Kingdom of Castile

Quick Facts: Who was Kingdom of Castile?

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Kingdom of Castile

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A powerful medieval Iberian polity that evolved from a frontier county to a major European kingdom.

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Origins & Early Life

The Kingdom of Castile was a polity in the Iberian Peninsula during the Middle Ages. It traces its origins to the 9th-century County of Castile, as an eastern frontier lordship of the Kingdom of León. During the 10th century, the Castilian counts increased their autonomy, but it was not until 1065 that it was separated from the Kingdom of León and became a kingdom in its own right. Between 1072 and 1157, it was again united with León, and after 1230, the union became permanent. Throughout that period, the Castilian kings made extensive conquests in southern Iberia at the expense of the Islamic principalities.

Career & Major Achievements

The Kingdoms of Castile and of León, with their southern acquisitions, came to be known collectively as the Crown of Castile, a term that also came to encompass overseas expansion. According to the chronicles of Alfonso III of Asturias, the first reference to the name "Castile" (Castilla) can be found in a document written during AD 800. In the Al-Andalus chronicles from the Cordoban Caliphate, the oldest sources refer to it as Al-Qila, or "the castled" high plains past the territory of Alava, further south than it and the first encountered in their expeditions from Zaragoza. The name reflects its origin as a march on the eastern frontier of the Kingdom of Asturias, protected by castles, towers, or castra, in a territory formerly called Bardulia. The County of Castile, bordered in the south by the northern reaches of the Spanish Sistema Central mountain system, was just north of modern-day Madrid province.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

It was re-populated by inhabitants of Cantabria, Asturias, Vasconia and Visigothic and Mozarab origins. It had its own Romance dialect and customary laws. From the first half of the 9th century until the middle of the century, in which it came to be paid more attention, it was administered and defended by the monarchs of Leon, due to the increased incursions from the Emirate of Córdoba. Its first repopulation settlements were led by small abbots and local counts from the other side of the Cantabrian ridge neighbor valleys, Trasmiera and Primorias and smaller ones, from the contiguous maritime valleys of Mena and Encartaciones in nearby Biscay; some of those settlers had abandoned those exposed areas of the Meseta a few decades earlier, and taken refuge in the much denser and more intractable woods of the Atlantic valleys, so they were not that foreign to them. A mix of settlers from the Cantabrian and Basque coastal areas, which were recently swelled with refugees, was led under the protection of Abbot Vitulus and his brother, Count Herwig, as registered in the local charters they signed around the first years of the 800s.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1065: 1065 Milestone — During the 10th century, the Castilian counts increased their autonomy, but it was not until 1065 that it was separated from the Kingdom of León and became a kingdom in its own right.
2. 1072: 1072 Milestone — Between 1072 and 1157, it was again united with León, and after 1230, the union became permanent.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Kingdom of Castile

True or False: “The initial name 'Castile' derived from its strategic location as a border region protected by fortifications.”

Answer (TRUE ⭕): The name reflects its origin as a march on the eastern frontier of the Kingdom of Asturias, protected by castles or castra.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Ferdinand I of León — Historical peer (Died in 1065) (1065): King of León and Count of Castile, known as 'the Great' for consolidating the western Iberian realm.
• Al-Qushayri — Historical peer (Died in 1072) (1072): Eminent Arab scholar, Sufi philosopher, and master of Islamic sciences.
• Alp Arslan — Historical peer (Died in 1072) (1072): Second Sultan of the Seljuk Empire, expanding its vast territories and power.
• Alfonso II of Aragon — Historical peer (Born in 1157) (1157): King of Aragon and Count of Barcelona, pivotal figure in the Catalan 'Pyrenean unity'.
• Alfonso VII of León and Castile — Historical peer (Died in 1157) (1157): King of León, Castile, and Galicia; sought to establish an imperial title in Iberia.
• Alfonso IX of León — Historical peer (Died in 1230) (1230): King of León and Galicia, known for modernizing his domain and founding the University of Salamanca.
• Manco Cápac — Historical peer (Died in 1230) (1230): Legendary founder of the Inca civilization in Cusco, central to Inca mythology.

Frequently Asked Questions about Kingdom of Castile