Santa Hermandad

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The Santa Hermandad also Hermandad General was a centrally managed police and military organization that existed from 1476 to 1498 in the kingdoms of the Crown of Castile .

precursor

Since the 13th century, there were armed groups in Castile, maintained by the cities, which attacked criminals in rural areas outside the cities and on rural roads. These groups, organized as lay fraternities , were known in Spain as Hermandades . They were financed by the cities. Some cities joined together to form regional associations in order to be able to provide mutual assistance. The suspects were tried in the local courts. Some Hermandades, on the other hand, had their own jurisdiction , whose judgments were still carried out on the spot. In Aragón , these local groups also had their own criminal jurisdiction from the start. Heinrich IV. Had already tried in 1473 to combine the local Hermandades in a central organization. However, this was prevented by parts of the nobility, who saw such a force as an excessive strengthening of the king's power.

aims

The various Hermandades that existed at the beginning of the reign of the Catholic Kings were partially understaffed, poorly equipped and trained, and worked uncoordinated. The central management of Santa Hermandad was supposed to restore and maintain security in the country through the introduction and control of quality standards. The Santa Hermandad was supposed to take action against criminals outside of the villages, but also against unlawful acts by nobles. In addition, the Catholic Kings intended to create a standing army directly subordinate to the crown by founding a central organization of the Hermandades without having to rely on the approval of funds from the Cortes .

founding

In April 1476, the Cortes of Madrigal approved a proposal by the representatives of the city of Burgos to unite all local Hermandades in the country under one central management. The funds required for this are to be raised by the cities through a tax on the sale of goods, without the need for further resolutions by the Cortes. On April 19, 1476, the Catholic Monarchs issued the "Ordenamiento de Madrigal" (order of madrigal). In eleven chapters, the Ordenamiento laid down the exact details regarding the tasks, responsibilities, organization and funding. Existing local Hermandades were often integrated into the new organization. At the first meeting of the representatives of the participating communities on August 1, 1476, the Santa Hermandad was officially founded. Every three years the continued existence should be extended under the same conditions as at the foundation, not by the Cortes, but by the assembly of the members of the Hermandad (Consejo).

organization

The highest decision-making body of the Santa Hermandad was the assembly (junta) made up of representatives from all parishes involved. The highest governing body was the Council (Consejo). It was composed of the chairman Lope de Ribas, Bishop of Cartagena , the treasurer (Tesorero) Alfonso Álvarez de Quintanilla, the administrator (provisional) Juan de Ortega and the commander-in-chief (Capitán general) Alfons of Aragon and Escobar . These members were appointed by the Catholic Kings. Each of the eight provinces sent a representative to the council. From 1481 only representatives from Burgos, Valladolid, Segovia and Madrid were represented in the council.

The country was divided into eight administrative provinces ( Burgos , Palencia , Salamanca , León , Valladolid , Zamora , Avila y Segovia ), each headed by a provincial captain.

In the areas of the individual cities, an "Alcalde de Hermandad" (judge of the brotherhood) led the "Quadrilla", a troop of mostly mounted men. In larger towns two, in smaller towns only one alcalde were elected every six months or annually by the townspeople. The Alcaldes acted as captain of the troops but also as judges. The judgments were mostly carried out on the spot. The penalties were precisely defined in a catalog. The provincial captains were obliged to control the activities of the local Santa Hermandad representatives.

For every 100 citizens, the localities provided one rider of the light cavalry ( Jinete ), for every 150 citizens one rider of the heavy cavalry (Hombre de armas). Some areas, such as B. Asturias only provided foot soldiers . The difference between the “Hombre de Armas” and the “Jinete” was the armament. The Castilian Hombre de Armas was armed with an inlaid lance which was inserted in a holder attached to the saddle. He wore a helmet with a visor, and chest and arm armor. The Jinete carried a short lance, a leather shield, and a dagger . So he had a lot more freedom of movement. The infantry wore a white tunic with wide sleeves and a red cross on the chest and back. They also wore red stockings. The head was protected by a light metal helmet. They were armed with a lance or a halberd and a sword.

tasks

Police duties

The local jurisdiction of the Hermandades was limited to rural areas and localities in which fewer than fifty families lived. There have been some differences in terms of factual jurisdiction over time and depending on location: homicides , assault, street robbery, rape, theft, arson, destruction of vineyards and crops have always been a matter for the Hermandades. The prosecution of other crimes such as B. Counterfeiting or the sale of untaxed groceries to travelers were only part of the Hermadades' tasks at times or in a limited area.

