Reconquista and Enlightened Despotism in Spain
The Reign of Carlos III: Enlightened Despotism in 18th Century Spain
Carlos III, son of Felipe V and stepbrother of Fernando VI, served as King of Naples (1735-1759) before ascending to the Spanish throne. The 18th century was a period of economic recovery in Spain. Under the leadership of figures like the Conde de Aranda (1769) and Floridablanca (1787), the first censuses were conducted to understand the nation’s economic and fiscal potential.
Economic and Agricultural Reforms
Among the enlightened, there was a growing awareness of the need for agricultural reform. Associations such as the Royal Economic Societies of Friends of the Country were formed, and various reform plans were proposed, including Campomanes’ Memorial Ajustado and Jovellanos’ Report on the Agrarian Law.
These projects and documents asserted that peasant access to land ownership was a necessary condition for the country’s progress. However, the refusal of the clergy and nobility led to the halting of many reforms. Enlightened ministers approved measures to promote industrial development. The monopoly of the guilds was broken in 1772, Royal Factories were established, and private Catalan textile industries proved more competitive than state enterprises.
Trade and Financial Reforms
Improvements were made to roads, and internal customs were removed. A decree of 1778 established the liberalization of trade with America, ending the secular monopoly of the House of Trade, while retaining a protectionist trade policy with respect to other powers.
In the financial field, the Banco de San Carlos was established, a precursor to the future Bank of Spain. During this period, the peseta appeared, although it did not become the official currency until 1868. The reign can be divided into two periods:
- Governments of Esquilache and Grimaldi (1759-1766): Reform attempts faced strong opposition, culminating in the Esquilache Mutiny of 1766. The revolt, ostensibly against a decree forcing changes in traditional attire, had complex underlying causes. It can be interpreted as a popular “nationalist” uprising against the Italian minister, manipulated by the clergy (Jesuits) and nobility to halt reforms. The Jesuits, accused of fomenting the riots, were expelled in 1767.
- Governments of the Conde de Aranda, Floridablanca, and Campomanes (1766-1788): This period was dominated by great enlightened ministers who implemented various economic reforms, though many were ultimately thwarted by opposition from the clergy and nobility.
The Reconquista: Main Stages of Christian Advance
The Reconquista refers to the period in the history of the Iberian Peninsula between the years 718 and 1492, during which Christian kingdoms gradually retook territory from Muslim rule.
Key Stages of the Reconquista
a) First Stage (8th-10th Centuries): Following the Christian victory at Covadonga (722), the northern Christian nuclei consolidated their territory and began to move south. The Asturian kingdom reached the Duero River by 910. Ordoño II (914-924) moved the political center of the kingdom to León.
b) Second Stage (First Half of the 11th and 12th Centuries): Taking advantage of the weakness following the end of the Muslim Caliphate and the disintegration of the Taifa Kingdoms, León and Castile surpassed the Cordillera Central and occupied the Tagus River. Toledo was reconquered in 1085. After a brake on the reconquest due to the Almohad invasion, progress towards the south by the eastern kingdoms resumed when Alfonso I of Aragon reconquered Zaragoza in 1118, and Ramón Berenguer IV conquered Tortosa (1148) and Lérida (1149). Portugal conquered Lisbon in 1147.
c) Third Stage (Late 12th and Early 13th Centuries): Following a period of stagnation with the advent of the Almoravids, Castile-León managed to dominate the Guadiana Valley and Sierra Morena. This process culminated in the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa (1212), which opened the way for Christian advance into the Guadalquivir Valley and Valencia.
d) Fourth Stage (13th Century): A rapid occupation of the Guadalquivir Valley (including Seville) was led by Fernando III the Saint (1252), while James I the Conqueror took Valencia and the Balearic Islands (1276). Only the Muslim stronghold of Granada remained, until 1492.
Political Evolution of the Christian Kingdoms
As the Reconquista advanced, the independence of Castile, León, Galicia, and Aragon from Portugal expanded southward. Castile later absorbed Asturias, León, Galicia, and Navarre. Aragon took over Barcelona and Valencia. From that time, the union of these two territories became known as the Crown of Aragon. Portugal was established as an independent kingdom in the 12th century. By the end of the Middle Ages, the Iberian Peninsula was divided into four Christian kingdoms: Castile, Aragon, Navarre, and Portugal, in addition to the Emirate of Granada.