NPPF Comm3: Of Basques and Carlists

[Jasper Fidget]

p. 119
"the English ambassador [...] playing tennis with the Basque coach"

Of Basques

The Romans met the Basques somewhere between 218 and 75 BCE around the
region of Pamplona.  After the Western Empire dissipated around 830 CE, the
Navarre Kingdom come about, which covered all of modern Navarre, the three
Vascongadas (Gipuzkoa, Bizkaia, Araba), parts of modern France, and parts of
modern Spain, populated largely by the Basques.  This territory gradually
receded, and by 1515 Navarre was absorbed by Spain and France into roughly
the current borders.  The Spanish Basques retained privileges of
self-governance called "feuros," and were only subject to the crown as a
group, rather than individually, while they lived in the Vascongadas.  It
was these feuros that compelled the Basques to support Don Carlos in his bid
for the Spanish crown during the Carlist Wars.

Of Carlists

The Basques were allied with the Carlists during Spain's civil wars ("The
Carlist Wars"), the first of which (1834 - 1839) was spawned in part by the
shockwave of the French Revolution and a dispute regarding the succession of
King Ferdinand VII.  The pretender to the Spanish throne, Charles V (byname
Don Carlos), was the brother of Ferdinand.  The king had left his throne to
his daughter Isabelle, and Charles maintained that under Salic law female
succession was forbidden.  Promising regional autonomy under his rule in
opposition to the liberal centralism of the new government, Charles garnered
the support of the Basques, who hoped to retain their feuros -- their rights
to self-governance -- and headed the revolt from the Basque provinces.  Both
Britain and France supported Isabelle, however, and facing superior numbers
and support, the first Carlist rebellion was brought to an end by 1840,
scattering many of the Basques as a consequence.  Don Carlos retreated to
exile and abdicated his pretensions in 1845, taking the title Count de
Molina.

Perhaps of some interest for PF readers, the Basque national anthem,
"Gernikako Arbola" by Jose Mari Iparraguirre, centers on a "sacred tree" in
Gernika, the historic gathering site of the Basque self-governing councils.
The first verse translated:

        The tree of Gernika
        is a blessed symbol
        loved by all the Basque people
        with deep love.
        Give to all the world
        your fruit;
        we adore you
        sacred tree.

http://www.1st-4-spanish-property.com/history/carlist_wars.html
http://www.andramaridantzataldea.com/begira_ing.htm
http://www.buber.net/Basque/History/history.html

Note also that Henry IV married Joan of Navarre in 1403.

Jasper Fidget