Glimpse of European History Thread #190

A king who sought to create an empire, but created four kingdoms instead.

Story in the evening … https://t.co/79MtvZko6Z

— Ranjith Kollannur (@Arby_K) April 19, 2022

A king who sought to create an empire, but created four kingdoms instead.

Sancho Garcés was born around 994 to García Sánchez, King of Pamplona and Count of Aragon, and Jimena Fernández. Also known as Navarre, Pamplona was a kingdom around the Pyrenees separating the Frankish north and the Islamic Iberian peninsula. 1/10

García Sánchez died around 999, at a time of raids by the Umayyad Caliphate in retribution for refusal to pay tribute. It is likely Sancho Garcés succeeded as king, although his father's cousins, who ruled in Viguera (part of Pamplona) may have been co-kings or regents. 2/10

Surviving as a buffer state between mightier nations, King Sancho chose to strengthen his kingdom. In the east were the Catalan counties, part of West Francia. But the Frankish hold in the region had declined, after the end of the Carolingian rulers of West Francia in 987. 3/10

In the west was the Leónese County of Castile. King Sancho allied with Castile marrying the Count's daughter, Munia, in 1011. Later, the Count's death in 1017 allowed him to claim suzerainty over the Count's successor, his under age brother-in-law, García Sánchez. 4/10

Next, Pamplona seized Sobrarbe in 1015. The County of Ribagorza was going through a succession dispute. King Sancho initially intervened as a mediator, but by 1019 he managed to annex Ribagorza as well. He also managed to gain suzerainty over Barcelona as well. 5/10

By 1025, he had also managed to gain suzerainty over the Frankish Duchy of Gascony as well. In 1029, García Sánchez, Count of Castile, was killed and Munia inherited Castile. King Sancho appointed his younger son, Fernando, as the new Count adding Castile to his domain. 6/10

In 1034, King Sancho occupied León, the capital of the Kingdom of León, and crowned himself Emperor. The western half of León was still under the control of its king, Vermudo, though. However, the new Emperor's reign was short since he died the next year. 7/10

The Pamplona "Empire" was divided amongst its Emperor's sons, with the eldest, Garcia, as overlord and ruling Pamplona. The second son, Gonzalo, got Sobrarbe and Ribagorza. The youngest, Fernando, was already Count of Castile, while the illegitimate, Ramiro, received Aragon. 8/10

In 1037, Fernando defeated and killed Vermudo, King of León, at the Battle of Tamarón and annexed his kingdom. The Kingdom of Castile grew to be the largest kingdoms within the Iberian peninsula. 9/10

By 1043, Ramiro had acquired Gonzalo's territory. While Pamplona continued to be limited to the Pyrenees, growing closer to France, Aragon expanded along the eastern coastline of the Iberian peninsula and joined with Castile in 16th century to form Spain. 10/10

Originally tweeted by Ranjith Kollannur (@Arby_K) on April 19, 2022.

Sancho Garcés, King of Pamplona (999-1035), Count of Aragon (999-1035), Count of Sobrabe (1015-1035), Count of Ribagorza (1019-1035) – The beginning of Castile and Aragon as independent kingdoms after Sancho divided his kingdom amongst his sons. It was Castile and Aragon that eventually completed the conquest of the Iberian peninsula in 1512 to create Spain (Portugal was initially part of Castile, before breaking away and expanding southwards).