The Story of Aragón

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[stnylan: I just hope I can get the whole place in time to become Spain.]

Section Six
Being a Period of Eight Years.

During this time we continued to attempt the colonization of the two areas of coastline we discovered. One and all agreed, however, that the expedition was a failure, not by my fault but that it was doomed to fail from the start.

On 20 October 1440 I hired another man to help with the administration of Aragón while I got used to it. He was a most excellent minister and helped for some time.

I improved our relations with Castille in the hope that our increased power would encourage them to join in a Union. However, King Alfonso discouraged me from doing so and I did as he wished. [OOC: For some odd reason the vassalization button was greyed out.]

On 27 December I made a diplomatic coup that increased our relations with France. We were about to need it.

On 13 January 1441 the King of Sicily (the one ruling in Naples, not our King of Sicily) died and King Alfonso was the closest heir. In a sudden (and probably bad in hindsight) move I made the kingdom an autonomous part of Aragónese land rather than a seperate kingdom. The Neapolitans didn't mind, but other countries, including the French and the Venetians, did. We were able to buy the Venetians off easily but the French were none too happy.

Internal stability dropped, aggrivated by when I had further increased the power of the central government. The annoyed relatives of the old King of Navarra attempted a short and easily dealt with rebellion in December 1442.

On 15 June 1443 the people of Barcelona approached the King with the proposal of a great cathedral to be built there. However, we were short on funds so he refused. Too bad.

After a small revolt in Gilbraltar early in 1444, several of the nobles of the country approached King Alfonso asking that he restore them to their old rights. He refused. This further hurt stability in Aragón, but a king cannot afford to bow to the nobles once, lest they use this weakness to drain all his power.

Just as we were recovering from this, in 1446 we received news that the peasantry was becoming unhappy. Alfonso and I just shrugged and prepared to wait it out.

By this point we had removed all the emnity between ourselves and France. However, they are expanding into northern Italy and this is making us very nervous.

After this, we took some time to recover from our instability. By 1448 we were better off and prepared to see how we could continue the unification of Iberia, which had quickly become our goal.

 

[Amric]

Still looking good, Judas. As for not being able to vassalize Castile, perhaps they already had their own vassal? Or was a vassal to someone else, or you didn't meet all the requirements. Still a good tale though. Keep up the good work!

 

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As for not being able to vassalize Castile, perhaps they already had their own vassal? Or was a vassal to someone else, or you didn't meet all the requirements.

No, no, and no. I wouldn't have been surprised if that was the cause of the problems. But this is just inexplicable. I've had it happen to me before, it's always a puzzler.

 

[stnylan]

Glad to hear it JM.

 

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[stnylan: Glad to hear what?]

Section Seven
Being a Period of Seven Years and Sixty-One Days

Interesting news arrived at our court early in 1448 about a power struggle within the Portuguese court. I arrived in Lisbon in late January to find out what happened.

It involved the regent of Portugal, the Duke of Coimbra. He had been installed by us as regent for their King Afonso. Now, many of the nobles in Portugal got the strange idea that Aragonese rule was bad. So, when Afonso came of age, they attempted to make the King get rid of Coimbra.

A fight broke out between the two factions. Coimbra's won out and, thankfully, he seems rather happy to maintain a pro-Aragonese stance. Thank you, puppet duke.

While putting down another ineffectual revolt in Navarra, we learned that the Mongol Horde in the Russian steppes had collapsed into several different groups, including Crimea, Ukraine, and Astrakhan. Not that it really affects us any.

We also heard news from the east of a crusade the Pope had launched against the Turks. The Duchy of Athens has stripped the Turks of all their European posessions except Bulgaria, and the Pope's armies conquered the small Turkish state of Teke. In a related note, the Byzantine Empire has been occupied by the Turks for several years and still refuses to be annexed. Now, if they had any hope for survival that would make sense, but seeing as how they have no allies, army, or navy that's just ridiculous.

