11th-century Autonomy Demands of the County of Portugal and the Galician Succession Crisis

Name: 11th-century Autonomy Demands of the County of Portugal and the Galician Succession Crisis
Start: 1071
End: 1080

Type Event Region Europe Time 1071–1080

The County of Portugal grew from a frontier fief formed during the 9th-century Reconquista;…

Timeline

1071–1072Santiago de Compostela · GaliciaKing Garcia II of Galicia died in 1071, and King Alfonso VI of León and Sancho II of Castile quickly divided Galicia. As part of Galicia, the County of Portugal saw its countship and allegiance become uncertain amid the power vacuum.
1073–1077Porto · PortugalPortuguese local nobles and church figures expanded their autonomy amid the chaos, resisting direct León-Castilian control over the county's internal affairs. Counts changed frequently, but local identity and the tradition of self-rule grew ever firmer.
1078–1080Coimbra · PortugalThe County of Portugal continued pushing south in the Reconquista, extending control over lands south of the Douro River. Frontier expansion combined with local autonomy gradually gave the county the political shape of an independent kingdom, laying groundwork for Afonso Henriques's founding of the realm in the 12th century.

A History of Portugal and the Portuguese Empire, Volume 1: Portugal — A. R. Disney (2009)
A History of Medieval Spain — Joseph F. O'Callaghan (1975)