Spanish Key Terms (1469-1598) - Access to History

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(Crown of) Aragon
The name of the three kingdoms of Aragon, Catalonia and Valencia all united under one king
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Basque Countries
A group of regions in the west Pyrenees. In the 15th century, Navarre was the main Basque country, and was partially in Iberia, and partially in France. The kingdom itself was ruled by Castile, but was practically independent in most matters
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Iberian Peninsula
The landmass occupied by the medieval kingdoms of Castile, Aragon and Portugal.

It is geographically separated from France by the Pyrenees, and Africa by the strait of Gibraltar
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Meseta
The vast highland plateau in the Iberian interior
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Castile
The Crown of Castile occupied the area from Burgos in the north to Toledo in the south. It is made up of several subkingdoms
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Reconquista
(Or Reconquest) A series of military campaigns to reclaim Iberian lands from its Muslim occupiers. It began in the 8th century, and lasted until 1492 with the fall of Granada
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Frontiersmen
Christians who lived on the frontier of Christian Spain. They had to frequently fight Muslims to defend and expand Christian lands
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Religious Orders of Knights
Christian military/monastic organisations formed to defend and expand Christian lands of Spain against the Moors.

Owned large portions of land, especially in Southern Spain
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Cortes
The parliament in each of the kingdoms in Castile (single Cortes) and Aragon (The Three Cortes)
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Fueros
Existing Aragonese laws, privileges and traditions of a province. There was a great pressure on the Aragonese Crown to observe these
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Justiciar
Aragonese law officers in charge of courts and justice, appointed by the Crown for life
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Moors
Muslims who invaded in the eight century and established a rule that lasted until the 15th century in Andalucía
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Pogrom
The officially ordered persecution and massacre of a minority group, especially Jews
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Conversos
Jews who converted to Christianity, many forcibly to avoid persecution or expulsion from Spain or Portugal. They faced frequent scrutiny of their conversions
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New World
A name for the Americas, especially during the time of first exploration and colonisation of the region by Europeans; Also called the Indies
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Ottoman Empire
A Muslim Turkish empire in Europe, the Middle East and Africa which had a dominant role in the Mediterranean
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Grandee
A Spanish nobleman of the highest rank. During the reign of Charles I, the number of Grandees was limited to 25
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Mendoza Family
One of the most powerful families in Spain, a number of whose members held important positions in government during the 15th and 16th century
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Cruzada
A tax, or money offering which was earmarked for the Christian crusades against the Muslims
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Indulgences
The remission granted by the Church of the temporal punishment due to sins already forgiven
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Hermandad & Santa Hermandad
A local peace-keeping force

The Santa Hermandad was a Crown controlled council and coordinated by a general council, financed by local communities
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Mudejars
Muslims living under Christian rule
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Corregidores
Crown governors appointed to Castilian towns
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Alcabala
A sales tax, usually 10%
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Mayorazgo
The inheritance of an estate by a single person so families retained ownership of their land
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Letrados
Lawyers, usually with 2 years of academic degrees and 10 years of legal experience
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Ordinances
Decrees issued by the monarchs
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Pragmaticas
Laws which the two monarchs had issued without had issued without going through the Cortes of Castile, but which still had to be obeyed by the inhabitants of Castile
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Audiencia
The highest court in Castile, and a royal court of appeals, set up to administer royal justice
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Maravedis
A copper coin which was the lowest measure of Castilian currency, and was also the most used
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Juros
Repayments made by the Crown to cover the debt made by its military campaigns
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Convivencia
The coexistence of Christians, Jews and Muslims in medieval Spain
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Laity
People who are not clergy
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'Old' Christians
People of Catholic faith with no Jewish ancestry
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Inquisition
An organisation responsible for finding and punishing people who did not follow Catholic beliefs and practices
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Auto de Fe
(Literally an "Act of Faith") A public ceremony at which the Inquisition announced its sentences for those found guilty. The burnings of heretics took place after such ceremonies
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Usury
The lending of money at unreasonably high rates of interest
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Witchcraft
Practice and belief in magical skills. Usually such powers were considered to be evil and associated with the Devil
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Blasphemy
Actions or offence of speaking in a disrespectful way towards God
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Moriscos
Name given to the Muslims who converted to Christianity. They were suspected of secretly practicing Islam, as they usually kept their traditional dress, diet and language
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Pikemen
Foot soldiers who carried pikes - long weapons (about 4.9m) topped with a metal point
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Tercio
A new type of infantry formation used by the Spanish armies from 1534. Combined usage of Arquebusses and Pikes
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Knights Hospitallers
Catholic religious and military orders based on Rhodes during this period
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Privateering ships
Privately owned ships authorised by a government to take part in a war
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Artillery
Large military weapons designed to fire projectiles beyond the range of an infantry's small arms
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Trebuchet
A type of catapult used as a siege engine
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Habsburgs
Rulers of Austria, the Netherlands, and also held the elected position as Holy Roman Emperor, with control over a large number of states in central Europe
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Papal Bull
A document issued by a Pope, declaring the commands and policies of the Papacy. It is named after the metal seal which it bears as a mark of authenticity
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Encominda
A land grant given to an individual in return for his services to the Crown.

