Kingdom of Granada (Crown of Castile)
Encyclopedia
The Kingdom of Granada was a territorial jurisdiction of the Crown of Castile
from the conclusion of the Reconquista
in 1492 until Javier de Burgos
' provincial
division of Spain in 1833. This was a "kingdom" ("reino") in the second sense given by the Diccionario de la lengua española de la Real Academia Española
: the Crown of Castile consisted of several such kingdoms. Its extent is detailed in Gelo del Cabildo's 1751 Respuestas Generales del Catastro de Ensenada
(1750-54), which was part of the documentation of a census. Like the other kingdoms within Spain, the Kingdom of Granada was abolished by the 1833 territorial division of Spain
.
After the Granada War
ended January 2, 1492, the old Muslim
-ruled Kingdom of Granada became part of the Crown of Castile. The city of Granada
, which had been the last center of Muslim power in the Iberian Peninsula
, lost its political importance and even much of its economic importance, and entered a long period of decline. The so-called "discovery
" of America gave preeminence to Seville
, the only important inland port, which by the 16th century had become the principal city not only of Andalusia, but of all Spain. Nonetheless, Granada continued to play a significant institutional role: it was one of the seventeen cities with a vote in the Cortes de Castilla, the Granada Cathedral
was the seat of an archdiocese
and the Royal Chancery of Granada was the highest judicial court for half of the Crown of Castile, equaled only by a corresponding institution in Valladolid
.
The difficulties of religious and ethnic integration of the Morisco
s (former Muslims who had converted to Christianity) with the now-dominant Old Christian
s resulted in the unsuccessful, harshly repressed Morisco Revolt
of 1568–1571. The Moriscos were initially dispersed in the Castilian interior, then expelled outright
from Spain in 1609.
before the conquest of Granada, in the form of two fruited pomegranate
branches, known as a granada in Spanish, with the motto reinar es agridulce ("to reign is bittersweet"). It was later incorporated into the coats of arms used by the Catholic Monarchs
and their descendants. From 1475, the monarchs of Castile called themselves also monarchs of Granada, but it was not until 1492 that their military might made the title more than a boast. In 1497, a new coin, the excelente de granada featured the coat of arms of the Kingdom of Granada. This heraldic figure became part of Spain's national coat of arms
.
Crown of Castile
The Crown of Castile was a medieval and modern state in the Iberian Peninsula that formed in 1230 as a result of the third and definitive union of the crowns and parliaments of the kingdoms of Castile and León upon the accession of the then King Ferdinand III of Castile to the vacant Leonese throne...
from the conclusion of the Reconquista
Reconquista
The Reconquista was a period of almost 800 years in the Middle Ages during which several Christian kingdoms succeeded in retaking the Muslim-controlled areas of the Iberian Peninsula broadly known as Al-Andalus...
in 1492 until Javier de Burgos
Javier de Burgos
Francisco Javier de Burgos y del Olmo was a Spanish jurist, politician, journalist, and translator.-Early life and career:...
' provincial
Provinces of Spain
Spain and its autonomous communities are divided into fifty provinces .In other languages of Spain:*Catalan/Valencian , sing. província.*Galician , sing. provincia.*Basque |Galicia]] — are not also the capitals of provinces...
division of Spain in 1833. This was a "kingdom" ("reino") in the second sense given by the Diccionario de la lengua española de la Real Academia Española
Diccionario de la lengua española de la Real Academia Española
The Diccionario de la lengua española de la Real Academia Española or DRAE is the most authoritative dictionary of the Spanish language. It is produced, edited, and published by the Real Academia Española ; the first edition was published in 1780...
: the Crown of Castile consisted of several such kingdoms. Its extent is detailed in Gelo del Cabildo's 1751 Respuestas Generales del Catastro de Ensenada
Catastro of Ensenada
In 1749 a large-scale census and statistical investigation was conducted in the Crown of Castile . It included population, territorial properties, buildings, cattle, offices, all kinds of revenue and trades, and even geographical information from each place...
(1750-54), which was part of the documentation of a census. Like the other kingdoms within Spain, the Kingdom of Granada was abolished by the 1833 territorial division of Spain
1833 territorial division of Spain
The 1833 territorial division of Spain divided Spain into provinces, classified into "historic regions" . on the official web site of the government of the Canary Islands, accessed 2009-12-31...
.
After the Granada War
Granada War
The Granada War was a series of military campaigns between 1482 and 1492, during the reign of the Catholic Monarchs Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon, against the Nasrid dynasty's Emirate of Granada...
ended January 2, 1492, the old Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
-ruled Kingdom of Granada became part of the Crown of Castile. The city of Granada
Granada
Granada is a city and the capital of the province of Granada, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains, at the confluence of three rivers, the Beiro, the Darro and the Genil. It sits at an elevation of 738 metres above sea...
