UNIT 4. THE ORIGIN OF THE FIRST PENINSULAR KINGDOMS (8th-13th CENTURIES).

1. THE ORIGIN OF THE CHRISTIAN KINGDOMS.

Only a narrow stretch of land in the north of the Iberian Peninsula remained outside the control of the Cordoba's Emirate.
Nevertheless, the internal conflicts in Al-Andalus during the 8th century, favoured the formation of two areas that resisted the islamic role:

• a territory around Asturias, where some Visigothic noble had fled from the islamic conquest.
• several counties in the Pyriness which were a part of the Marca Hispanica.

1. 1. The kingdom of Asturias.

At the beggining of the 8th century, some local leaders from Asturias rejected the authority of the emirs of Cordoba. One of them, Pelagius, defeated the muslims in the battle of Covadonga (722 AD) and the muslims abandoned the territory.

During the 8th and 9th centuries, the kingdom of Asturias started to expanse:

• Alfonso I (8th century) conquered Galicia.
• Alfonso II (9th century) established the capital in Oviedo and introduced the Visigothic laws.

Asturian art.
The art of the kingdom of Asturias mixed the visigothic traditions with new elements:

• rounded arch.
• barrel vault.
• external buttreses.

 1. 2. The Marca Hispanica.

During the 8th century, Charlemagne occupied Pamplona, Jaca, Girona and Barcelona, although he was not able to reach the Ebro River. This territories became the Marca Hispanica, a fortified zone to reinforce the border of his kingdom. The Marca Hispanica was divided in counties who swore loyalty to the king.
After the death of Charlemagne, the counties became independent:

• the kingdom of Pamplona.
• the Aragonese counties.
• the Catalan counties.

  

Santa Maria del Naranco. Imagen de Anne Wipf en Pixabay.

San Miguel de Lillo.

 2. FROM THE KINGDOM OF ASTURIAS TO THE KINGDOM OF LEON.

2. 1. The occupation of the Duero river.

In te second half of the 9th century, Alfonso III (866-910) conquered the region between the Cordillera Cantabrica and the River Duero, taking advantage of the internal conflicts of the emirs of Cordoba., including cities like Astorga, Porto, Leon y Astorga.

2. 2. The creation of the kingdom of Leon.

• In the 9th century, peasant families from the Cantabrian valleys were encouraged to move to the Duero Valley to occupy it.
• Ordoño II moved his court to Leon to control the Duero Valley in 914 AD. The kingdom of Asturias became the kingdom of Leon.

2. 3. 10th century: a stable border.

•  In the 10th century, the kingdom of Leon reached the River Tormes, conquering Salamanca and Avila.

• The Cordoba's caliphate, led by Al-Mansur, stopped its expansion, launching raids against Santiago, Leon and Zamora. Because of that, Leon tried to secure the frontier along the Duero River.

2. 4. The origin of Castile.

• Most of the Muslim attacks on Leon came from the east (La-Rioja, Alava and Burgos). Because of this, Alfonso III built castles and lands to several counts in this region, that became known as Castile, land of the castles.

• The counts started to act independently and in 10th century, the count Fernán González united all the counties in Castile, creating the County of Castile.

• In the 11th century, the County of Castile became a part of the Kingdom of Pamplona, but in 1035 became independent again with Ferdinand I. In 1037,Ferdinand became the king of Leon.

Activity:

Ho wto write History-The battle of Covadonga

Kingdom of Leon in 910 AD.

3. THE PYRENEAN COUNTIES AND KINGDOMS.

In the 9th century the territories of the Marca Hispanica became independent from the Carolingian Empire:

• Kingdom of Pamplona.
• Kingmo of Aragon.
• Catalan counties.

 3. 1. Kingdom of Pamplona.

Was located between the Arga and Aragon rivers an inhabited by basques. Led by the families Arista and Jimena fought against the Franks and the Muslims.
Finally, the Arista dinasty expelled the Franks, establishing the Kingdom of Pamplona.
In the 10th century, Pamplona conquered Álava, La Rioja and the County of Aragón.

