Culture and History of Spain Essay

The opulent age of Spain does not refer nevertheless to the frugal and military hegemony of Spain, as Spain was on the verge of political, scotch, and military break open during this term. Spain employed in expansionist policy abroad that had necessitated the government to see an increased taxation, which leads to the revolts in 1640 starting signal in Catalonia, hence in Portugal. From then on, Spain was weakened economically, politically and culturally. Rather, the golden age refer to the flourishing in humanistic discipline and literature in Spain.The important topics during this period were literature and the arts quite than economic or military victories abroad. The period of the Spanish golden age tally to John A. Crow and Patricia Craig as featured by AOL Hometown in their article Spains Cultural life Literature and the fair Arts was between 1530 and 1680. During this time, theatre works, poetry and novels were very popular, and the closely hygienic known was the work of Cervantes entitled Don Quixote published in 1605. (AOL Hometown)Among the most popular names were dramatists like Lope de Vega, Tirso de Molina, and Calderon, which had premiered fine works of Spanish theatre. Spanish Famous artist during this time includes Velasquez, El Greco, Zubaran, Rebera and Morales which were held to be the superior of their times. The primer coat behind Spains golden age was perhaps the humans of these fine artists whose works captivated even the tallest nobility. The golden age of Spain according to history (an article entitled Spain) began with the ascension of Philip II to the Spanish bay window.It was during his time that the popularity of arts and literature reached to highest level. However, the consequence of the golden age was the political and economic as well up as military decline of Spain both in the home front and in overseas. An article entitled Spain in taradiddle (iExplore) pointed out that beca utilize of the prominence o f art, the Hapsburg monarchy became increasingly less able to deal the imperiums somber problems particularly during the 17th century causing the empires gradual economic get it.Most historians attributed this economic failure to the inability of the monarch to rule the empire because their interest was in the arts rather than in improving the economy. Another consequence of the golden age is the feminization of Spain. Feminization refers to the gender emphasis that proliferated in the Spanish societies during the golden age. workforce during this time adopted the customs of women such as mode of binding and cosmetics.In the summary of Sidney Donnells book Feminizing the Enemy featured in the website article LAFAYETE the article pointed out that the gender anxieties during the golden age was cerebrate to the emphasis on arts and culture that was prevailing during this period of Spanish history. The Role of Religion in the Rules of the Hapsburg (or Habsburg) Kings During the pe riod of 16th and 17th centuries, Spain was infra the rule of the Habsburg dynasty, which was the dominant power in the Central Europe with roof in Vienna, Austria.Spain then was ruled by many kings that brought Spain both mastery and fall and that, the church enlarged its already dominant position in Spanish life (High Beam Encyclopedia, par. 27). The Obvious topic during this time was Catholic Faith and Church membership as the reigning Monarchs were committed to trim back Catholicism finished the empire. The role of religion in the rules of Hapsburg kings according to maestro Perez Diaz (1998) was that the Hapsburg viewed society in the context of teleocratic state, which put society in a secondary position.It means that in view of the Hapsburg Kings, society can be a sphere in which they can generate resources to be use by the ruler to accomplish its mission. The implication of this was that the Hapsburg Kings uses religion or the so- called government of faith to fulfill their mission. In other words, religion has become a powerful apparatus with which they achieved their aims. According to Diaz, although the Hapsburg kings respected the socioeconomic order, yet they were too devoted to some sh atomic number 18d goals that necessitate systematic interventions in the brotherly fabric to reinforce the sovereigns authority.Thus the Hapsburg, Diaz pointed out, marshaled resources for protecting Catholic faith and shaped the moral character of its subjects, making membership in the church the means to recognition in the political community (Diaz). The ground for this was, the papistic Catholicism became the official state religion in Spain in 1492 after Ferdinand V of Aragon, and Isabella I of Castile married which linked the kingdoms. Because both monarchs were darling Catholics they wanted to impose the purity of the Catholic faith as well as to produce the empurpled power.Because of the close relations of the Hapsburg to the Holy Roman Empire th ey were so