Key Historical Terms of the Spanish Monarchy

Nueva Planta Decrees

The Nueva Planta Decrees were a series of decrees issued in Spain in the early eighteenth century by Philip V. They abolished the self-government of the Kingdoms of Aragon, Valencia, Majorca, and the Principality of Catalonia. These decrees were a response to the support given by institutions in these territories to Archduke Charles of Austria (later Emperor Charles VI) during the War of the Spanish Succession.

Enlightened Despotism

Enlightened Despotism (also known as enlightened absolutism) is a political concept associated with absolute monarchies and the governmental systems of the Old Regime in Europe. It incorporated ideas from the Enlightenment, asserting that a ruler's decisions should be guided by reason.

Validos

Validos (or 'valid characters' in a literal translation) were members of the aristocracy in whom the king placed his confidence. The king often delegated governmental work, allowing the valido to make major decisions.

Arbitrism

Arbitrism is the generic name for a stream of economic and political thought developed within the Spanish Monarchy, primarily in the Crown of Castile. Originating in the so-called School of Salamanca during the mid-sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, it is considered among the earliest forms of Spanish economic literature.

Spanish Monarchy

The Spanish Monarchy refers to all territories ruled by His Catholic Majesty and its system of government.

Guilds (Gremios)

A Guild (or Gremio) was a corporation or professional association of craftsmen created during the Middle Ages. These associations held significant importance in medieval times, guaranteeing production quality, ensuring manufacturing standards, fixing wages and prices, and seeking to avoid competition.

The Mesta

The Honorable Council of the Mesta (Honrado Concejo de la Mesta), created in 1273 by Alfonso X the Wise, was a national association that united the shepherds of Castile and León. It granted them important powers and privileges, including exemption from military service, the right to testify in court, and guaranteed grazing and transit rights.

The Inquisition

The Inquisition was an ecclesiastical court established by the Papacy in the Middle Ages. Its mission was to find, prosecute, and convict those guilty of heresy.

Viceroyalty

A Viceroyalty refers to the dignity or office of a viceroy, or the territory ruled by a person acting in the name of the king.

Capitulations

Capitulations were agreements or arrangements between the Spanish monarchs and individuals, particularly for the discovery, settlement, and exploitation of new lands. This practice dates back to the later centuries of the Middle Ages.

Military Orders

Military Orders were congregations originally composed of monk-soldiers. They emerged in the Middle Ages to cooperate in the fight against Muslims, combining the religious devotion of great monastic orders with the spirit of chivalry and military prowess of the era.

The Cortes

The Cortes were representative assemblies in the Spanish kingdoms. They typically comprised three estates: the nobility, the clergy (curia), and a third estate composed of the middle class and urban nobility, meeting under the presidency of the monarch.

Royal Councils (Consejos)

Councils (Consejos) were political bodies in Spanish history. These advisory institutions assisted the Kings of Spain in governance during the Early Modern period.