3. 2. Aragón: from county to kingdom.

  In the 9th century, the Aznar Galíndez family created the County of Aragon. Later, the counties of Sobrarbe and Ribagorza joined Aragon and in the 11th century appeared the kingdom of Aragon.

3. 3. The catalan counties.

  In the 9th century, Wilfred the Hairy (Wilfredo el Velloso), count of Barcelona annexed most of the Catalan counties and made his position hereditary.
His grandson, Count Borrel II, made the counties independent from the franks in 987 AD.
In the 11th and 12th centuries, the catalan counties expanded into Occitania (north of the Pyrenees) and towards the Ebro Valley.

3. 4. Sancho III "the Great".

Sancho III (1004-1035) inherited the Kingdom of Pamplona and thanks to marriage alliances and military skills he conquered:

• the counties of Castille, Aragon, Sobrarbe and Ribagorza.
• most of the Kingdom of Leon.

Navarra became the most powerful kingdom in the Peninsula, but when he died his kingdom was divided among his sons, creating the kingdoms: Castile and Leon, Pamplona and Aragón.

The kingdom of Pamplna under Sancho III the Great. File: Mapa de las expansión de los reinos cristianos por la Península Ibérica en el s. XI. Author: José Alberto Bermúdez. License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0

 

 

 

 4. THE CAMINO DE SANTIAGO.

In the 9th century, the tomb of St. James was found in Galicia, near Finisterre. The location was named, Compostela. Alfonso II ordered the construction of a church on the site of the tomb of Saint James.
In the 11thc entury routes to Santiago were organised from different parts of Europe, the Camino de Santiago.

4. 1. The Jacobean  route.

In the 9th century, the tomb of St. James was found in Galicia, near Finisterre. The location was named, Compostela. Alfonso II ordered the construction of a church on the site of the tomb of Saint James.
The Camino de Santiago was a network of routes to Santiago organised from different parts of Europe from the 11th century and used for Christian pilgrims who wanted forgiveness for their sins. The Camino became a cultural and commercial exchange:

• towns grew along the road: Jaca, Estella, Pamplona, Logroño, Burgos, Leon.
• Inns (posadas), hospitals (hospitales) and churches were built.
• The Romanesque (Romanico) and Gothic (Gótico) styles of architecture spread through the Iberian Peninsula.

4. 2. The pilgrimmate.

The pilgrims walked to Santiago in groups for protection and wore a scallop shell to identify themselves.
Their final destination was the Cathedral of Santiago where they visited the tomb of the apostle.

Way of St. James road network. File:Ways_of_St._James_in_Europe.png Autrhor: Manfred Zentgraf, Volkach, Germany License: CC BY-SA 2.5

5. The advance of the christian kingdoms.

5. 1. The taifa kingdoms.

After the fall of the caliphate (1031 AD), Al-Andalus was divided into small kingdoms (taifa). This kingdoms were weak and paid parias (an annual tribute in gold in exchange for a temporary truce) to the christian kingdoms.
The christian kingoms used this money to built stronger armies and during the 11th and 12th centuries conquered the valleys of the rivers Tajo and Ebro.

5. 2. The kingdom of Castille and Leon.

• Ferdinand I (1037-1065) conquered the provinces of Salamanca and Avila.
• Alfonso VI (1065-1109) conquered Toledo, Madrid and the center of the Peninsula.
• Alfonso VII (12th century) was proclaimed "Emperor of All Spain" and  all the other peninsular kingdoms paid him vassalage.

Nevertheless the castilian advance was stoped by the Almoravids and the Almohads. The almoravids defeated Alfonso Vi in Sagrajas (1086), and later the Almohads defeated the Christians in Alarcos but later they were defeated in Las Navas de Tolosa (1212).

5. 3. The conquest of the Ebro Valley.

Navarra.