On 10 July 1451 the duke of Provence died without an heir. We held our breath. Whomever inherited would have a claim on Naples. If it was the French we might be in for a bumpy ride. Fortunately, however, the English inherited. We are on good terms with them and they are not likely to be able to press a claim so far from their power base in England.

The next few years we recovered the stability we had lost in the 1440s. During that time we also tried to increase our trading presence in Lisbon.

We failed miserably. All we were able to do was kick out one merchant from Baden in 1453. Apparently, not much happens there and this was a big deal to their Margrave, since he had a heart attack and died when he heard the news. Well, he was old, so I'll let him by on that one.

Now, it came to my attention around late 1454 that we could, through a loophole in the Proclamation of 1437 and the cooperation of the Portuguese nobles, make Portugal a practical part of Aragón. However, they were at war with the African state of Mali at the time and for some odd reason King Alfonso told me to wait until that was over. But I wanted that center of trade in Lisbon. I wanted it so bad I could taste it. Not that I know what a center of trade tastes like, but you get my idea.

In 1454, the old King of Castille died and his son Enrique rose to the throne. We sent him a gift to better relations between us two, hoping that we could make him a vassal soon afterwards.

He immediately, but politely, offered to make us the vassal.

After just as politely refusing his offer and recovering from its stupidity, we recieved news early in 1455 that the Portugal-Mali war was over. On 2 March we were informed of the nobles' decision:

With the help of the Duke of Coimbra, we had practically annexed Portugal.

[Right. I get: 3 provinces more to cower Castille with, a nice army to keep those provinces in line, several colonies, lots of maps, and, best of all, a nice, juicy center of trade. All this for five easy installments of 29.99 ducats, if you call right now! ]

 

[stnylan]

Just glad to hear of your plans for Iberian domination are proceeding apace. What else?

 

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Section Eight
Being A Period of Five Years and One Hundred Sixty-Five Days

Although we inherited a large army along with the rest of Portugal we were forced to make severe cuts in order to afford it. Soon, this army was hard at work fighting rebels. Often, the rebels would win temporary victories. Emphasis on "temporary".

We also found in the Portuguese records about their colony in "Brazil". Understanding this colony's potential, I ordered, with the help of a gift from one of our nobles, the expansion of the colony (with good Aragónese men of course). Now we have a good base in this new land.

Although we attempted to use our new expansion to cower the Castillians into vassalization, they consistently refused.

In January of 1457 a comet was sighted low in the western sky. Many of our peasants saw this as a bad sign, that Aragón was due to fall (eternal pessimists...). We saw it as a sign that Aragón's future lay in the west. My big question is, why didn't any peasants in other kingdoms notice it?

Our next trouble was late in 1457 when a group of Barcelonan artisans complained about me not wanting that old cathedral and implored me to change my decision. Since this was very old news by now I just had the idiots executed. It was either that or give in to their demands. Why I couldn't just refuse and send them away I don't know.

By this point King Alfonso was starting to feel... well, not himself. He has given more of the administration of Aragón to me. My first act was to increase central royal power over the several kingdoms.

Finally, in June of 1458 Alfonso, King of Aragón, Navarra, and Sicily, conqueror of Granada, protector of Portugal, died in his sleep. All the country mourned his passing, except for a few Portuguese in the Algarve region who were rebelling at the time and actually cheered. We rather quickly dealt with them.

Alfonso has been succeeded by his brother Juan, who just happened to be the person whom Alfonso had kicked out of Navarra back in 1437. Fortunately he blamed Alfonso for this and kept me as minister.

Oddly, although Juan had been restored to his position, the revolts in northern Navarra continued. He put them down just as his brother did.

"Rebels! You are ugly and your mothers are dogs!"
"Oh, that's not nice. You didn't have to put us down like that."

Rebellions continued just as usual, and they were defeated just as usual. These were compounded, however, when in November 1459 representatives of the cities of Juan's kingdoms petitioned him to restore them to their old rights. Although he didn't remember them ever having rights, he accepted anyway since we couldn't afford a loss in stability right now. We can always centralize again later.