Military duties

During the War of the Castilian Succession , isolated troops of the Hermandades were deployed to prevent armed aristocrats from Andalusia and their entourage from joining the supporters of the pretender to the throne Johanna or the Portuguese invaders. At a meeting of the Council of Hermandad (Consejo), which the Catholic Monarchs had called to Villa de Pinto in 1483, was u. a. decided to send 8000 men to Alhama to protect the city from Moorish attacks in connection with the conquest of the kingdom of Granada . The troops, each half made up of "Jinetes" (light cavalry) and half "Hombre de armas" (heavy cavalry), played an important role in the strategy of conquering the fortified cities in the emirate of Granada.

resolution

In June 1498 the assembly of the Hermandad (junta) did not extend the existence for another three years as before. The central organization and the military part, which was hardly of any importance after the conquest of Granada, were dissolved. The individual Hermandades usually continued to work with local agreements. Only on May 7, 1835 was all Hermandades dissolved by a decree. The Guardia Civil took its place on March 28, 1844 .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ hermandad. In: Diccionario de la lengua española. Retrieved November 19, 2014 (Spanish).
  2. ↑ Joseph Perez: Ferdinand and Isabella . Callwey, Munich 1989, ISBN 3-7667-0923-2 , pp. 118 (from the French by Antoinette Gittinger).
  3. ↑ Antonio Álvarez de Morales: Hermandades Concejiles y Orden Público Las Hermandades en Aragón. 2006, p. 204 , accessed November 5, 2014 (Spanish).
  4. ↑ César González Mínguez Hermandades Concejiles y Orden Público en Castilla y León durante la Edad Media In: Clio & Crimen No. 3 2006 ISSN  1698-4374 ( [1] )
  5. ^ Enríque Martínez Ruiz: Algunas reflexiones sobre la Santa Hermandad. Cuadernos de Historia Moderna, 1992, p. 96 , accessed October 30, 2014 (Spanish).
  6. ^ Enríque Martínez Ruiz: Algunas reflexiones sobre la Santa Hermandad. Cuadernos de Historia Moderna, 1992, p. 101 , accessed October 30, 2014 (Spanish).
  7. ↑ José María Navarro Saínz Aproximación al Estudio de la Hermandad General bajo los Reyes Católicos en Sevilla y su Tierra (1477–1498) In: Historia. Instituciobes. Document No. 33, 2006, ISSN  0210-7716 , pp. 457–458 here 476 ( [2] )
  8. ^ Enríque Martínez Ruiz: Algunas reflexiones sobre la Santa Hermandad. Cuadernos de Historia Moderna, 1992, p. 101 , accessed October 30, 2014 (Spanish).
  9. ^ Enríque Martínez Ruiz: Algunas reflexiones sobre la Santa Hermandad. Cuadernos de Historia Moderna, 1992, p. 99 , accessed October 30, 2014 (Spanish).
  10. ^ Enríque Martínez Ruiz: Algunas reflexiones sobre la Santa Hermandad. Cuadernos de Historia Moderna, 1992, p. 100 , accessed October 30, 2014 (Spanish).
  11. ↑ José María Navarro Saínz Aproximación al Estudio de la Hermandad General bajo los Reyes Católicos en Sevilla y su Tierra (1477–1498) In: Historia. Instituciobes. Document No. 33, 2006, ISSN  0210-7716 , pp. 457–458 here 461 ( [3] )
  12. ^ Enríque Martínez Ruiz: Algunas reflexiones sobre la Santa Hermandad. Cuadernos de Historia Moderna, 1992, p. 97 , accessed October 30, 2014 (Spanish).
  13. ↑ Manuel Colmeiro: Cortes de los antiguos de León y de Castilla. Biblioteca virtual universal, accessed on November 18, 2014 (Spanish).
  14. ^ Enríque Martínez Ruiz: Algunas reflexiones sobre la Santa Hermandad. Cuadernos de Historia Moderna, 1992, p. 106 , accessed October 30, 2014 (Spanish).
  15. ↑ La Fundación. Departamento de Internet Guardia Civil, 2014, accessed November 19, 2014 (Spanish).

literature

  • Joseph Perez: Ferdinand and Isabella . Callwey, Munich 1989, ISBN 3-7667-0923-2 , pp. 394 (from the French by Antoinette Gittinger).
  • Walther L. Bernecker; Horst Pietschmann: History of Spain - From the early modern era to the present . 4th edition. W. Kohlhammer, Stuttgart 2005, ISBN 3-17-018766-X .
  • Enrique Martínez Ruiz: Algunas reflexiones sobre la Santa Hermandad , In: Cuadernos de Historia Moderna , nº 13 (1992), Universidad Complutense, pp. 91-107.
  • César González Mínguez Hermandades Concejiles y Orden Público en Castilla y León durante la Edad Media In: Clio & Crimen, Revista del Centro de Historia del Crimen de Durango 3, 2006, pp. 13-35

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