Illustrated History of the Rise and Fall of Great Powers Since the 15th Century (Color Illustrations Edition)

Author: Chen Zhenjia, Luo Luo
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-05-01
Features: Breaking Away: The Formation of a Unified Nation-State in Portugal
Portugal has had a complex relationship with its neighboring European superpower, Spain. Much of Portuguese history is intertwined with that of Spain. Both Spain and Portugal were among the earliest maritime powers, but the history of this maritime power before its rise was entirely one of conquest. From the 11th century BC to the 5th century AD, the Iberians, Tartessians, Phoenicians, Greeks, and Celts successively invaded the region. Later, the Celts and Iberians merged to form the unique Celtiberians on the peninsula. Subsequently, the Carthaginians and Romans continued to invade, making Spain a western frontier of the Roman Empire. Remnants of Roman culture can still be found across the Iberian Peninsula today. In the 6th and 7th centuries, the Visigoths invaded and established a kingdom with Toledo as its capital. Now, the city of Toledo is filled with Visigothic cultural relics. In the first half of the 7th century, a new nation rose in the Arabian Peninsula. By the second half of the century, this Arab state began expanding outward, soon conquering the eastern Mediterranean and North Africa, becoming a vast empire spanning Asia, Africa, and Europe, known as the Arab Empire. Across the sea from North Africa, Spain became the next target of this empire's expansion. In 711 AD, the army of the Arab Empire crossed the Strait of Gibraltar and entered Spain. Then, the Arab army swept across the Iberian Peninsula like a whirlwind, Spain was quickly conquered, and it remained under Arab rule thereafter. After occupying the Iberian Peninsula, the Arabs did not accept the rule of the Muslims who had retreated to the northern mountains. There, resistance movements emerged, marking the beginning of a seven-century-long Reconquista. After fierce battles in the 11th and 13th centuries, Spain's Reconquista against the Arabs was nearing victory. With victory in sight, the Portuguese urgently desired to establish a strong, unified nation-state, a goal often achieved through intense ideological conflicts and bloodshed. Portugal was originally part of Spain. In 1093, Spain was still under the rule of the Kingdom of Castile and was an Arab colony. Princess Teresa of the Kingdom of Castile married Count Henry of Bordeaux, and Portugal first broke away from Spain. Teresa had a son named Alfonso Henriques. Alfonso ascended the throne at the age of three, with his mother ruling as regent. In 1128, at the age of 16, Alfonso took full control, exiled his mother Teresa, and, with the help of the Roman Catholic Church, defeated the Castilian army, marking the beginning of Portugal's independence. In 1143, Alfonso signed the Treaty of Zamora with the Kingdom of Castile, formally declaring independence. In 1147, he recaptured Lisbon, which became the capital. In 1279, King Dinis I ascended the throne. Dinis I promoted Portuguese nationwide while suppressing Spanish, and in 1290, founded the first university in Portugal. In 1297, Portugal signed the Treaty of Ocana with Spain, clearly defining its borders. From then on, Portugal became the first independent nation in 14th-century Europe.