In August of 1460 King Juan sent me to convince the King of Castille to join Aragón in an Iberian Union, like our earlier offers. In several speeches I set out before him the many virtues of such a union, such as economic prosperity, represented by the many bri--er, gifts we sent him during this time.

Finally, he agreed, and on 13 August 1460 a document was signed creating the Union of España (tenative title, named after the old Roman province of Hispania), which although nominally equal, I made sure we would be the senior partner. Also in there was an agreement that in 1469 there would be a marriage between our Prince Fernando (eight in 1460) and their Princess Isabella (King Enrique's sister, then nine). Ferdinand would be our heir and I was to make sure Isabella would be theirs.

For the record, I succeeded.

[stnylan: Yes, proceeding apace indeed. At this rate I should be able to annex Castille before 1490 and become Spain.]

 

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Alfonso V was a great king... both the aragonese Alfonso V and the portuguese Alfonso V... :rofl:

With La Unión de las Españas now you are stronger than ever! And keep up doing a good job colonizing Brazil (and found there a colony called Pindamonhangaba, please! )!

 

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[Anibal: Of course, I intend to colonize as much as I can, and it looks like I have a monopoly on South America. ]

Section Nine
Being a Period of Six Years and Three Hundred Five Days

After the creation of the Hispanic Union, King Juan, now recieving great amounts of money through both the Union and the increased trade in Lisbon, began a program of improved fortifications around the country. Of most importance were mountainous areas (such as the Pyrennes), where enemy armies would be forced to besiege under very unfavourable conditions.

On 16 November 1461 I was approached by a group of nobles from Gilbraltar who wished that some of the church functions in the area (inflated in order to support the Inquisition in Granada) be given to the nobility, as they said this would promote greater efficiency in the area. I saw through their attempt at power grabbing and politely dismissed them.

1462 became a year of crusades. First, the Castillans declared war upon Algiers ("forgetting" to ask us to join in, of course). The war didn't really lead to much, though. Second, we recieved news that the Austrians had joined the ongoing crusade against the Ottomans.

Later that year, a group of Navarrans revolted against us, continuing their revolts to get the rightful king of Navarra in power. Someone must have forgotten to tell them that the rightful king of Navarra is in power.

Now, by this point stability was supposed to be quite high. It was in most places, at least. But the Navarrans and Portuguese had different ideas. They chose this time of peace and stability to revolt like crazy. The Algarve region was especially bad. Ah, well, these rebels still responded promptly to Aragonese soldiers.

On 23 November 1463 some of the peasants in northern Catalonia approached me and asked that I take a look at one of their petitions. They looked numerous and well-organised. I took a look at the petition. It seemed fairly reasonable, especially coming from peasants (only asking for redress of wrongs committed against them), but I thought what the local nobles would think. Eventually, however, not wishing another revolt there, I recommended to King Juan that he sign it. Juan agreed and we returned it to the peasants. He took the opportunity to let the nobles know that the King was the ultimate authority and that any mistreatment would not be tolerated. The nobles didn't like this but kept their mouths shut and their weapons sheathed. Smart fellows.

For the next several years we recovered stability and completed the system of fortifications. King Juan, in April 1468, stepped in to stop a feud between nobles and helped bring our country back to prosperity (although he spent a bit of money doing so). Also, in December of 1470 a major noble family in Portugal requested aid to help rebuild after a rebellion damaged his area. King Juan agreed, and a good amount of aid was sent.

At about this time we heard the news that many countries had declared war on France. The French had expanded into Italy and all those countries wished to check them. Most important were the Pope and England, which, while not enough to stop the French, were enough to sting them for a while. When Austria joined in, in 1472, the French were now beginning to tremble a bit. Rather than join all this, however, King Juan merely decided to watch and wait. France was a danger, but a war just wasn't worth it now.

