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In
medieval Spain Spain in the Middle Ages is a period in the History of Spain that began in the 5th Century following the Fall of the Western Roman Empire and ended with the beginning of the Early modern period in 1492. The history of Spain is marked by waves ...
, ''parias'' (from
medieval Latin Medieval Latin was the form of Literary Latin used in Roman Catholic Western Europe during the Middle Ages. In this region it served as the primary written language, though local languages were also written to varying degrees. Latin functioned ...
''pariāre'', "to make equal n account, i.e. pay) were a form of
tribute A tribute (; from Latin ''tributum'', "contribution") is wealth, often in kind, that a party gives to another as a sign of submission, allegiance or respect. Various ancient states exacted tribute from the rulers of land which the state conqu ...
paid by the ''
taifa The ''taifas'' (singular ''taifa'', from ar, طائفة ''ṭā'ifa'', plural طوائف ''ṭawā'if'', a party, band or faction) were the independent Muslim principalities and kingdoms of the Iberian Peninsula (modern Portugal and Spain), re ...
s'' of
al-Andalus Al-Andalus translit. ; an, al-Andalus; ast, al-Ándalus; eu, al-Andalus; ber, ⴰⵏⴷⴰⵍⵓⵙ, label= Berber, translit=Andalus; ca, al-Àndalus; gl, al-Andalus; oc, Al Andalús; pt, al-Ândalus; es, al-Ándalus () was the Mu ...
to the Christian kingdoms of the north. ''Parias'' dominated relations between the Islamic and the Christian states in the years following the disintegration of the Caliphate of Córdoba (1031) until the reunification of Islamic Spain under the
Almoravid dynasty The Almoravid dynasty ( ar, المرابطون, translit=Al-Murābiṭūn, lit=those from the ribats) was an imperial Berber Muslim dynasty centered in the territory of present-day Morocco. It established an empire in the 11th century that ...
(beginning in 1086).Fletcher, 7–8. The ''parias'' were a form of
protection money A protection racket is a type of racket and a scheme of organized crime perpetrated by a potentially hazardous organized crime group that generally guarantees protection outside the sanction of the law to another entity or individual from viol ...
established by treaty. The payee owed the tributary military protection against foes both Islamic and Christian. Usually the original exaction was forced, either by a large '' razzia'' or the threat of one, or as the cost of supporting one Islamic party against another. (The word "''taifa''" means "party ingdom and refers to the prevalence of factionalism in Islamic Spain during the ''taifas'' era.)


