Under the united
crowns of Castile and Aragon, the 2 monarchs put an end to centuries old
aspiration and began a new that propelled their kingdom to an empire.
The Reconquista
With
the rise of Ferdinand as King of Aragon, most of Spain by then belonged to
them, but in the south laid the last vestiges of Islamic states – the Kingdom
of Granada. For centuries the Reconquista became the focus of many rulers in
Spain. As “Catholic” monarchs, Isabella and Ferdinand re-intensified the
campaign in 1482.
While
the men worked with arms, Isabella worked in improving the military’s logistics.
She also established hospitals for the wounded.
For
a decade, the Catholic monarchs campaign ferociously until January 2, 1492 when
the ruler of the Kingdom of Granada surrendered. Isabella and Ferdinand marched
into the city of Granada and then dazzled with the beauty of the Alhambra,
which became their home and court. With the Reconquista complete, both could
concentrate ruling their kingdoms.
Europe
saw the couple Isabella and Ferdinand a power couple. Many sought an alliance
with them as well as their patronage to different endeavors. Among the aspiring
clients of Isabella, a Genoese navigator with the name of Cristobal Colon or
Christopher Columbus needed investors for his audacious plan to discover a
westward route to the exotic goods of India and China.
Columbus before the Queen by Emanuel Gottlieb Leutze |
The
meeting of the Cristopher Columbus and Queen Isabella came in time of
tremendous political changes in the continent. To the east, the Eastern Roman
Empire (Byzantines) fell to the hands of the Muslim Ottomans. As Catholic
Monarchs, Isabella and Ferdinand viewed the Ottomans with suspicions. Moreover,
the Silk Road that brought oriental goods, such as porcelain and spices to Europe
then laid in the mercy of the Ottomans. An economic threat to the opulent lives
of Europe’s rich and wealthy.
Hence,
a search for a new route that laid beyond the Ottomans’ control became a
fascination to Spain. Already, Castile had taken the early steps in exploration
and finally colonization with the conquest of the Canary Islands, off the coast
of Africa. With Columbus’ proposal, Isabella made the choice of supporting this
Genoese navigator even her court and herself doubt its success. Isabella’s patronage
gave Columbus 3 ships and an expedition that began in April 17, 1492. Though
the expedition failed to reach Asia, Columbus opened a new continent for
Spanish conquest – the New World – the Americas. Following Columbus’ expedition
many more followed that later sowed the seeds for a vast Spanish colonial
Empire. Isabella’s risky investment paid off in the long run.
Besides
financing expeditions, Isabella also concerned herself with the affairs of the
growing Spanish colonies. He cashed in the profits from goods imported from the
colonies by demanding 10% of the profits. Then in 1503, he approved the
establishment of the Board of Trade to oversee colonial affairs and commerce.
The Return of Christopher Columbus by Eugene Delacroix |
The
3 G’s (Gold, Glory, and God) became vital principles of Spain’s colonial expansion.
Isabella enjoyed the gold and glory, but she also took in mind God. As a
Catholic monarch, fair treatment of the natives of the colonies became her
advocacy. When Columbus returned to her with natives as slaves, she demanded
their freedom and fair treatment. She also ordered it in other Spanish colonies
as a top policy. But with bad communication and lack of strict supervision, it
went into deaf ears.
The Spanish Inquisition
Tomas de Torquemada |
Though
humanitarian towards natives, much cannot be said on her policy towards none
Catholics within her realm – especially towards Jews and Muslims. Isabella supported
the establishment of the most notorious institutions in Spanish history, the
Inquisition. In its head, she placed her longtime confessor Tomas de Torquemeda
to organize the Inquisition. The Spanish Inquisition aimed to root out heretics
and non-Catholics. Isabella’s religious zeal along with the Inquisition forced
the conversion of thousands of Jews and Muslims. All those who failed to
convert faced expulsion, such as the case of the Jews in 1492. In 1502, she
decreed Islam forbidden throughout Castile and Spain. All aimed in creating a
pure Christian Spain.
See also:
Bibliography:
Books:
Chapman, Charles. A History of Spain. New York, New York: The Macmillan Company, 1918.
Pierson, Peter. The History of Spain. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 1999.
General Reference:
Boruchoff, David. "Isabel I of Castile." In The Oxford Encyclopedia of Women in World History. Edited by Bonnie G. Smith. New York, New York: Oxford University Press, 2008.
Tarver, H. Michael & Emily Slape. "Isabella the Catholic, Queen of Castile and Spain (1451-1504)." In The Spanish Empire: A Historical Encyclopedia. Edited by H. Michael Tarver and Emily Slape. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO, LLC, 2016.
Website:
Highfield, J.R.L. "Isabella I." In Encyclopedia Britannica. Accessed on July 22, 2018. URL: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Isabella-I-queen-of-Spain
No comments:
Post a Comment