I mentioned earlier the marriage between Isabella and Ferdinand, in 1469. This marriage came to be of help, since in 1474 King Enrique of Castille died and Isabella became queen. This brought our two countries closer together.

June 1476 became the big month that changed the map of Europe forever. First, we heard that the Austrians inherited Burgundy after Duke Charles died heirless. The French confiscated the Burgundian territory nearby and prepared to defend it against the Habsburgs. Second, King Juan and his new daughter-in-law Queen Isabella decided to come up with a new title for Ferdinand and Isabella: King and Queen of Spain. A new country was formed that day, and Iberia became finally unified.

Viva España!

[I edited the Aragonese "Viva España" event to fire if Aragón has Castille as a vassal, and made the Castillan event not fire if they are a vassal of Aragón.]

 

[Warspite]

it seems spain will not unify in my austrian aar, partly i wish they did but it will be interesting if they do not. Who knows what the future holds when we are in control aye

Nice AAr

 

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it seems spain will not unify in my austrian aar, partly i wish they did but it will be interesting if they do not. Who knows what the future holds when we are in control aye

Nice AAr

Interesting, since Austria is getting their rear end handed to them in this game ever since they lost the Burgundian areas to the French. Somewhat similar...

 

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Section Ten
Being a Period of Thirteen Years and Two Hundred Days

It came to my attention early in 1477 that the city-state of Algeirs was losing control of their outlying areas. It would be a simple matter to take the city for ourselves and create a staging-point for a crusade in North Africa. In April we gathered an army of 15,000 men on our grand Mediterranean fleet and sailed for Algeirs.

The Algerians attempted to stop us off of Minorca but were quite usuccesful. The Algerian fleet took severe losses while we took almost none. Our army landed on 12 July and chased the Algerian army across the countryside. Within three days they had forced all Algerian forces to neighboring areas and began besieging the city itself. Despite several Algerian attempts to break the siege the city fell on 18 March 1478.

Sadly, though, during the original attack my sons, Rodrigo and Ramiro, were killed in battle. Their bodies have been returned to Valencía for burial, and I have taken in Rodrigo's son Alfonso, who was only five years old when his father died.

In 1479, King Juan died and left the throne to Fernando. Now, Aragón and Castille were brought closer together, as their respective rulers were husband and wife.

Among the holy men of the realm there was one whose faith and zeal was unparalleled, a Dominican named Tomás de Torquemada (also Fernando and Isabella's confessor). In August of 1484 Ferdinand, Isabella and I requested to Pope Sixtus IV that he be appointed Inquisitor General of Castille. Sixtus did not only that, but also made him Grand Inquisitor of Spain. Torquemada immediately set out reorganizing the Inquisition.

His first job was Algeirs. The Muslim city had just been conquered and Torquemada intended to either save all of their souls or, barring that, sweep the city clean of heathens. His actions sparked many revolts but he seemed to be making progress.

In January of 1486 a Genoese merchant (then living in Lisbon) named Christopher Columbus approached King Fernando, saying that he could reach Cathay by travelling westward over the ocean. Fernando was skeptical--the ancient calculation of the earth's circumference, combined with measurements made from Marco Polo's writings, made the distance too far to travel safely, even with Brazil. But Columbus said that Brazil wasn't some isolated place but in fact a large continent near but somewhat to the south of Cathay and Cipango.

Isabella sided with Columbus and I did as well. Fernando reluctantly let him go and on 13 July 1486 Columbus arrived in Brazil. Over the next couple years he explored farther and farther up the coast. One day, in 1488, he began coming across many small islands. One of the men on his ship attempted to converse with them in the language of the natives of Brazil. The natives immediately grew hostile. It was later found out that the savages on those islands were dangerous creatures known as the Carib. The Brazilians had heard stories of their fierceness and stregth. Columbus and his men had seen it first-hand, and were lucky to escape with few casualties.