History

The earliest evidence of ''parias'' pertains to eastern Spain, to the
Kingdom of Aragon The Kingdom of Aragon ( an, Reino d'Aragón, ca, Regne d'Aragó, la, Regnum Aragoniae, es, Reino de Aragón) was a medieval and early modern kingdom on the Iberian Peninsula, corresponding to the modern-day autonomous community of Aragon ...
and the
County of Barcelona The County of Barcelona ( la, Comitatus Barcinonensis, ca, Comtat de Barcelona) was originally a frontier region under the rule of the Carolingian dynasty. In the 10th century, the Counts of Barcelona became progressively independent, heredi ...
, which exacted a very early one—called the ''vetus paria'' or "old paria"—from the ''taifa'' of Zaragoza. While ''parias'' may have been paid by the local Muslim leaders just west of the
Llobregat The Llobregat () is the second longest river in Catalonia, Spain, after the Ter. It flows into the Mediterranean south of the city of Barcelona. Its name could have originated in an ancient Latin word meaning 'dark', 'sorrowful' or 'muddy', or ...
after Raymond Borrel's '' razzia'' on Córdoba in 1010, the earliest ''paria'' that can be dated was collected by Raymond Berengar I of Barcelona from
Lleida Lleida (, ; Spanish: Lérida ) is a city in the west of Catalonia, Spain. It is the capital city of the province of Lleida. Geographically, it is located in the Catalan Central Depression. It is also the capital city of the Segrià comarca, as ...
and Zaragoza after his attack on those territories in 1045.Bisson, 23–25. In the 1060s he was still demanding ''parias'' from Lleida and Zaragoza, as well as the ''taifa'' of Tortosa. The Aragonese king
Sancho Ramírez Sancho Ramírez ( 1042 – 4 June 1094) was King of Aragon from 1063 until 1094 and King of Pamplona from 1076 under the name of Sancho V ( eu, Antso V.a Ramirez). He was the eldest son of Ramiro I and Ermesinda of Bigorre. His father was the ...
also took ''parias'' from the king of Zaragoza's underlings at
Huesca Huesca (; an, Uesca) is a city in north-eastern Spain, within the autonomous community of Aragon. It is also the capital of the Spanish province of the same name and of the comarca of Hoya de Huesca. In 2009 it had a population of 52,059, almo ...
and Tudela. In western Spain the first ruler to exact such tribute was Ferdinand I of León and Castile. From at least 1060, perhaps as early as 1055, Ferdinand had been exacting ''parias'' from the ''taifas'' of
Seville Seville (; es, Sevilla, ) is the capital and largest city of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the River Guadalquivir, in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsul ...
, Toledo, and Zaragoza, and possibly also
Badajoz Badajoz (; formerly written ''Badajos'' in English) is the capital of the Province of Badajoz in the autonomous community of Extremadura, Spain. It is situated close to the Portuguese border, on the left bank of the river Guadiana. The populatio ...
and
Valencia Valencia ( va, València) is the capital of the autonomous community of Valencia and the third-most populated municipality in Spain, with 791,413 inhabitants. It is also the capital of the province of the same name. The wider urban area also ...
. In accordance with his testament, Ferdinand's ''parias'' were divided amongst his heirs along with his kingdom in December 1065: the eldest son, Sancho II, received Castile with the ''vetus paria''; the second son, Alfonso VI, received León with the ''parias'' of Toledo; and the third son, García II, received Galicia with the ''parias'' of Badajoz and Seville. Eventually all the tribute found its way into the hands of Alfonso VI, who also exacted ''parias'' from
Granada Granada (,, DIN: ; grc, Ἐλιβύργη, Elibýrgē; la, Illiberis or . ) is the capital city of the province of Granada, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains, at the c ...
. Valencia fell into the hands of
Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar (c. 1043 – 10 July 1099) was a Castilian knight and warlord in medieval Spain. Fighting with both Christian and Muslim armies during his lifetime, he earned the Arabic honorific ''al-sīd'', which would evolve into El ...
(1094), and upon recovery by the Muslims it was forced to briefly pay ''parias'' to Barcelona, payments which were later re-established by Raymond Berengar IV. These ''parias'' were still being collected in the reign of
James I the Conqueror James I the Conqueror ( es, Jaime el Conquistador, ca, Jaume el Conqueridor; 2 February 1208 – 27 July 1276) was King of Aragon and Lord of Montpellier from 1213 to 1276; King of Majorca from 1231 to 1276; and Valencia from 1238 to 1276 ...
(1213–76), who put an end to them by conquering Valencia. Much of the wealth acquired through ''parias'' was distributed to cathedrals and
monasteries A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer which m ...
, while some found its way back to the
aristocracy Aristocracy (, ) is a form of government that places strength in the hands of a small, privileged ruling class, the aristocrats. The term derives from the el, αριστοκρατία (), meaning 'rule of the best'. At the time of the word's ...
. Sometime between 1053 and 1065 Ferdinand of León pledged an annual census of 1,000 ''
aurei The ''aureus'' ( ''aurei'', 'golden', used as a noun) was a gold coin of ancient Rome originally valued at 25 pure silver ''denarii'' (sin. denarius). The ''aureus'' was regularly issued from the 1st century BC to the beginning of the 4th cen ...
'' for the Abbey of Cluny, a donation re-established by Alfonso VI in 1077 and then increased to 2,000 ''aurei'' in 1090 by this same monarch. This, known as the "Alfonsine census", was "the biggest donation that Cluny ever received from king or layman, and it was never to be surpassed". The large payments to Cluny, which financed
Hugh the Great Hugh the Great (16 June 956) was the duke of the Franks and count of Paris. Biography Hugh was the son of King Robert I of France and Béatrice of Vermandois.Detlev Schwennicke, '' Europäische Stammtafeln: Stammtafeln zur Geschichte der Europ ...
's construction of the massive third abbey church, undoubtedly helped publish the wealth of Spain throughout Europe. Unfortunately for Cluny, changing conditions in Spain caused the payments to cease in 1111, and this brought on a financial crisis during the abbacies of
Pons of Melgueil Pons of Melgueil (''c''. 1075 – 1126) was the seventh Abbot of Cluny from 1109 to 1122. Pons was the second child of Peter I of Melgueil and Almodis of Toulouse. He was descended from a noble lineage of Languedoc which had long supported the ...
(1109–22) and
Peter the Venerable Peter the Venerable ( – 25 December 1156), also known as Peter of Montboissier, was the abbot of the Benedictine abbey of Cluny. He has been honored as a saint, though he was never canonized in the Middle Ages. Since in 1862 Pope Pius IX co ...
(1122–56). By 1100 the ''parias'' had decreased to a mere "trickle".Fletcher, 15. Only in 1246, when the
Kingdom of Granada ) , common_languages = Official language:Classical ArabicOther languages: Andalusi Arabic, Mozarabic, Berber, Ladino , capital = Granada , religion = Majority religion:Sunni IslamMinority religions:Roman ...
, the last remaining Islamic state in Spain, agreed to pay half its annual revenue in ''parias'' to Castile, did tribute again constitute a major portion of Christian Spain's wealth.Hillgarth, 321. The kingdom of Granada, bloated with Muslim refugees, was prosperous, due in large part to its valuable port at
Málaga Málaga (, ) is a Municipalities of Spain, municipality of Spain, capital of the Province of Málaga, in the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia. With a population of 578,460 in 2020, it is the second-most populou ...
and its advanced irrigation techniques that kept the
Vega Vega is the brightest star in the northern constellation of Lyra. It has the Bayer designation α Lyrae, which is Latinised to Alpha Lyrae and abbreviated Alpha Lyr or α Lyr. This star is relatively close at only from the Sun, a ...
fertile. The king was a
vassal A vassal or liege subject is a person regarded as having a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch, in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. While the subordinate party is called a vassal, the dominant party is called a suzerain. ...
of Castile and owed attendance at court as well as military aids, even against Islamic opponents, a grave offence to Islamic law.
Though the burden of these last ''parias'' was sometimes reduced to a quarter or a fifth of state revenue, the Grenadine kings were forced to tax their subjects far beyond what was permissible under
Islamic law Sharia (; ar, شريعة, sharīʿa ) is a body of religious law that forms a part of the Islamic tradition. It is derived from the religious precepts of Islam and is based on the sacred scriptures of Islam, particularly the Quran and the H ...
.


