Ancient Iberian Peninsula: Settlements, Roman Conquest & New Plant Decrees

Ancient Iberian Peninsula: Pre-Roman Settlements

In the first millennium BC, the Iberian Peninsula saw diverse settlements.

• Andalusia: A mix of Iberian and Tartessian cultures, influenced by Phoenicians and Greeks.
• Other Regions: Influenced by early Indo-European migrations.

Iberians

Settled on the east coast, their culture showed Phoenician and Greek influences:

• Shared language
• Funeral rites (incineration)
• Similar artistic expressions

Tartessos

Located in western Andalusia and southern Portugal, their economy was based on mining.

Celtiberians

Diverse groups with common aspects:

• Funeral rites
• Iron metallurgy

Northern Peoples

Archaic peoples like Cantabrians and Galaicos inhabited the north (Galicia to the Pyrenees).

Coastal Settlements

Commercial settlements for exchanging goods, especially minerals:

• Phoenicians: Established trading posts around 1100 BC, trading products from Rio Tinto.
• Greeks: Founded Emporion (Ampurias), exchanging Mediterranean products for minerals.
• Carthaginians: Settled from Andalusia to Alicante, founding Cartago Nova (Cartagena) and demanding tribute from Iberian peoples.

Roman Conquest and Romanization

The Roman conquest and Romanization was a long process lasting about 7 centuries.

First Stage: Second Punic War

Rome defeated Carthage, marking the beginning of Roman rule in the peninsula.

Second Stage: Lusitanian and Celtiberian Wars

Roman troops faced resistance from Lusitanians and Celtiberians. The Lusitanians were defeated after their leader's assassination, leading to Roman control of mines and fields.

Third Stage: Cantabrian and Asturian Wars

The Roman emperor launched military campaigns to subdue the Cantabrians and Asturians, leading to the Pax Romana.

Crisis of the Roman Empire

The Roman Empire faced a crisis due to barbarian invasions, leading to tax increases and monetary manipulations. Ruralization and political instability followed.

Administrative Division

The Romans divided the peninsula into two provinces: Citerior and Ulterior. Provinces were either senatorial (controlled by the Senate) or imperial (controlled by the emperor with a greater military presence). The Romans also organized economic activity, turning the peninsula into a source of raw materials for the metropolis.

New Plant Decrees

The New Plant Decrees aimed to end legal diversity.

Key Decrees

• Abolition of privileges
• Suppression of municipal autonomy
• Suppression of the courts of Catalonia, Valencia, and Mallorca
• Imposition of Castilian as the only official language
• Castilian officials appointed to offices
• Introduction of a new tax system

The entire territory was standardized based on the Castilian model, except for the Basque provinces and Navarre, which retained their charters.

Administrative Reforms

The new dynasty introduced administrative and economic changes to strengthen the state:

• Creation of state secretariats
• Division of the country into provinces
• Establishment of hearings for judicial matters
• Superintendents responsible for economic issues
• Reduction of municipal attributes
• Reforms in the army