Iberian Union

The Iberian Union was a time in history from 1580 to 1640 when the Kingdom of Portugal joined with the Monarchy of Spain under the Habsburg dynasty. This happened after a problem called the Portuguese succession crisis of 1580. During this period, Portugal, Spain, and their many lands around the world all shared the same king, but each country kept its own rules and leaders.

Even though they had the same king, Portugal, Castile, and Aragon stayed separate. Each had its own government and laws. The king ruled through special leaders called viceroys, who changed often. In the 60 years of this union, Portugal had 13 viceroys.

The Iberian Union was very big, with lands all over the world. Because of this union, Portugal got pulled into fights with other countries, like the Dutch Revolt. This sometimes made it hard for Portugal to protect its faraway colonies.

Background

The idea of uniting the lands of the Iberian Peninsula had been a dream of many kings in the area. They wanted to bring back the old Visigothic monarchy. Kings like Sancho III of Navarre and Alfonso VII of León and Castile even called themselves "_Imperator totius Hispaniae", which means "Emperor of All Hispania". Many tried to bring the different kingdoms together after Alfonso VII died in 1109, often by arranging marriages between royal families. One famous attempt involved Miguel da Paz, who was expected to inherit the crowns of Portugal, Leon, Castile, and Aragon, but sadly passed away when he was very young. Another attempt was planned for Afonso, Prince of Portugal, who was supposed to marry the oldest daughter of the Catholic Monarchs, but he also passed away unexpectedly after falling from his horse.

Establishment

Main article: Portuguese succession crisis of 1580

In 1578, a battle called the Battle of Alcácer Quibir led to the death of Portugal's young king, Sebastian. His granduncle, Cardinal Henry, became king but died soon after, causing a dispute over who should be the next ruler. Three people claimed the throne, including King Philip II of Spain. After some fighting, Philip's forces entered Portugal and he was named king by Portuguese leaders in 1581. This started a time when Spain and Portugal shared the same king, though they remained separate countries with their own laws and money.

During this period, Portugal kept its own government and laws. The kings of Spain gave important jobs to Portuguese nobles and even thought about making Lisbon the capital for a short time, but this idea was not accepted.

Continuity in the administrative system

The history of Portugal from the dynastic crisis in 1578 to the first Braganza dynasty monarchs was a time of change. The Portuguese Empire was very powerful, especially in its spice trade during the great age of exploration.

To help manage the government, the Spanish king used special groups called Councils. These groups gave advice and helped solve problems. In 1562, Philip II of Spain made Madrid the main city for these meetings, though sometimes they met in Valladolid for a short time between 1601 and 1606.

The government worked like this: letters and papers went to the different Councils in Madrid. A secretary prepared the papers for the king, who then met with the secretaries to ask for the Council's advice. The Council would discuss the problem and decide what to tell the king. The secretary would then give the king's answer back to the Council to carry out.

There were also special Councils for different places, like the Council of Castile, Council of Aragon, Council of Italy, Council of the Indies, Council of Flanders, and the Council of Portugal. The Council of Portugal, started in 1582, helped with decisions about Portugal. It was led by a president and some counselors.

During this time, Portugal kept much of its own way of governing. The Spanish kings promised to let Portugal keep its independence and control over its empire. Portuguese people could still hold important jobs in their own country and in the colonies. The king was sometimes represented in Lisbon by a governor or a viceroy. Big decisions were still made in Madrid, though.

Portugal had its own special groups too, like the Conselho de Estado in Lisbon for important questions, and courts to handle laws and justice. These groups helped Portugal keep its own system of government while being part of the bigger Spanish monarchy.

Portuguese Empire challenged

Main article: Dutch–Portuguese War

During the 1600s, Portuguese ships often faced attacks from Dutch, English, and French ships. These attacks hurt Portugal's trade, especially the valuable spice trade. The union with Spain also caused problems because Spain’s wars became Portugal’s wars too. This meant Portugal lost old friends like England and faced new enemies.

Portugal and Spain shared control of many seas. Portugal watched over the coasts around the Indian Ocean, while Spain controlled the Pacific and parts of Central and South America. Both countries used the Atlantic Ocean for their trade and travels. Even with these challenges, Portugal kept some of its lands, like parts of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), though it lost others, such as parts of Brazil to the Dutch for a time.

Decline of the Union and revolt of Portugal

When Philip II of Portugal (and III of Spain) died, he was succeeded by Philip III (and IV of Spain), who had a different approach to Portuguese issues. Taxes increased, affecting Portuguese merchants. The Portuguese nobility lost importance, and government positions in Portugal were filled by Spaniards. Philip III tried to make Portugal more like a regular province, reducing the power of Portuguese nobles.

Other problems also weakened support for the union with Spain. Pressure from leaders in Spain, especially Gaspar de Guzmán, Count-Duke of Olivares, for Portugal to share the costs of Spain's wars in Europe was difficult for Portugal. This was especially true because Spain could not stop the Dutch West India Company from taking over some of Portugal's colonies, even though both countries were officially under the same ruler.

These issues led to a revolution by Portuguese nobles and leaders on December 1, 1640, sixty years after Philip I became king. The revolution was sparked by unrest in the Principality of Catalonia. A group called the Forty Conspirators, including Antão de Almada, 7th Count of Avranches and Miguel de Almeida, took advantage of the situation when Spanish troops were busy elsewhere. They removed the king's representative and imprisoned the person who governed Portugal for the king. The people quickly supported the revolution, and John, 8th Duke of Braganza, was proclaimed king of Portugal as John IV.

Restoration War and the end of the Union

The Portuguese Restoration War was fought between Portugal and Spain from 1640 to 1668. It included several important battles, such as the Battle of the Lines of Elvas in 1659, the Battle of Ameixial in 1663, the Battle of Castelo Rodrigo in 1664, and the Battle of Montes Claros in 1665. The Portuguese won most of these battles, helping them gain independence.

King John IV of Portugal made many decisions to strengthen his army, such as creating a special group to manage border defenses and improving fortresses. He also worked hard to build friendships with other countries, especially England. Meanwhile, Spain's army was busy fighting in other places, which made it harder for them to support their forces in Portugal. Eventually, Spain agreed to recognize Portugal’s independence in 1668.

Legacy

In the Basque Autonomous Community of Spain, the area known as Valdegovía used a special royal symbol during the time of the Iberian Union. This symbol included the arms of Navarre and Portugal.

The Spanish city of Ceuta was once part of the Portuguese Empire until the Iberian Union ended in 1640. After that, the city chose to stay with Spain. Because of this history, Ceuta’s symbol looks very similar to the symbol of the Kingdom of Portugal. It shows seven castles and five smaller shields, just like Portugal’s. The design of Ceuta’s flag also matches the flag of Lisbon, remembering when the Portuguese first raised that flag in Ceuta back in 1415 [/w/6].