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This is the last section that I will write, the last page of the book my father began seventy-one years ago. Actually, Alfonso is writing it as I have grown blind and must speak the words to him. He has grown up well in my care, and I hope that he will lead the new kingdom to greatness.

I have already spent a long time upon the earth and now God calls me to leave my body. Torquemada has heard my confession and prepares to perform the last rites. I leave this world content that my duty has been done. Even now Columbus travels westward to find new lands for Spain. Even now the heathens in Algeirs and Brazil are being converted by holy Christian men.

Ipse est enim Deus vivens, et aeternus in saecula:
et regnum eius non dissipabitur,
et potestas eius usque in aeternum.
Ipse liberator, atque salvator,
faciens signa, et mirabilia in caelo, et in terra.

St. James, protect the new Kingdom of Spain! St. Michael, lead our armies in their battles against the heathens! Lord Jesus Christ, I give my soul to you!

Agnus Dei,
Qui tollis peccata mundi;
Miserere nobis,
Dona nobis pacem.

Amen.

Sancho, second Duke of Valencia, minister to Their Majesties Fernando of Aragón and Isabella of Castilla-Léon, died on 1 January 1490. He was succeeded by his grandson Alfonso.

 

[stnylan]

A very good series of updates JM. Pity about the man's sons. I hope Alfonso will not disappoint his memory.

 

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Book II: The Catholic King
1490-1516​

Section One
Being a Period of Three Years and Fourteen Days

On the First of January, 1490, I inherited the Duchy of Valencía and the position of Prime Minster to His Majesty, Ferdinand, King of Spain, Aragón, Sicily, and Navarra, Protector of Portugal. Now, Ferdinand's first act was to marry me to the heiress of Portugal, a move which I had no problems with. His hope was to eventually make a Spaniard the King of Portugal.

King João immediately named his cousin Manuel the heir.

Annoyed, I still got to business. My first act was to introduce new farming techniques to our country. This resulted in an agricultural revolution and a population boom.

Next, we began focusing on Columbus' explorations. While he had not yet discovered Cipango or Cathay as he had promised, he was making progress in finding new lands for us to settle in. The first colony, which Columbus named San Fernando, was settled on 13 August 1490, on the island of Santo Domingo (which Columbus had named because he discovered it on 5 April 1489, a Sunday*).

Columbus' explorations brought him far. In the south, he discovered the lands of New Granada, Nicaragua, and Panama. To the north, on Easter Day 1491, he discovered a land he named Florida. While there, he heard tales of a "fountain of youth" which could restore an old man's vitality, but gave no credence to the tales.

On 1 January 1492, seeing as there was a growing community in the lands we had discovered, King Ferdinand created the Viceroyality of the Indies. I pointed out that, seeing as Columbus' expidition had discovered no trace of the lands Marco Polo had traveled through, we had not discovered India. "Besides," I said, "the calculations of Ptolmey, and estimations from the book of Marco Polo, show that Earth's circumference is too great, and the distance to Cathay too small, for us to have come close to it. I say Columbus would still have a good ten thousand miles to go." But once Ferdinand offered the title to me, I stopped protesting.

Back home, there was a growing sentiment that the Moors in southern Spain did not belong in a Catholic kingdom, and a growing Spanish nationalism began to see the Moors as outsiders. Finally, Ferdinand issued a proclamation, forcing all the Moors out of Aragonese lands. After announcing the proclamation outside his palace at Saragossa, he added, "Let us make a clean sweep for the Glory of God!"

Torquemada and his Inquisition, backed by the army if necessary, was sent to oversee the operation.

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*Domingo is the Spanish word for Sunday.
**Most of the reasons for names I give in here are completely made up by me. Probably all, in fact.

 

[stnylan]

I do like the involvement of the personal here, like the arranged marriage and how accuracy falls by the wayside to personal award.

