ANSWERS 9º session. Reconquest in the XIIIth century. Administration.

1. What was crucial for the great Christian expansion during the XIII century?
The great victory of Las Navas de Tolosa (1212), where almohads were utterly and definitely defeated by a coalition of all Christian kingdoms but León.
2. Watching the MAP on page 55 UP, choose two relevant facts in the Christian expansion in the first half of the XIII century?
Portugal closed its southern border in El Algarve and Fernando III, the king who reunited Castile and Leon, took almost all of western al andalus, including the two main capitals, Cordoba and Sevilla.
3. What was left of Al Andalus and how could it last to the end of the XV century?
The kingdom of Granada. Because of tribute and diplomatic expertise taking advantage of Christian internal strife.
4. The house of Barcelona kept territories in southern France which were maintained after the union with Aragon. Which were them and how were they lost?
Occitaine and Provence. France took advantage of Aragon´s protection to the cathar heresy to declare war, which it won, having aragonese interests out of the country from the mid XIIIth century.
5. Did Aragon develop another strategy?
Yes, expansion in muslim Levant and the Mediterranean. James I the conqueror took the kingdom of Valencia and the Balearic islands (TEXT 55 DOWN).
6. The catalan- aragonese confederation combined this levantine expansion with important trade interests. Which were the territorial gains are visible in the map up page 56?
Sicily, Sardinia, the ducats of Athens and Neopatria, torn from the byzantines, culminating in the XV century with the inheritance of the kingdom of Naples.
Pedro el Grande and Alfonso el Magnánimo stand out in this evolution, which will be of capital importance during the Spanish hegemony of the XVI and XVII centuries.
7. Free repopulation or presura dates from the time of muslim predominance under the caliphs. Why did kings offer such good conditions and why did that situation change?
Because of the lack of population. Military needs finally gave predominance to monasteries and nobles.
8. Why did councils lead repopulation during the first Christian impulse of the XI and XII centuries?
They had to deal with semi abandoned relatively large cities, which controlled large territories (alfoz), so the kings entrusted them with the task and awarded them written privileges (fueros, carta de poblamiento: SEE TEXT P. 56).


9. What is the main difference between conquered population in Levant and the south?
In the south, most of the muslims fled. Moriscos remained in Levant.
10. Big rural estates predominate in the south, even today. Why?
The big andalusian south was repopulated with “repartimentos”, basically benefitting the Church, nobles and military orders.
The way Christians repopulated former muslim lands has been a key factor to explain many things about Spanish traditional economy or society. For example, the structure of land property in the south (extensive big estates), is closely linked to Andalucia´s traditional undervelopment.
C. DIFERENCIAS INSTITUCIONALES. SOCIEDAD Y ECONOMÍA.
11. Which were the three great Christian kingdoms and their three main institutions?
Castile, Aragon and Navarre. Monarchy, Cortes and town councils.
Monarquía:
12. Which necessary institutions did appear around the god ordained kings?
Royal council, Curia or Court of Justice, administrative Chancery, and Treasury.
Opcional:
13. Compare Castile and Aragon in terms of royal power, importance of the cortes, centralization.
In spite of uprisings by the nobility or towns, castilian kings were much more powerful because in the aragonese confederacy the diverse kingdoms and their laws (Usatges, Fueros, Furs: IMAGE 57 DOWN), counted politically by virtue of Pactism and the importance of Cortes, which in the end could even pass laws. By that same reason, and with the exception of basque lands, Castile was much more centralized. In that process, roman law was reused (7 Partidas by Alfonso X, Ordenamiento de Alcalá, by Alfonso XI: IMAGE 57 UP).
Cortes:
14. Why did Cortes appear in the XII century?
Kings needed towns and burghers in the Extraordinary Court (Curia extraordinaria), an advisory organism, because indeed they were the only tax payers.
15. How did they work? Where did they firstly appear?
Basically, the king asked for money (subsidies), and in return had to listen to grievances and petitions. Castile and Leon.
16. Distinguish the Cortes in Castile, Aragon and Navarre.
In Castile it was all about subsidies (CHART 58 UP). In Navarre they took the king´s oath to respect their laws and uses (Fueros), and had to be consulted. In Aragon they were more complex and powerful because they discussed subsidies and could issue laws. They even had a permanent representation, origin of the now active Generalitat.
17. In general, how did the rule of cities evolve?
From open assemblies (cabildo abierto), to town councils where the high class predominated.
18. Where can we find more democracy in this kingdoms?
Catalan towns such as Barcelona at least had the Consell de Cent (IMAGE 58 DWN), a chosen body, though the richest prevailed. In Castile, dominating nobles were replaced by the king appointed Corregidor.