Land Tenure and Settlement Strategies of Medieval Iberian Kingdoms

Recruitment and Social Organization in the Christian Kingdoms

After the conquest of territories, the Christian kingdoms had to repopulate them to consolidate their gains. The required number of settlers was not always the same, which led to the application of various recruitment methods according to the time period. This resulted in a structure of land ownership characterized by small and medium properties north of the Tagus River and large, estate-dominated properties to the south.

Methods of Repopulation

1. Recruitment by Haste (8th–10th Centuries)

This method was implemented in areas north of the Douro River and the Pyrenean foothills. Haste (or Presura) was the occupation of empty land; whoever cultivated a deserted area gained ownership of that land. There were two types of haste: individual and collective.

2. Concejil Restocking (11th–12th Centuries)

This method took place between the Douro River and the Mountains of Toledo, extending east into the Ebro Valley, coinciding with a period of population growth. The territory was divided into large councils (concejos) or alfoces, over which the king sent a representative and maintained a group of knights for defense.

3. Restocking by Military Orders (First Half of the 12th Century)

This occurred in the valley of the Guadiana and Teruel (west) and north of Castellón (eastern part). Large, sparsely populated areas were conquered mainly by military orders, which divided the land into parcels. A knight commander ruled these parcels. This method originated large estates dedicated primarily to farming and ranching.

4. Stocking Allotments (Repartimientos) (Second Half of the 13th Century)

This method was used in the Guadalquivir Valley and the Levantine coast. After conquering an area, it was split into donadíos (donations), which were distributed to those who had participated in the conquest, according to their social rank. This also generated large estates, although some Concejil repopulation also occurred.

Sociopolitical Structure and Land Tenure

The estates (señoríos) were initially lands granted directly by the king. This term appeared during the Reconquista, referring to ancestral lands that were not previously owned by anyone. Initially, these properties were not independent of the crown, but by the twelfth century, they achieved independence from the royal court and became known as jurisdictional domains (señoríos jurisdiccionales).

Society was rigidly stratified, divided into three estates:

• Clergy: Possessed privileges.
• Nobility: Possessed privileges.
• Commons (Third Estate): Lacked privileges.

This division was rigid; since every individual belonged to an estate, it was very difficult to climb or descend socially. The only truly open class was the clergy.