The monarchy and the elites in early medieval León (ninth–eleventh centuries)

Abstract

This article considers how different elite individuals and groups contributed to shaping the socio-political framework in León (North-Western Iberia) between the late ninth and the early eleventh centuries. Earlier interpretations were based on the idea that the kings were able to build an administrative framework to govern those lands and that this determined the way in which socio-political relationships were produced and reproduced in the area. However, a reassessment of the written sources shows a more complex reality. The authority of the kings was unevenly recognized throughout the different territories and their capacity to control the land effectively was limited to certain areas. At the same time, other elite groups were building their own political networks. The relationships they built both with the kings and among themselves were very varied in their nature. Nevertheless, political relations were negotiated and articulated within a shared political sphere. It is suggested that rather than as an administrative structure, the monarchy can be better conceived of as the framework defined by that complex and fluid set of socio-political relationships.