 

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Section Two
Being a Period of Two Years and One Hundred Sixty-Four Days

The expulsion of the Moors was less bloody than we had feared. Most resigned to their fate, and left for Fez, although they carried their hatred of the Spanish with them. The few that chose to defy that order and band together in revolt were quickly dealt with. Those who did not fall in battle were given to Torquemada for the final disposition of their bodies and souls. The bodies were inevitable burned; the souls are a more open question. All said they converted, but I am sure many of them were lying.

On 21 August, with the death of the earlier Emperor, the electors of the Empire met in Worms to choose the next one. After a long and hotly-debated vote, they gave the crown to King Fernando. I took over the administration of Aragón while Fernando travelled to Worms so he could be crowned by the Pope (in a situation like this, my king is certain to make of it whatever he can, and a crowning strengthens his position).

During Ferdinand's absence, we were given news that Columbus had discovered another well-organized native tribe. They were named the Zapotek, and resided in the large landmass to the west of the "Indies". I sent an ambassador to their court, but our relations remain somewhat strained--they see us as strange outsiders, and to us they are heathens.

Ferdinand finally returned, in a sort of triumph, in mid January of 1494. We now referred to him as Emperor, and that took a bit of getting used to. Being invested in his title by God, however, didn't seem to sway either the still-annoying Algerians (which was to be expected) or the suddenly rebellious Sicilians (which was not to be expected). Both of them, of course, soon changed their minds; at least when they had a gun at their backs, which is all that really matters.

In July of 1494, Columbus discovered a tribe called the Mayans. Once again, we sent an ambassador, although those Mayans aren't really any better than the Zapotek.

All the fighting over the past year had strengthened our army, and in September Emperor Fernando set in motion reforms, which would give our army better weaponry, and would encourage the sharing of strategies and tactics among our officers.

All was going well, but of course good luck eventually runs out. On 27 June 1495 it was discovered that some of the courtiers in Saragossa were, in fact, spies for Fez, and that they had contributed to the many defeats our armies had suffered at the hands of Algerian rebels. They were thrown out, spat upon, and, of course, given to Torquemada. They were heathens, after all.

 

[Amric]

The inquisition will sort out those heathens by god! Great update, Judas....Where are the Aztecs? Or did the Zapoteks eat them?

 

[stnylan]

Kill them all?

 

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[Amric: The Aztecs are inland, I didn't have a conquistador yet.
stnylan: And let God sort them out. ]

Section Three
Being a Period of Three Years and Two Hundred One Days

As a result of the discovery of the spies from Fez, we also decided to continue our crusade in North Africa. On 1 March 1496 I sent a declaration of war to Fez and Morocco. We intended to strike from Algeirs out into their lands nearby, but the first battle was actually in Castillan soil, in Murcia. In a quick, five-day campaign we surrounded several different armies of Fez and forced them to surrender.

In May the Portuguese fleet struck out from Lisbon and met a navy of Fez. Once again, the battle was quick and a decisive victory for us. With the seas in our full control we started moving our army to Algiers. The famous general known now as El Gran Capitán arrived on 20 October along with the last of the army. His first target was Oran, along the coast to the west. Arriving on 24 November, he pushed aside a small Moroccan force and besieged the city. The city fell on 5 July 1497. Next was Fez, besieged on 7 August.

Meanwhile, Torquemada returned to Algiers to ensure that the heathens there would keep quiet. He cracked down even more strictly on Muslim practices, and in December was glad to report to Emperor Ferdinand and I that the city was now mostly Catholic.

In January of 1498, with Fez about to fall, the King of Fez attacked our army at Sidi Kacem. During the quick and bloody battle the King was captured. We forced him to give us a generous tribute in exchange for peace.

That June, the merchants of Barcelona spontaneously sponsored an improvement of the walls there. We were quite happy that they saved us the big cost of doing it ourselves.

With the Muslims humbled once again, we began to look over the sea. With the arrival of the year 1499, Spanish colonization began in earnest.

 

[stnylan]

Sounds like you were mostly just consolidating yourself in North Africa. Looking forward to any american adventures.