The Reign of the Catholic Monarchs: A New Era
The Union of Castile and Aragon
The union of Castile and Aragon began in 1469 with the marriage of Prince Ferdinand, son and heir of John II, King of the Crown of Aragon, and Princess Isabella, sister of Henry IV, King of Castile. Upon the death of his father in 1479, Ferdinand became King of the Crown of Aragon. That same year, Queen Isabella of Castile was imposed after a civil war (1475-1479) against her niece Juana la Beltraneja. The union of the Castilian and Aragonese territories did not entail their unification into a single kingdom, but was only a dynastic union. Both kingdoms retained their own borders, currency, tax system, laws, and institutions. However, linked by the same crown, they often joined forces to tackle military campaigns. In their relations with other states, the Catholic Monarchs always acted on behalf of their two kingdoms.
Religious Uniformity
Religious uniformity also became a priority of the new monarchy of the Catholic Monarchs. First, they urged Jews to convert, and those who did not were persecuted and expelled from Spain in 1492. After conquering Granada, Muslims were assured of their religion and the maintenance of their customs. But since 1499, Cardinal Cisneros ended the tolerance and encouraged compulsory baptisms, which resulted in the appearance of the Moriscos (baptized Muslims). In 1502, all Muslims in Castile were obliged to convert to Christianity or face exile. To control the maintenance of Catholic orthodoxy and monitor the converts, the Catholic Monarchs re-instituted the Tribunal of the Inquisition (1478), which became the main instrument for achieving religious unity.
Social Groups
The nobility and clergy were the privileged classes and possessed most of the land and livestock. The nobility, although it reduced its political influence, increased their economic power through the institution of primogeniture, which forbade the sale of family heritage and forced them to leave an inheritance to the firstborn. The majority of the population was comprised of landless peasants, subjected to a precarious life. However, there were different situations:
- In the north of Castile, small and medium-sized peasants were numerous.
- In Andalusia, landless peasants (taxpayers) predominated.
- In Catalonia, *Case Guadalupe* farmers were attached to an actual domain on land, in exchange for paying rent to the lords.
In some cities, a bourgeoisie dedicated to artisanal and commercial activities developed. Some trade-related cities, such as Valladolid, Toledo, and Seville in Castile, and Barcelona and Valencia, in the Crown of Aragon, came to exceed 30,000 inhabitants.
Humanism and Renaissance in Spain
Spanish Humanism
The arrival of printing in Spain took place at the end of the fifteenth century. Some cities that benefited from this new medium were Barcelona, Zaragoza, Seville, Valencia, Valladolid, and Toledo. The humanistic spirit was represented in Spain by figures like the grammarian Antonio de Nebrija, who renewed methods of language development. Also, a circle of Erasmus formed, among which Luis Vives stands out, who paid attention to the renewal of teaching and welfare.