During the medieval era, there were many different views or types of kingship in Europe. Spain itself had various kingships, even within each of its own peninsular kingdoms. Castile-León, for example, was one of the most powerful kingdoms in Spain and possessed a vision of kingship that rivaled even that of England and France. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”?Get the original essayCastile-León had many states: Galicia, Asturias, Zaragoza, Castile and Leona. Eventually, these states united to form a kingdom while retaining their own individuality and local customs. In 1217, when Alfonso IX claimed the throne, he attempted to change inheritance customs and impose new laws. However, the people were angered by these attempts and refused to accept him as king; instead, they supported his son, Sancho. Realizing that his position was at stake, Alfonso gave in to the people's demands. This is an example of the type of kingship that Castile-León possessed. Even though the king was indeed the ruling ruler of his kingdom, if he strayed into the realm of tyranny, the people would unite to check his power. In retrospect, the English and French royalty followed similar tactics. The English royalty, like that of Castile-León, was kept under control by its democratic type of government, or by recourse to parliament, which protected the rights of the people while tempering the power of the king. French royalty, on the other hand, followed absolutism. In this sense, the royalty of Castile-León most resembles that of the French. Indeed, even if Castile-León had its Cortes, or parliament, they were mere figureheads without any power to stop the king. The kings of Castile-León ruled as monarchs who were only deposed when they abused their power. This is why its royalty most closely resembles that of France. At that time, the development of feudalism in Spain was unique, and the constant war against Muslims strengthened the authority of the king. To illustrate this, we must look at how feudalism quickly gained influence and then was paralyzed in Spain. This system of vassalage, in which a vassal offers his service to the king in exchange for protection and land, modified the authority of the king. Indeed, to become king, a certain number of vassals had to first commit to their alliance. But if feudalism had these beneficial assets, it never really developed in Spain. It was paralyzed and did not destabilize the state structure. Royalty remained as strong as ever. And the main cause was the constant war against Muslims. Spain needed visible and stable leadership in its fight against the growing threat of Muslim rule. Because of this, the king made huge profits from plunder, obtained more land, and was able to reward his vassals with greater sums of money instead of giving them land or civil service positions. Therefore, the authority of the king was thus strengthened. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized document from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Given the arguments above, I would expect the future kings of Castile-León to be a mix of both parliamentary kings and absolute monarchs. The influence of the people is too strong for there to be an absolute monarchy, as illustrated by the reign of Alfonso IX. But at the same time, the power of the king is also..