Ferdinand and Isabella are one of the most famous kings and queens in Spanish history, rulers of the kingdoms of Castile and Aragon, who ruled Spain in the late 15th and early 16th centuries, propelling Spain to become one of the most powerful countries in Europe.
Succession to the throne of Ferdinand and Isabella
Born in 1452 in the city of Sitchesa, Aragon, the son of King Juan II of Aragon and his mother Isabella, Queen of Navarre, Ferdinand received a good education at a young age, especially in strategy and politics.
He showed a keen interest in politics at a young age and was often involved in his father's political activities.
Born in 1451 in the city of Madrid, Castile, the daughter of King John II of Castile and her mother to Queen Isabella of Portugal, Isabella received a good education at a young age, especially in language and religion.
She showed an interest in culture and philanthropy at a young age and often participates in charity events.
In 1479, Ferdinand married Isabella and became joint rulers of Castile and Aragon, and after the death of Ferdinand's father, he became king of Aragon, which faced great difficulties at the beginning of his reign due to political turmoil in Aragon.
After the death of King John II of Castile, Isabella's brother Enrique IV became King of Castile, but his reign was unstable and often challenged by the opposition, and in 1468, Isabella's father, John II, died, and Enrique IV became the sole heir to the throne.
After the death of Enrique IV, the power vacuum in Castile sparked a battle for succession to the throne, which Isabella and her supporters eventually won in 1474, and Isabella became Queen of Castile.
Both Ferdinand and Isabella were well educated and showed strong political interest, with Ferdinand's succession to the throne relatively smooth, while Isabella went through a battle for the throne but eventually gained the throne of Castile.
These backgrounds and experiences have influenced their governing style and decision-making, and are important for our deep understanding of their historical place and influence.
The reign of Ferdinand and Isabella was one of the most important periods in Spanish history, strengthening royal power and unifying the country.
They abolished some local privileges, established modern administrations, established absolute monarchies, and established an efficient tax system during Ferdinand and Isabella's tenure, which gave them sufficient resources to support expansion and war.
The reign of Ferdinand and Isabella was also a golden age for the Catholic state of Spain, which took a strong religious stance in the process of governance, promoting the Reformation and anti-pagan movements, believing that Catholicism was the only correct religion, and trying to turn Spain into a Catholic state.
These policies gave Catholicism unprecedented political, social, and cultural influence, and laid the foundation for national unity and strength.
Ferdinand and Isabella ruled, Spain began to expand overseas, established a maritime empire, in order to control trade, they took a series of measures to monopolize trade, the Spanish government imposed strict control over most of the trade activities, which led to the loss of merchants, but brought huge benefits to the country.
Spain discovered abundant silver mines and began large-scale mining, which was very valuable in both domestic and international markets and became the main source of Spanish wealth, which greatly developed Spain economically and laid the foundation for later expansion and colonial empires.
They advocated the importance of education, culture and art, and absorbed the ideas and styles of the European Renaissance movement, during which time Spain emerged many famous artists and cultural figures, such as Cervantes, Columbus, Velasco, etc., whose works and contributions had a profound impact on Spanish culture and history.
Due to the strong religious stance of Ferdinand and Isabella, religious art also developed greatly during this period, and Spain built many religious buildings and works of art during this period, such as Spanish Renaissance artwork, Gothic churches, etc.
These works of art and architecture are an important part not only of Spanish culture and history, but also of European cultural heritage.
Spain's population increased sharply during this period, and the degree of urbanization was also increasing, which was inseparable from Spain's economic and political development, and the increase in population led to an increase in the proportion of urban population, and the degree of urbanization in Spain also exceeded that of other European countries.
During this period, the Spanish aristocracy and the rich gradually formed an independent class, while ordinary people were less involved in political and economic activities, and this social class differentiation and differentiation continued in Spanish history into modern times.
State policy of Ferdinand and Isabella
During the reigns of Ferdinand and Isabella, religion was a very important issue, and there were many religious beliefs in Spain, such as Catholicism, Judaism and Islam, who advocated turning Spain into a Catholic country and adopted various policies and decisions to achieve this goal.
They issued the Inquisition Act of 1480, which aimed to purge infidels, and expelled many Jews and Muslims, and in 1492, Ferdinand and Isabella enacted the Treaty of Alhambras, which required all Muslims and Jews to convert to Catholicism.
Those who did not wish to convert to Catholicism were expelled from Spain, and these measures led to the expulsion of a large number of Jews and Muslims from the country and negatively affected their freedom of belief.
They established the Inquisition to preserve Catholic purity, these Inquisitions tried those suspected of heresy, severely punished heresy, and many were persecuted for heresy, the existence of these Inquisitions caused much controversy and criticism.
Ferdinand and Isabella also established a censorship system to ensure the purity of publications, which required all publications to be approved by the Church before they could be distributed, a system that ensured that the content of Spanish publications conformed to the Catholic faith, but also restricted freedom of expression.
They believed that education was essential for the transmission of the Catholic faith, and they founded many monasteries and educational institutions. These institutions provide education to young people and teach them the faith and values of Catholicism.
