to secure family interests.
Church ascension was linked to the Crown, with monarchs appointing bishops and archbishops, benefiting nobles through positions in new bishoprics.
3. Major Financiers
Commercial growth generated large fortunes among traders and merchants. Wealthy taxpayers used their wealth to ennoble their lineage. European merchants settled in port cities (Seville, Cadiz, Barcelona, Valencia), partnering with Iberian merchants. Foreign financiers, especially Genoese, became creditors to the Empire, acquiring estates and annuities, integrating into local elites.
The Ordinary World
1. Urban Life
Urban development featured city expansion and Mediterranean/Atlantic trade. City life revolved around industry and commerce, though many unskilled workers faced poverty.
The powers of cities
Cities had various offices. Lawyers held prestige and could rise socially and hold administrative positions. The gentry held political and social power. Merchants and craftsmen could purchase nobility and participate in local government.
Union activity and hierarchy
Medieval guilds persisted, with a hierarchical structure:
- Masters: Artisans governing the union.
- Officers: Not present in all trades.
- Apprentices: Young men learning a trade.
Guild advancement depended on family ties rather than skill.
2. Countryside
Village and relationship with cities
The countryside and cities were interconnected through trade and urban family incomes. Cities held jurisdiction over villages. Peasants sold surplus goods in cities.
Villages were rural population centers, with dispersed settlements in the north and concentrated settlements in the south and east.
Powerful in the countryside
- Landlords: Rural nobility owning large estates, especially in Castile and Andalusia. They held political and military positions.
- Wealthy farmers: Enriched peasants who leased land from nobles or the Church, holding local and regional power, imitating the lifestyle of landowners.
- Aguatenientes: Owners of water resources, powerful in areas like the Canary Islands.
Location of the peasantry
The rural population (70-75%) consisted mostly of commoners. They were immobile, agrarian, and communal. Public lands, vital for their livelihoods, were sold by the Crown, and enclosures worsened their conditions. Farmers faced high mortality due to poor nutrition and disease.
Alterations and rural banditry
Peasant revolts were often instigated by powerful landowners. Banditry was linked to gentry discontent and Christian-Moorish rivalries. Bandits made pacts with authorities, gaining land or forgiveness. Major revolts occurred in Castile, Valencia, and Sicily.
Social Outcasts
1. Muslim Conversion and Espadán War
After Granada’s fall in 1492, Mudejars and Muslims coexisted with Christians. Pressure from Christians and the Church led to the forced conversion of Mudejars in 1499 and the Alpujarras revolt. Most converted but secretly practiced Islam.
In Valencia, forced conversions occurred between 1519-1522, leading to the Espadán revolt in 1526.
Moriscos: Alpujarras
Some converted Moors collaborated with monarchs, gaining royal favors. In Granada, wealthy Moorish farmers and traders faced Christian envy. Philip II’s repressive policies aimed to assimilate Moriscos, leading to the Alpujarras War (1568-1570). The war resulted in the expulsion of Moriscos from Granada and their dispersal throughout Andalusia and Castile.