New World settlers receiving these grants also received a specified number of natives from a particular community
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Regent
Ruler of a kingdom during the absence, childhood or illness of the king or queen
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Servicio
A sum of money to be raised by taxation
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Ducat
A variety of gold and silver coins used in Western Europe. One ducat is worth 375 Maravedis
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Comuneros
The city dwellers who organised themselves to defend the rights of their communities against the government.
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Junta
A council
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Comunidad
Many of the towns in Castile joined the Santa Junta de Comunidad to rebel against the imposition of Habsburg authority (Charles V)
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Germania
"Brotherhood". It was a Christian brotherhood of armed volunteers to defend the Valerian coast against Muslim pirates
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Sisa
A tax on food
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Viceroy
An official who runs a country or state in the name of, and as the delegated representative of a monarch
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Order of the Golden Fleece
An order of Chivalry founded in the 15th century by a Duke of Burgundy and headed by a king. Members had special privileges
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Fuggers
An influential banking family from Germany who had many trading links throughout Europe. Their loans allowed Charles V to become Holy Roman Emperor
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See
The area of a Bishop's ecclesiastical jurisdiction
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Illumanists/Alumbrados
Someone who believed in direct communication with God
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Polyglot Bible
A version of the Bible that contains side-by-side versions of the same text in a number of different languages
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Erasmist
Follower of Erasmus and his doctrine
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Arquebuse
An early musket
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Conquistador
A conqueror and adventurer, especially one of the Spanish conquerors of Mexico and Peru in the 16th century
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Bullion
Amount of gold and silver valued by weight before its minted into coins
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Peso
New World bullion was normally reckoned in Pesos. The New World silver Peso was valued at 272 maravedis, and the gold Peso at 450
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Arable
Land that can be ploughed and is suitable for growing crops
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Millones
A tax on basic foods - wine, meat, olive oil and vinegar, introduced in 1590
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Tithe
One tenth of annual production or earnings given to the Church
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Lie fallow
The practice of leaving the soil unsown for a period of time to restore its fertility
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Mesta
An influential guild of livestock owners, that controlled the movement of sheep across the Iberian peninsula, defended and promoted the interests of the wool trade
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Barbary States
North African states which frequently raided the Iberian coast and collaborated with the Ottoman Empire regularly
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Caballero
A knight, belonging to the lower nobility but not always propertied
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Canon Law
The Catholic Church's laws used to govern the Church and its members
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Military Orders
The Orders were chivalric organisations established in the middle ages to aid in the Reconquista. By the 1480s, these orders had accumulated large amounts of land, property, fortresses and some towns.

The most powerful orders were Santiago, Calatrava and
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Lutheran
Named after Martin Luther, they were challengers to the Roman Catholic Church and rejected papal authority
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Spanish Inquisition
Approved in 1478 by the pope, and implemented in 1480 with the intent of eradicating heresy from the different provinces of Spain
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Imperial Diet
A meeting of representatives from the dozens of cities, states and duchies that made up the Holy Roman Empire
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Church's Index of Forbidden Books
Books that were censored by the Church, that typically contained heretical ideas
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Consulta
Reports summarising the discussions of council meetings which would be relayed to the crown
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Defenestrate
Throwing an individual out of a window with intent to harm or kill
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Dispaches
Documents or correspondences between representatives from different territories
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Disputacion del Reyno
The permanent committee of the Aragonese Cortes, which oversaw the administration of revenues and the provinces liberties
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Encabezamiento
The system that organised and assessed the collection of taxes (including the Alcabala) in the localities
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Excusado
A tax upon properties in parishes granted by Pope Pius V in 1567
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Hidalgo
Lowest rank of the nobility
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Janissaries
Elite armed forces of the Ottoman Empire
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Landgrave
Title of the rulers of certain territories within the HRE, equivalent to a Count
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Observant Reform
Reforms of Catholic religious orders, motivated by the goal of returning to and observing the original rules of each order's founders
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Papal fief
Territories handed out by the Papacy in exchange for loyalty, the provision of funds and the protection of the Church
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Patronage
The hierarchical system in which kings and nobles provided income through land and office to clients, who in return served them
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Poderes
Instructions which town representatives were expected to follow
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Prerogative
Rights and privileges of the monarch
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Procurador
Urban representative in the Castilian Cortes
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Roman Law
Codified law that originated in ancient Rome, that contrasted with local laws
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Sea Beggars
Dutch Calvanists who were privateers and opposed Spanish rule in the Netherlands
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Senorio
Lordship associated with a particular area
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Subsidies
Taxes voted in the Cortes
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Council of Trent
The reforming council of the Catholic Church between 1545-63. The decrees issued focused on doctrine and discipline reform
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Tridentine
Of, or pertaining to the Council of Trent (such as decrees or reforms)
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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

A group of regions in the west Pyrenees. In the 15th century, Navarre was the main Basque country, and was partially in Iberia, and partially in France. The kingdom itself was ruled by Castile, but was practically independent in most matters

Back

Basque Countries

Card 3

Front

The landmass occupied by the medieval kingdoms of Castile, Aragon and Portugal.

It is geographically separated from France by the Pyrenees, and Africa by the strait of Gibraltar

Back

Preview of the back of card 3

Card 4

Front

The vast highland plateau in the Iberian interior

Back

Preview of the back of card 4

Card 5

Front

The Crown of Castile occupied the area from Burgos in the north to Toledo in the south. It is made up of several subkingdoms

Back

Preview of the back of card 5
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