History of Spain: From Roman Hispania to the Hapsburg Dynasty
Hispania: A Roman Province (from 2nd BC to 5th AC, nearly 600 years)
The Iberian Peninsula became a Roman province during the 2nd and 1st centuries BC. The Romans called the territories they occupied Hispania and divided the territory into different provinces: Tarraconense, Baetica, Cartaginense, Lusitania, and Gallecia. The Romans founded cities such as Caesar Augusta (Zaragoza), Legio (León), Hispalis (Sevilla), and Emerita Augusta (Mérida). The Romans built public buildings: bridges, aqueducts, theaters, and a network of roads that linked the cities and encouraged trading. The Romans brought their political institutions, their law, and their language: Latin, which, little by little, was spoken by the natives. During this period, a new monotheistic religion, Christianity, was preached in Hispania, and the majority became Christians.
Hispania: A Visigothic Kingdom (6th and 7th centuries, around 200 years)
During the 4th and 5th centuries AD, different Germanic peoples came from the north and center of Europe and invaded the Western Roman Empire, which finally fell in 476. During the 6th and 7th centuries, different Germanic Kingdoms appeared throughout Western Europe: the Franks in France, the Lombards in Italy, the Angles and Saxons in England, and the Visigoths in Spain. The Visigoths settled in Hispania and made up a unified Kingdom and established the capital in Toledo. At the beginning, the Visigoths spoke their own language (German) and kept their religion, but little by little, they became Christians and spoke Spanish-Latin.
Al-Andalus, Taifas Kingdoms, Christian Kingdoms (from 8th to 15th centuries, about 800 years)
At the beginning of the 7th century, Muhammad preached Islam, a monotheistic religion. Islam spread quickly through the Arabian Peninsula, the Middle East of Asia, and North Africa. At the beginning of the 8th century, the Muslim troops crossed the Strait of Gibraltar and defeated the Visigoths at the battle of Guadalete (711). The Muslims occupied the whole of the Iberian Peninsula except the northern mountainous regions (Cantabrian Range and Pyrenees).
The Muslims called the territories under their power Al-Andalus and established the Caliphate of Córdoba.
The Christians took refuge in the northern mountainous regions and founded kingdoms and counties: Kingdom of Asturias and Leon, County of Castile, Kingdom of Navarre, Counties of Aragon and Catalonia.
These Kingdoms and Counties led the Reconquista, a long period of 8 centuries (711-1492). The Christian Kingdoms “reconquered” the territories occupied by the Muslims. There were some battles (Covadonga, Calatañazor, Navas de Tolosa), but mainly it was a process of repopulation of the Duero, Tajo, Ebro, and Guadalquivir valleys.
During the Reconquista (8th to 15th centuries), the Iberian Peninsula was divided into different kingdoms:
- Christian Kingdoms: Crown of Castile, Kingdom of Navarre, Crown of Aragon, Kingdom of Portugal.
- Muslim kingdoms: Caliphate of Cordoba until the 11th century and Taifas kingdoms (Murcia, Toledo, Sevilla, Granada…).
The Christian Kingdoms and the Muslim kingdoms coexisted for a long period. They traded together, there were cultural exchanges, they signed treaties, and they also fought over territories.
The Unification and Expansion of the Spanish Kingdoms. The Catholic Monarchs: Isabella and Ferdinand (1469-1515)
a) Unification of the Spanish Kingdoms:
In the middle of the 15th century, there were five kingdoms in the Iberian Peninsula:
- The Kingdom of Portugal
- The Kingdom of Navarre
- The Crown of Castile
- The Crown of Aragon
- The Muslim Kingdom of Granada
The Catholic Monarchs (Isabella and Ferdinand) united the Spanish Kingdoms in different ways:
- Dynastic union: Isabella, Queen of Castile, and Ferdinand, King of Aragon, got married, and their Kingdoms were united.
- Conquest of the Muslim Kingdom of Granada: in 1492, the Castilian troops conquered Granada.
- Conquest of Navarre: in 1512, Navarre was invaded and, after some battles, was annexed to the new state.
b) Expansion: Conquest of New Territories: Canary Islands, cities on the northern coast of Africa, American territories, and Kingdom of Naples.
c) Creation of a Modern State:
Meanwhile, the Catholic Monarchs set up a Modern State with authoritarian monarchies. They created and organized some institutions to govern the new state:
- Royal Army: permanent and professional troops paid by the kings.
- Royal Treasury: it led the economic affairs: taxes, expenses…
- Corregidores: they kept the royal authority in towns.
- Royal Council: the highest judicial institution.
- Foreign Policy: they sent ambassadors to foreign countries and established marriage alliances with the main European Monarchies: Portugal, England, Holy Roman Empire…
However, the Catholic Monarchs did not have absolute power. They were limited by the Cortes mainly in economic and foreign affairs.
The Hapsburg Dynasty (House of Austria) from 1517-1700; 16th and 17th century.
16th century: Charles 1st and Philip 2nd
Spanish Empire: Spain is the first power in Europe. Spain had wars with France, German Lutherans, England, and Ottoman Turks.
During this period, it was the conquest and colonization of America.
17th century: Philip 3rd, Philip 4th, and Charles 2nd
Process of decadence; Spain lost power in Europe, and France became the main power on the continent.
Types of Society:
1. Closed Society:
- Rigid social system with very defined social groups.
- People can’t change social groups.
- Hierarchical society.
Example: estate system during the Middle Ages (Feudalism) and Modern Age (15th, 16th, 17th, 18th centuries)
- King, 1st estate: clergy, 2nd estate: nobility… Privileged, didn’t pay taxes, lived on the rents.
- 3rd estate: bourgeoisie, peasantry… Non-privileged, pay taxes, and worked.
2. Open Society:
- Social groups are not rigid.
- People can move from one group to another.
- Social status depends on wealth.
High/Upper class – Middle class – Lower class