Dissertation Information for Marta VanLandingham NAME: - Marta VanLandingham
DEGREE:
- Ph.D.
DISCIPLINE:
- History
SCHOOL:
- University of California, Los Angeles (USA) (1997)
ADVISORS: - Robert I. Burns
COMMITTEE MEMBERS: - Ynez Viole O'Neill - Geoffrey W. Symcox - Patrick J. Geary
MPACT Status: Fully Complete
Title: The court and the state in the Middle Ages: The administration and household of Pere the Great of the Crown of Aragon, 1276-1285
Abstract: The study of the evolution of the European state reveals many changes in political ideology, among the most important of which is the transition in the later medieval period from the feudal to the territorial state. At the heart of this transition was the royal court, which the ruler could elaborate into a system of administration that would allow him to consolidate and disseminate his power effectively within his territory. This dissertation examines one such court of the later thirteenth century, under a ruler who was ambitious in his pursuit of sovereignty and power and who was eager to maximize the effectiveness of his court in support of his aspirations. The information which can be derived from the records of the court of Pere the Great of the Crown of Aragon will help us understand the forces which were transforming the map of Europe.
The sources for a study of Pere's court are extraordinarily rich. They include his own palatine regulations--transcribed and translated in an appendix of this work--as well as the more elaborate such ordinances of his successors. Pere's chancery left us between eight and ten thousand documents recording all aspects of governance and finance, as well as revealing its own developing mechanisms of file keeping. We also have two contemporary Catalan chronicles redacted by men who were well-acquainted with the reign, both having served as royal officials.
The three core chapters study the basic administrative branches of the court, headed by the chancellor, the treasurer, and the majordomo. Each of these chapters reveals the duties and rights ordained and actually enforced for each office within that branch. The men who filled these offices, their backgrounds, the extent of their authority, and their relations with the king are investigated wherever possible. Primarily, however, the structural and procedural changes enacted by the king and his advisors are examined in the context of the clash between the forces of centralization and innovation versus those of tradition and fractured authority. The king's perceived need to bureaucratize his court, the tools and models he chose to apply in this process, and the outcomes of his attempts are all considered.
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calculated 2008-10-14 14:05:06
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