Philosophers Works A composite monarchy (or composite state) is a historical category, introduced by H. G. Koenigsberger in 1975[1][2] and popularised by Sir John H. Elliott,[3] that describes early modern states consisting of several countries under one ruler, sometimes designated as a personal union, who governs his territories as if they were separate kingdoms, in accordance with local traditions and legal structures.
[8] Theorists of the 16th century believed that "conformity" (similarity in language and customs) was important to success of a composite state.
[7] The 17th-century Spanish jurist Juan de Solórzano Pereira distinguished a state whose components were aeque principaliter (equally important) from an "accessory" union in which a newly acquired territory was subsumed under the laws of an already existing one, such as when New Spain was incorporated into the Crown of Castile, or when Wales was joined to the Kingdom of England.
There are two types of composite monarchy proposed by Sir John H. Elliott, "accessory" union and "aeque principali".
[10] The first type of composite monarchy involved a unification where the united territories share the same laws and are regarded as the same jurisdiction.
[11] This method of rule meant intervention of the central government or ruler was infrequent or allowed diverse customs and legal arrangements to coexist.
This allowed classes, ethnicities and traditions to exist peaceably in a larger political unit without significant conflict.
The monarch attempted in each case to ensure the "guarantee of preserving peace, order and justice, and to care for the poor.
Unlike most European examples, the Ottoman ruling class included a wide variety of people and cultural traditions.
[17][18] The Ottoman Empire's most striking difference with other composite monarchies in Europe was that it allowed religious freedom to a greater extent than the Europeans did.
Christians, Muslims, Jews, Turks, Greeks, Hungarians, Arabs, Armenians, Kurds, guildsmen, and bureaucrats were free to work and live throughout the empire without major hassle.
[22] Throughout much of the early modern period, each Spanish realm retained its own freedoms and laws, and this included administrative and governance arrangements, different monetary systems and borders.
[23] While all of Spain was united under the same ruler, each territory was often treated very differently and was ruled by the King and central administrators in line with their power structures.
[26] In 1519, the Catalan Courts met in Barcelona to recognize the first unified monarch of the crowns of Castile and Aragon, Charles I, and to discuss the granting of financial assistance to the King.
For example, in the case of the petitions of papal bulls against hoarding to favor popular classes, the King took opposed decisions regarding the Principality of Catalonia and the Kingdom of Aragon: "In 1582 he favoured the demands of Catalonia’s elites over those of Barcelona’s artisans, but under different circumstances he took the opposite stance in Aragon.