Law and taxation in the construction of an internal frontier in the kingdom of Aragon (Ribagorza 1250-1300)

Abstract

Until the middle of the 13th century, the border which divided Aragon from Catalonia was as vague as their respective political identities. However, in the last decades of that century both countries became differentiated administrative structures, as a result of development of state power of the Crown of Aragon’s kings, and of its characteristic territorial organisation; the natural consequence was that the previously non-existent internal frontier came about gradually. The insertion of Ribagorza on one side of the new border caused disagreements, not just among the Catalan and Aragonese political elites, but also among the local social forces. The purpose of this article is to explain that the conflicting interests of those groups on such issues as written law or extraordinary taxation were the key to the conflict.