The Rise of Monarchies

A new monarchy brings power to the royal family. It does this in many ways. A new monarchy reduces the power of nobility, and confiscates land from the nobles that are on “their” land. They also impose taxes and tariffs on whatever they want. A new monarchy will also create standing armies and hire mercenaries to protect their land and to grow their empire. Basically a new monarchy wants to bring money, power, and control to the royal family that is in rule. An example of two new monarchies is Henry VII of England and Ferdinand I of Spain.

Both the royal families and states they represent are great examples of a new monarch from the time period of 1450 to 1550. Spain exemplifies the key characteristics of a new monarch. It all starts with the centralization of power in Spain towards one royal family. This all starts with the marriage of King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Isabella of Castile. Before this marriage modern day Spain was fragmented into 4 four separate states, Aragon, Castile, Granada, and Navarre. The marriage combined Castile and Aragon, which allowed Ferdinand I of Spain and Queen Isabella to control most of modern day Spain.

Along with this event Ferdinand and Isabella centralized the system of justice and made towns more subservient to the royal will in Castile. Ferdinand now is gaining control and power of his land, so he does what a new monarch should do and rips power and authority from the nobilities on his land. Ferdinand stripped the Castilian nobles of some of their privileges while he dispenses their titles and positions. In Aragon he has trouble with the nobles but they later will alliance with the King in fear of a revolt in the lower class. Now The Spanish Royal Family has gained control of their land.

In order for Ferdinand to keep his kingdom safe and undisturbed from outsiders, he takes the province of Granada from the Moors. This shows Ferdinand’s rise in power in 1492 and shows Ferdinand having military power as well. Even though new monarchies impose taxes on whatever they want, the Spanish monarchy didn’t as much as other monarchies, like England. The royal family did take money from the church by handling the populace’s tithes and the sales of indulgences and keeping some for royalty, which shows rising power of the monarch.

The monarchy also only got about 10% of its income from the people. Spain’s real income came from the America’s. The silver from the Potosi and Spain’s trade really defined the monarchs economy, power, and control during the monarchs climax years. In result of the wealth Spain had they are able to build standing armies and state themselves as the most powerful state at the time. With Ferdinand being able to control his lands, become extremely wealthy, and have power, he has created a true new monarch. As well as Spain, the English and King Henry VII of England also created a new monarch.

The key factor in the start of this monarch is definitely the War of the Roses. With the Tudor Family “victory”, Henry Tudor, the last claimant of the throne of the Lancaster’s, became the beginning of the Tudor’s Monarch. Henry was an ambitious ruler. He wanted to make the Tudor state so powerful, no noble factions or challengers could challenge him or his state. As most monarchs did, Henry strengthened royal authority in England by creating the Star Chamber, which became one of the highest courts in the land.

These justices dispensed justice, collected taxes, enforced troop levies, and maintained order. Even though this makes the government, or the royal family, more decentralized, it strengthened the efficiency and prestige of the monarchy. It helps Henry control his land which ultimately is a goal of a new monarch. Even though Henry has a justice system, he also exemplifies that the monarch has the most power. In fact he obtained from parliament writs of attainder and forfeiture, which allows him to declare anyone of treason, have them killed and take their property from them.

This definitely states that the king has the most power and he can do whatever he wants. Along with gaining more power, Henry won the loyalty of most of the nobles on his land, which now centralizes the power of England to the royal family.. Another key characteristics of this new monarch is the fact that Henry imposed tariffs protecting the cloth and wool industries in his monarch. This decreed acts unifying weights and measures, and constructed edicts punishing vagabondage and begging.

This not only states more power of the throne but shows Henry building his economy with protecting his industries. All in all Spain and England exemplifies the true new monarch and all of its characteristics. Both Henry and Ferdinand strip power from the nobility, build their wealth in industry, natural resources, taxes, and/or tariffs. Their wealth allows them to create armies and gain power and control on their own lands and in the lands they conquer. Basically they gain control of their lands, get wealth and ultimately have power, which states a new monarch.