Ferdinand and Isabella's Reign: Society, Economy, and Religious Unification

Reign of the Catholic Monarchs: Society & Economy

Political and Social Organization

The basic economic activities were agriculture and livestock.

Castile's Livestock-Based Economy

During the reign of the Catholic Monarchs, the Castilian economy continued to be mainly oriented towards sheep livestock. Castilian wool remained the main export through the ports of Biscay. The monarchy favored protecting farmers' interests, passing laws that protected the powerful Mesta, which brought together Castilian livestock farmers. The consequence was a brake on the expansion of agriculture, which hampered population growth. After the colonization of America, gold and silver arrived, and increased trade relations stimulated economic prosperity.

Crown of Aragon's Economic Recovery

The crisis of the late Middle Ages had decimated the population of the Crown of Aragon and weakened its economy. King Ferdinand led a series of measures to revitalize the economy. He sought to end the peasant conflict by decreeing the Arbitral Decision of Guadalupe, which abolished some feudal rights in the countryside. Tariffs were also imposed on imports of woven wool.

Authoritarian Monarchy in Castile

When Isabella ascended the throne of Castile, the kingdom faced a situation of lawlessness and disorder. To end this situation, the Santa Hermandad was created, a body responsible for prosecuting criminals and maintaining order. A standing professional army was also established, controlled by the monarchy, replacing the feudal army recruited by the nobility. To secure control over justice and make it more effective, the Monarchs created the Royal Court. To fund the new institutions, the tax collection system was strengthened, and the royal accounting system (Hacienda) was instituted. To exercise more direct control over the cities, the appointment of magistrates, royal officials who presided over city governments, became widespread.

Pursuit of Religious Uniformity

Religious uniformity also became a priority for the new monarchy of Ferdinand and Isabella. First, Jews were called upon to convert, and those who did not were persecuted and expelled from Spain in 1492. After the conquest of Granada, Muslims were initially guaranteed the maintenance of their religion and customs. However, in 1499, Cardinal Cisneros ended this tolerance and promoted compulsory baptisms, which gave rise to the appearance of Moriscos (converted Muslims). In 1502, all Muslims in Castile were required to convert to Christianity or face exile. To control the maintenance of Catholic orthodoxy and to monitor converts, the Catholic Monarchs reinstituted the Tribunal of the Inquisition (1478), which became the main instrument to achieve religious unity.