dedicated to the Catholic Church prompting them to leaven the Inquisitor in order to prosecute, and confiscate property owned by the Moors (Spain smell and Culture). Ferdinand and Isabella imposed religious uniformity by dint of out Spain by aggressive campaign to convert the Moors and the Jews or they face expulsion (Spain Life and Culture). However, the consequence of their emphasis in the purity of Catholic faith, leads to the persecutions of Protestants, which resulted to war with Protestant England.This prompted Philip to send a great Spanish Armada against England in 1558 unfortunately, it was defeated, and it marked Spains decline of power (Spain). Thus the consequence of the Hapsburg use of religion to enhance their power and to strengthen their rule was costly and it cost the gradual collapse of the Spanish hegemony not merely in the home front but in like manner abroad. The Bourbon kings in Spain (efforts to improve Spain) The Spanish Bourbon was one of the most racy royal families in Europe that held thrones in Spain during the 17th century.Philip V of Spain became the first Bourbon ruler of Spain after the death of Charles II (1665-1700). The bourbons ascended to the Spanish thrones during the end of Spains hegemonic power with the death of Charles II. In the view of J. Clayborn Laforce, with distressing vulnerability Spain slipped into an gummy sequence of decline, which continued until all of Spains greatness was gone. However, with the ascension of Philip V, Spain go through a new threshold marked by the extraordinary liberal participation by government in Spanish economic dealings.The main topic during the Bourbons rule was economic recovery, in which the Bourbon monarch had enforced series of economic measures designed to improve the economic condition of Spain. ostensibly a learned man, Philips knowledge in French mercantilism had helped him in improving the economic condition of Spain. Philip launched a series correct policy and programs for commercial and industrial revival and promotes the production of merchandise of high value that previously had been purchased abroad.The next Bourbon king to inherit the Spanish throne was Charles VII (1759-88) Like Philip Charles was one of the most enlightened Spanish Monarch, which had contributed to Spains lilliputian-lived cultural and economic revival. The reason behind all these efforts was that through production of these commodities, the government would minimize its dependency on imported commodities. The ordinal Bourbon Monarch to rule Spain was Ferdinand VII (1784-1833) which perhaps marked the end of the short economic revival started by Philip V and continued by Charles VII.It was during the legal brief reign of Charles IV, an incompetent Bourbon monarch that the flame of economic revival dies down. The reason for the short live economic revival was the squabble in the royal family that prompted Napoleon of France to invade Spain, and gave the Spanish throne to his brother Joseph Bonaparte. Spain after this was engaged in wars that halted its economic hope of revival. The consequences of disunity in the royal family had not only weakened the economic reforms put in place by Philip V but it also invited napoleon to invade Spain and claimed the Spanish throne for himself.It also led to war against England that further pushed Spain to humiliation and defeat. Indeed the misery of Spain cannot be attributed to the Bourbon rule as they merely inherited a declining kingdom. Had the momentum of economic growth that was laid out by the first two-bourbon monarch, Spain could have recover from its drooping. Spains history was indeed very intriguing and full of difficulties, which are a good source of both learning and inspirations for the student of Spanish history.It features the rise and fall of the empire that had conquered much of the known world through sword and religion, but it had collapsed also because of religion and swo rd when it wage against Protestant England in the name of religion. Work Cited Diaz, V. P. (1998) State and Public sphere in Spain during the ancient Regime Vol. 137 La Force, J. C Royal Textile factories in Spain, 1700-1800 The Journal of Economic memorial, Vol. 24 No. 3(Sep. , 1964), pp. 337-363 Http//links. jstor. org/sici? sici=0022-0507(196409)24%3A3%3C337%3ARTFIS1%3E2. 0. CO%3B2-N http//www. questia. com/googleScholar.qstjsessionid=HRpGVQQzlhZJSZhM6QdwhnXtr7jp8dDwrBlY2dyNPJ6GGnyjVrvH 1976250333? docId=5001368566 Spain http//www. geocities. com/CapitolHill/8823/aboutes. html Spains Cultural Life http//www. hometown. aol. com/antmagictg/culture. html Spain History I Explore http//www. iexplore. com/dmap/Spain/History Spain. http//www. geocities. com/CapitolHill/8823/aboutes. html Spain. High Beam Encyclopedia. Retrieved March 7, 2008. http//www. encyclopedia. com/doc/1E1-Spain. html Sidney Donnell leave behind Talk about Drag Performance and Hapsburg Spain today. Lafayete http //www. lafayette. edu/news. php/view/5137/