The Iberian Crusade IX: Infanções, the new class of warriors

Historical documents from the X and XI century show the emergence of a new class of citizens in the Iberian Peninsula, they appear in border areas and no man's land between Muslim and Christian Kingdoms, mostly in the northwest and Douro river region:

• They are not common farmers and peasants neither are they from the noble aristocratic class;
• Their names are associated with the terms miles/itis and infanção (I can´t find a good translation to English);
• These persons buy small lands e accumulate wealth, doing small functions in the justice field or in castle defense;

• Infanções are warriors on horse that dedicate themselves to continuous warfare mostly on the border between Christian and Muslim Kingdoms;

• They are young;
• Infanções emerge in the social order thanks to the state of continuous warfare in Iberian Peninsula;
• Some move from the North to reconquered lands with Asturian Counts or they are descendants of Christian that were in Muslim territory;
• They use the powers from the Counts to enrich themselves aside from the "business" of war.

Monastery of Santo Tirso, built by family Maia, of Infanção lineage, at the time of the original construction the monastery was smaller

• To cement their newly acquired power the Infanções will marry with the old nobility acquiring more land and titles.
• Infanções will also be patrons of monasteries in lands they now own, these way they further increase their social status and these monasteries will be the resting place once they die.
• In the XI century, there is a small decrease in warfare in comparison with the X century, and these Infanções will look for other ways to enrich themselves, like becoming small landlords.

Iberian Peninsula around XI century: it´s in the border region were Infanções class is born and lives

I said there was less war in the XI century, but there still was war and a lot, in the next chapter we will look into Fernand I (Magno, the Great) reign and how he further expanded is domain against Muslim Taifa Kingdoms.

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Peace, Carlos

Images:
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Check out past chapters:

The Iberian Crusade: Prologue
The Iberian Crusades: I
The Iberian Crusades: II
The Iberian Crusades: III
The Iberian Crusades: IV
The Iberian Crusades: V
The Iberian Crusades: VI
The Iberian Crusades: VII
The Iberian Crusades: VIII