They provided funds to explorers and colonists to help them purchase ships, weapons, and other necessary supplies, in addition, they established financial institutions to support expeditions and colonization activities, such as the National Bank of Spain and commercial shipping companies.
To encourage private entrepreneurs to participate in expeditions and colonizations, Ferdinand and Isabella granted a number of franchises that allowed private entrepreneurs exclusive trade and colonial privileges in a certain area and time. These entrepreneurs were also allowed to establish their own colonies and conduct trading activities.
The main goal of their expeditions and colonization activities was to find wealth and expand Spanish territory, they increased Spain's wealth by searching for gold and silver, precious metals and other valuables, and they also increased Spain's territory and influence by establishing colonies.
Ferdinand and Isabella supported explorers and colonists in pioneering new colonies, and they established many colonies in the New World, such as Mexico, Peru, and California, which not only provided new resources and markets, but also had a profound impact on Spanish culture and language.
They sought to spread the Catholic faith and make it the dominant religion in the new colonies, and in some places they achieved this by forcibly converting or suppressing other religions.
The formation and development of the Spanish colonial empire
The exploration and colonization activities of Ferdinand and Isabella allowed Spain to acquire a large amount of wealth and resources, and the gold, silver, treasures, precious metals and other resources in the colony became an important source of Spanish economic development, and the acquisition of these wealth made Spain one of the richest countries in Europe.
Spain's colonies in South America, Central America, the Caribbean, and Asia gradually expanded into a vast colonial empire, and as a result of this expansion, Spain's influence in global politics, economy and culture grew.
In the New World, cultural exchanges between Spaniards and the local population led to the creation of new cultures, languages, and art forms, and Spanish art and culture spread through the colonies to other places such as Mexico, Peru, and the Philippines.
In these colonies, the Spaniards established new governments and administrations that were used to administer the colonies and promote the economic, cultural, and social development of the colonies.
The Catholic faith became the dominant religion in the new colonies and occupied an important place throughout the Spanish colonial empire, and this influence can be found in the religious architecture, art, and culture of the Spanish colonies.
Spanish exploration and colonization in the colonies brought about social and economic changes, and many Spaniards were given new opportunities in the process of exploration and colonization, becoming wealthy merchants, farmers, and landowners.
These people established a new economic system in the colony, which promoted economic development and prosperity, and these activities also led to the enslavement and oppression of many non-Spaniards, causing serious social problems.
The impact of Ferdinand and Isabella's decisions
The exploration and colonization activities of Ferdinand and Isabella also promoted the innovation and progress of science and technology, and the Spaniards invented many new navigational tools and technologies, such as nautical charts, sextants, dimensionometers, etc., which gave the Spaniards a greater advantage in exploration and colonization.
Spain developed many new agricultural, handicraft and manufacturing industries in the colony, which promoted the advancement and development of technology.
Ferdinand and Isabella were fanatical Catholics who had a profound influence on religious policy in Spain, and under their rule the position of Catholicism in Spain was strengthened, and they enacted a series of laws and policies to protect and promote Catholic doctrine.
The most famous of these was the Ordinance of 1469 for the Prevention of Cohabitation between Jews and Muslims, which established restrictions on marriage and interaction between Catholics and non-Catholics, among other things.
Ferdinand and Isabella were also active in the Reformation, supporting the reform and reconstruction of monasteries and churches in Spain, and in religious wars, such as the Granada War against Catholics against Muslims, and the Counter-Reformation War in support of Catholics against Protestants.
They encourage people to get an education and encourage the establishment of schools and universities, they have established many schools and universities throughout Spain, among them the University of Granada, the University of Barcelona, etc., which have contributed to the cause of education in Spain and trained many talents.
Ferdinand and Isabella also encouraged the development of the publishing industry, establishing the first printing house in Spain and encouraging publishers to publish books in Spain, measures that promoted the cultural development of Spain.
Their political and religious policies laid the foundations of the modern Spanish state, promoted the unity and centralization of the state, and broke the feudal division of the Middle Ages.
Their religious policies laid the foundation for the Catholic faith and culture in Spain, promoted the spread and influence of Catholicism around the world, and created the Spanish Inquisition, which had a profound impact on the Reformation movement for nearly 300 years.
The policy of exploration and colonization made Spain the largest colonial empire in Europe, promoted global trade and cultural exchanges, they supported the sailing plans of explorers such as Columbus, discovered the New World, established Spanish colonies in the Americas, controlled a large amount of precious metal resources, and brought great wealth and status to Spain.
They supported the development and popularization of the Renaissance, especially in the fields of literature, painting, and architecture, laying the foundation for the flourishing of Spanish culture, and Isabella also supported Columbus's seafaring program and established the Amerindian Translation Center, which introduced Indian culture to Europe.
Bibliography:
Suárez Fernández, Luis Los Reyes Catholic, Rialp, 1991.
Fernández Álvarez, Manuel Los Reyes Catholic: Modern Manor Espassa, 2011.
Ferros, Antonio, Philip III: Kingship and Favoritism in Spain, 1598-1621, Cambridge University Press, 2000.