Medieval Iberian Kingdoms: Astur-Leonese Rise and Castile's Emergence

1. Reino Astur-Leonese

• Surge in the first half of the eighth century.
• 718: The Visigoths elected Pelayo as their king.
• 722: He faced Muslims in the Battle of Covadonga, a skirmish of uncertain outcome, but one that allowed him to consolidate his power. The court was established in Oviedo.
• In the ninth century, cities such as Burgos, Zamora, and Coimbra were incorporated into the kingdom. The maximum expansion coincided with the reign of Alfonso III.
• In the tenth century, the capital moved to León, and the kingdom was renamed the Kingdom of León.

2. Nacimiento de Castilla

At the time of the Caliphate of Cordoba:

• León suffered Muslim raids and its expansion was arrested.
• Castile becomes independent.
• It was divided into counties, which were united under the authority of Count Fernan Gonzalez.

The gradual decline from the late 10th century increased the power and influence of:

• Counts of Castile
• Kings of Navarre

1035: Castilla becomes its own kingdom.

4. Christian Organization of Territories

• The king had ultimate authority.
• The court was itinerant.
• In the Asturian-Leonese kingdom, a network of fortresses was built to defend the territory.
• In the Pyrenees, nobles and military commanders were in charge of controlling afforested land.
• There was no standing army; the warriors were linked to the king by homage.
• The conquered territories were settled by freeholders. They used a backward agriculture, therefore, trade almost disappeared.

1. World Known to Europeans in the XV Century

In the early fifteenth century, the world known to Europeans was limited to Europe and the territories surrounding the Mediterranean and Black Sea.

They also knew of the existence of India, China, and Japan due to trips made by medieval travelers like Marco Polo, and because trade routes brought silk, spices, and certain products. However, knowledge of these lands was far more vague.

They knew almost nothing of the interior of Africa and Asia, nor did they know of the existence of America and Oceania.

Define:

• Portulano Map: Map specially created for navigation. It only draws the line of maritime coast and obstacles, indicating the shortest distance between ports via straight lines.
• Compass: Guidance tool that indicates the location of true north.
• Astrolabe: Instrument for guidance based on the position of the stars.
• Carabela (Caravel): Boat linking speed and load capacity.

3. Causes of the Discoveries

From the fifteenth century, Europeans carried out a series of maritime expeditions that expanded their knowledge of the world. The causes of these explorations:

• They needed to seek new trade routes with the Orient. In 1453, the Turks captured Constantinople and the Byzantine Empire. This interrupted the trade routes linking Europe with the Far East. Thus, Western European countries tried to find new routes to Asia and Africa by bordering deep into the ocean.