Navarra was unable to expand south due to Castille and Aragon and by the 13th century was ruled by French dinasties.

 Crown of Aragon.

• During the 11h century Aragon conquered the province of Zaragoza, and the County of Barcelona conquered Tarragona and expanded into Occitania (south of France).
• During the12th century, Ramon Berenguer IV (1131-1162) conquered the rest of Catalonia and Alfonso II, Teruel.

Spain in 1100 AD.

The Christian kingdoms during the 12th century. File: La Reconquista, siglo XII. Author: Alejandro Cana Sánchez. License: (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0)

 6. THE RESETTLEMENT.

 6. 1. Definition and types.

The Resettlement (in spanish, Repoblación) was the occupation of land that had been deserted (Ebro Valley, Plain of Vic) or taken from Al-Andalus (the Tajo and Ebro Valleys) by the Christian kings. We can distinguish two types of resettlement:

• Free resettlement (in spanish, repoblación libre) (pressura or aprisio, 9-10th centuries). Small plots of lands were given to free peasants that founded villages. The settlers owned small plots of land (allods) and held pastures, water and forests collectively as public property.
• Concejiles resettlement (in spanish, repoblación concejil) (11-12th centuries) organised by the monarchs in areas of the border with Al-Andalus. To encourage the settlement of cicities, the monarchs granted privileges:

1. municipal charters, collective contracts that established the conditions for cultivating the land.
2. fueros, rights, liberties and ta exemptions granted to the inhbitants of a city.

6. 2. Organization of the settlements.

• Most of the settlements were small villages inhabited by free peasants.
• They cultivated wheat and gravevines using oxens to work the land. The houses had vegetable gardens and a barn for a cow, some pigs and chickens.
• The villagers meet in a council to discuss communal matters. 
• Most of th resettlers were Cantabrian or Asturians, bu also Christians from Al-Andalus (Morzarabs).

6. 3. Mozarabic art.

Small churches built by the Mozarabs in the 9th and 10th centuries. Their main characteristics were:

• Built in stone with thick walls and sparsely decorated.
• Use of horseshoe arches.
• Columns with capitals decorated with plant motifs.

7. THE CONSOLIDATION OF THE PENINSULAR KINGDOMS.

7. 1. The Crown of Castille.

The kingdoms of Castille and Leon were finally unified in 1230 with Ferdinand III. He created the Crown of Castille that became the most important peninsular kingdom.

7. 2. The kingdom of Portugal.

• Portugal was a part of the Kingdom of Leon that became a county in the early 12th century.
• Became independent in 1128 when Alfonso Enriques proclaimed himself king.
• Portugal started to expand south.

 7. 3.  The crown of Aragon.

In 1137, Petronila the daughter of Ramiro II, the king of Aragon, married Ramon Berenguer IV, count of Barcelona, creating the Crown of Aragon. His son, Alfonso II controlled the kingdom of Aragon, the catalan counties and Occitania.

8. EL CID.

Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar (1043-1099) was a member of the castilian lower nobility, a knight without lands. There were three ways that a knight could use to became rich: fight for the king, win battles or marry a wealthy woman.

8. 1. Castile and Leon.

Rodrigo was educated with the prince Sancho. When Sancho became king, he made Rodrigo royal standard-bearer. After the dead of Sancho, Rodrigo served under Alfonso VI and married Alfonso's niece in 1074.
Later he was accused of launching a expedition to take Toledo without permision and was exiled (1081.

8. 2. Al-Muqtadir.

He became the head of the armies of the king of Zaragoza betwen 1081 and 1086. He was known as sidi (lord).

8. 3. Reconciliation with Alfonso and second exile.

In 1086, Rodrigo reconciled with Alfonso and left from Levante where protected the allies of Alfonso and forced the muslim kings to pay parias to Castille.
In 1089, Rodrigo was accused of treason again and force to exile. Then, he decided to act on his own, becoming the most powerful leader in the Levante. In 1094 he conquered Valencia and established a christian taifa under his own rule.