Peacemaking in Medieval León and Castile, c. 1100-1230

Abstract

In early mediaeval Christian Iberia, domestic peace was necessary in order to provide a concerted military effort against Islamic al-Andalus during the Reconquest. This was the case both before and after the partition of the Empire in 1157, and especially during the era of the ‘cinco reinos’. Peacemaking was required to counteract the tendency of the Christian kingdoms to rivalry, particularly over territorial disputes. It was largely achieved through diplomacy, both by successive royal peace treaties, and through dynastic marriage alliances.