The Catholic Monarchs of Spain History Coursework Paper

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The Catholic Monarchs of Spain
Question a
King Ferdinand II of the kingdom of Aragon and Queen Isabella I of the Kingdom of Castile are referred to as the Catholic Monarchs. Their marriage on 19th October 1469 marked the turning point for uniting Iberian Peninsula, Spain, as it is currently called. Before their union as husband and a wife, chaos between Christians and Muslims was a big problem in the region. The neighboring communities from Portugal were also in constant fights with the Castile and the Aragon kingdoms. There were issues in the royal families that brought misunderstandings among people of the kingdoms in the region. The two kingdoms became peaceful but never merged into one even though their leaders were married. They, however, merge later between 1707 and 1716 after an agreement known as Nuevo Planta decrees were signed. King Ferdinand II and Queen Isabella I always defended catholic believers within their kingdoms. For this reason, Pope Alexander VI blessed them with the title Catholic King and Queen in the year 1494.
Marriage
The marriage between King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, however, did not result in instant peace. The two were first cousins from the family of Trastamara. Their marriage was opposed by the Pope because it went against Christian doctrine and hence was denied permission to get married, but they instead forged the permissions. This union led to Isabella's half-brother, Henry IV, to denounce his support for her as the heir of the throne and opted to support Joanne, who was a basted daughter. After the death of Henry IV, Isabella appealed Henry's decision and won. She, therefore, took over the leadership. War, however, broke between the rivaling sides in Castile. Isabella called for help from the kingdom of Aragon, and her husband, who was the heir of Aragon from his father Juan II, influenced the king. King Ferdinand II took over leadership after his father died (Ruiz, 106).
The catholic monarchs of the two kingdoms resolved their significant differences with the Portuguese through a treaty that they signed that was named the Treaty of Alcacovas. This was one way of how they brought peace. Ferdinand's father, Juan II, gave the couple a piece of good advice, which helped them later. He told them that neither was complete without the other.
The Royal motto and emblems
The two kingdoms shared the same coat of arms with the motto Tanto Monta which directly translate to "as much one as the other." This was a sign that they were now working together for the common good. Ferdinand initially used this motto but later decided with her wife to adopt it for the common benefit of their kingdoms. The emblems were similar, too, with the initials of their names attached. This meant that the subjects from the two kingdoms were united through this.
Royal Councils
Isabella ascended to power before Ferdinand. She came up with the idea of having a royal council system whose responsibility was to oversee vulnerable regions. The fact that Ferdinand was a king in the waiting made him spend most of his time in Castile with his wife, the queen. He continued this habit even after he took over the leadership after his father passed away. His absenteeism prompted the formation of the Council of Aragon, which came together with the Council of Castile that had already been formed earlier in 1480. They agreed on Castile to be the center of the monarch's leadership because it had more loyal officials with more extensive powers than Aragon. In 1478 the monarch enforced a law that ensured that those who converted into Christianity did not backslide into their old lives. This was termed as the Spanish Inquisition. They came up with the Council of the Crusade which was mandated to administer the income from the sale of bulls' crusading. Ferdinand later created the Council of the Military orders to watch over the Spanish military orders after he gained full control of the revenue in the year 1498. "Collecting taxes and restoring order bring us face to face with the manner in which Spanish kings or their agents laid the foundations for new ways of ruling, administering the realm, and placing the Crown on" (Ruiz, 112). The style of ruling that involved the Council lived later through the rule of their grandson Charles V.
Domestic Policy
The main goal that the monarch wanted to achieve was the restoration of the royal authority in Spain. They formed a group called the Holly Brotherhood that consisted of men who acted as judicial police in Castile kingdom and to keep the people of Castile on a check generally. Subsequent efforts came from the formation of the royal councils and picked judges who maintained order in the towns and cities. This was a crucial stage in ensuring that the order was restored in the region (Ruiz, 118).
Religious Policy
This was another reform that was formed and enforced in the catholic monarch. They had a dream of spreading Christianity to reach many other kingdoms. They, however, enforced this through strict rules. A Holy office of Inquisition was formed with the support of Pope Sixtus IV, who issued a bull to officiate the formation of the office. The primary purpose was to make sure that all Muslims and the Jews converted to Christians as well as to keep them from backsliding. This, however, did not appl...