Amounts

''Parias'' were generally paid in gold coin (''
aurei The ''aureus'' ( ''aurei'', 'golden', used as a noun) was a gold coin of ancient Rome originally valued at 25 pure silver ''denarii'' (sin. denarius). The ''aureus'' was regularly issued from the 1st century BC to the beginning of the 4th cen ...
'', "golden ones", or ''numos de auro'', "coins of gold", in Latin), usually Islamic ''
dinar The dinar () is the principal currency unit in several countries near the Mediterranean Sea, and its historical use is even more widespread. The modern dinar's historical antecedents are the gold dinar and the silver dirham, the main coin of ...
s'' or ''
mithqal Mithqāl ( ar, ) is a unit of mass equal to which is mostly used for measuring precious metals, such as gold, and other commodities, like saffron. The name was also applied as an alternative term for the gold dinar, a coin that was used throug ...
s'', accompanied by gifts of carpets, silks, ivories, plate, and other luxuries not produced widely in Christian Europe. They were extremely large sums for the times, though it is impossible to determine their precise value in modern terms. The ''vetus paria'' in about 1060, when it was being paid to Ferdinand of León, was worth around 10,000 ''aurei per annum''. This was raised to 12,000 ''numos de auro per annum'' when
Sancho IV of Navarre Sancho Garcés IV ( eu, Antso IV.a Gartzez; 1039 – 4 June 1076),Sancho IV, ''Encyclopædia Britannica''. nicknamed Sancho of Peñalén ( eu, Antso Peñalengoa, es, Sancho el de Peñalén) was King of Pamplona from 1054 until his death. He was ...
acquired it. In 1075 Alfonso VI negotiated 30,000 ''mithqals'' from Granada, including two years' worth of arrears, putting the annual ''parias'' at around 10,000 ''mithqals'', comparable to the ''vetus paria''. The largest ''parias'' on record were those forced on the eastern ''taifas'' by Alfonso's vassal
Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar (c. 1043 – 10 July 1099) was a Castilian knight and warlord in medieval Spain. Fighting with both Christian and Muslim armies during his lifetime, he earned the Arabic honorific ''al-sīd'', which would evolve into El ...
in 1089–91, during which period he took in 146,000 ''dinars''. By comparison, a typical nobleman's ransom cost 500–1,000 ''aurei'' in contemporary Spain and in Córdoba 400 horses or seventy human slaves were worth about 10,000 ''mithqals'' in the 1060s. "From being among the poorest rulers in Europe," historian Richard Fletcher notes, " he Christian kings of Spainquickly became among the richest," and "the kingdom of León-Castile, in particular, acquired a reputation for inexhaustible wealth during the second half of the eleventh century," due in large part to the receipt of ''parias''.


Notes

{{reflist


Works cited

*Charles J. Bishko. 1980
''Studies in Medieval Spanish Frontier History''.
London: Variorum Reprints. *Brian A. Catlos. 2004. ''The Victors and the Vanquished''. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. *Thomas N. Bisson. 1986. ''The Medieval Crown of Aragon: A Short History''. Oxford: Clarendon Press. * Richard A. Fletcher. 1978
''The Episcopate in the Kingdom of León in the Twelfth Century''.
Oxford: Oxford University Press. *Jocelyn N. Hillgarth. 1976. ''The Spanish Kingdoms, 1250–1516'', volume 1. Oxford: Clarendon Press. *Adam J. Kosto. 2001. ''Making Agreements in Medieval Catalonia''. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. *Bernard F. Reilly. 1982

Princeton: Princeton University Press. History of Al-Andalus Taxation in Spain Economic history of Spain