, which had been the last center of Muslim power in the Iberian Peninsula
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar...
, lost its political importance and even much of its economic importance, and entered a long period of decline. The so-called "discovery
Voyages of Christopher Columbus
In the early modern period, the voyages of Columbus initiated European exploration and colonization of the American continents, and are thus of great significance in world history. Christopher Columbus was a navigator and an admiral for Castile, a country that later founded modern Spain...
" of America gave preeminence to Seville
Seville
Seville is the artistic, historic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of the autonomous community of Andalusia and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of above sea level...
, the only important inland port, which by the 16th century had become the principal city not only of Andalusia, but of all Spain. Nonetheless, Granada continued to play a significant institutional role: it was one of the seventeen cities with a vote in the Cortes de Castilla, the Granada Cathedral
Granada Cathedral
Granada Cathedral is the cathedral in the city of Granada, capital of the province of the same name in the Autonomous Region of Andalusia, Spain.-History:...
was the seat of an archdiocese
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Granada
The Archdiocese of Granada is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in Spain. It was erected as the Diocese of Granada in the 3rd century, and was elevated to the rank of a metropolitan archdiocese by Pope Alexander VI on December 10, 1492, with the suffragan sees of...
and the Royal Chancery of Granada was the highest judicial court for half of the Crown of Castile, equaled only by a corresponding institution in Valladolid
Valladolid
Valladolid is a historic city and municipality in north-central Spain, situated at the confluence of the Pisuerga and Esgueva rivers, and located within three wine-making regions: Ribera del Duero, Rueda and Cigales...
.
The difficulties of religious and ethnic integration of the Morisco
Morisco
Moriscos or Mouriscos , meaning "Moorish", were the converted Christian inhabitants of Spain and Portugal of Muslim heritage. Over time the term was used in a pejorative sense applied to those nominal Catholics who were suspected of secretly practicing Islam.-Demographics:By the beginning of the...
s (former Muslims who had converted to Christianity) with the now-dominant Old Christian
Old Christian
Old Christian was a social and law-effective category used in the Iberian Peninsula from the late 15th and early 16th century onwards, to distinguish Portuguese and Spanish people attested as having cleanliness of blood from the populations categorized as New Christian, mainly persons of partial...
s resulted in the unsuccessful, harshly repressed Morisco Revolt
Morisco Revolt
The Morisco Revolt , also known as War of Las Alpujarras or Revolt of Las Alpujarras, in what is now Andalusia in southern Spain, was a rebellion against the Crown of Castile by the remaining Muslim converts to Christianity from the Kingdom of Granada.-The defeat of Muslim Spain:In the wake of the...
of 1568–1571. The Moriscos were initially dispersed in the Castilian interior, then expelled outright
Expulsion of the Moriscos
On April 9, 1609, King Philip III of Spain decreed the Expulsion of the Moriscos . The Moriscos were the descendants of the Muslim population that converted to Christianity under threat of exile from Ferdinand and Isabella in 1502...
from Spain in 1609.
Coat of arms
The heraldry of Granada was employed as a personal device by Henry IV of CastileHenry IV of Castile
Henry IV , King of the Crown of Castile, nicknamed the Impotent , was the last of the weak late medieval kings of Castile...
before the conquest of Granada, in the form of two fruited pomegranate
Pomegranate
The pomegranate , Punica granatum, is a fruit-bearing deciduous shrub or small tree growing between five and eight meters tall.Native to the area of modern day Iran, the pomegranate has been cultivated in the Caucasus since ancient times. From there it spread to Asian areas such as the Caucasus as...
branches, known as a granada in Spanish, with the motto reinar es agridulce ("to reign is bittersweet"). It was later incorporated into the coats of arms used by the Catholic Monarchs
Catholic Monarchs
The Catholic Monarchs is the collective title used in history for Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon. They were both from the House of Trastámara and were second cousins, being both descended from John I of Castile; they were given a papal dispensation to deal with...
and their descendants. From 1475, the monarchs of Castile called themselves also monarchs of Granada, but it was not until 1492 that their military might made the title more than a boast. In 1497, a new coin, the excelente de granada featured the coat of arms of the Kingdom of Granada. This heraldic figure became part of Spain's national coat of arms
Coat of arms of Spain
The current coat of arms of Spain, although it has its roots centuries ago, was approved by law in 1981, when the present established replaced the interim version which, in turn, replaced the official arms of Francoist Spain...
.
See also
- :es:Anexo:Localidades del Reino de Granada, a list of the localities that composed the Kingdom of Granada, according to the Catastro of EnsenadaCatastro of EnsenadaIn 1749 a large-scale census and statistical investigation was conducted in the Crown of Castile . It included population, territorial properties, buildings, cattle, offices, all kinds of revenue and trades, and even geographical information from each place...
(1750-54); this page is an appendix to the Spanish-language Wikipedia.