Maulets (history)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Maulets was a partisan group of Valencians who supported Archduke Charles, who claimed the Spanish throne as Charles III, during the War of the Spanish Succession, and antagonists of the Botiflers, supporters of Philip V of Spain.
Maulets is also the name of present-day Catalan independentist youth political organization.
Contents |
[edit] Etymology
A more restrictive use of the term Maulet applies only to those supporters of the Austrian pretender to the throne who defended, not only the rights of that Crown, but also all the urban and countryside claims, which shaped a real ideological alternative to the political and economical situation of the Kingdom of Valencia during the first years of the 18th century, keeping for all the other followers of Charles III the more generic name of “Austriacistas”.
[edit] Origin
To understand the ideology and claims of the Maulets during the War of Succession we have to go back to the years before the expulsion of the Arabs in 1492. As a compensation for losing the workers that this meant, the King gave the Nobles all the right on the lands that these people farmed before leaving. With this the Nobles were able to impose to the new Christian population taxes and partitions of lands which in some counties became a very high expense for the peasants. Probably, the hunger for land amongst those poor families led them to accept the conditions, and during 50 years there were no known protests.
Towards the end of the 17th century, a part of these new peasant population on the land of the Arabs profited from the prosperity arising from cultivating and exporting mainly wine and its derivates, brandy and prunes, and in lesser extend from silk. Then, they started to question the high payments asked by the Nobles, which considerably reduced their profits, and tried by all means, from legal suits to armed revolt, to end this system. But the judiciary path, being fully under the control of the Nobles, proved useless; and the armed revolt, called nowadays “Segona Germania”, was crushed in blood by the Vice-Chancellor and armies of the Nobles, in the year 1693, in the battle of Setla de Nunyes.
The peasants in this “Segona Germania” revolt claimed more or less the same as the Maulets would a few years later. They refused the right of the Lords on the old Arab lands, and called on the Medieval rights given by Jaume I during the conquest of the Kingdom, to denounce the lack of legality of the exploitation by the Lords, “who treated them like Arabs”, given the case that the Laws of the Kingdom banned these kind of taxes and tributes to the Christians. The Nobles, alleged that the King Felip II of Valencia, expulsing the Arabs, had given them those lands in property, on which they now had every right, and could impose on the actual farmers whatever conditions they wished.
In any case, after their military defeat, the peasants didn't accept the situation, but only waited for the next opportunity that came across in order to impose their views. This opportunity came in 1700 when Charles II of Spain died with no sons or clear heir.
When Philip V of Spain (Felip de Borbó) took possession of the Kingdom as a Felip IV of València, there were already many supporters of the archduke Charles of Austria in the Kingdom of Valencia, as well as in the Principality of Catalonia and Mallorca. Their reasons were various, ranging from loyalty to the dynasty of the House of Austria, hate towards the French by a part of the merchants and the industrials, and distrust for the suspected centralist attitude of Philip V of Spain. But in no way the Habsburg (“Austriacista”) cause in the Valencian Kingdom would have won without the decisive intervention of a group of people that represented the interests of a whole social class. We are talking of the class of the merchants and exporters of wine, brandy, silk, and other farming products, which was politically and economically very important. They contacted a key person for their cause : General Joan Baptista Basset.
General Basset was a Valencian, probably born in Alboraia in an artisan family, who spoke the people’s language and knew very well their claims and needs. He had served during the wars in Italy and Hungary under Prince George of Hesse-Darmstadt, a German Noble who had been before Viceroy in Catalonia.
The group of merchants and exporters had very good reasons for their opposition to Philip V of Spain. All their businesses were directed towards Holland and England (known in those times as a “Maritime powers”) and to the exportation to the Spanish colonies in The Americas. Those colonies were property of the Castilian Crown and the Valencian, Catalan and Majorcan merchants were considered as foreigners for all matters, and therefore were not allowed to trade freely with the American possessions. They had to sell their goods through Castilians intermediaries, who in turn would become rich with their re-selling.
In 1701, the war that had erupted in the whole of Europe for the succession of Charles II, left the Maritime powers on the enemy side of Philip V of Spain. The export stopped, which meant a total downfall for them and the peasants that sold to them the products. The exports to France, a land that produced and exported the same products, did not compensate them in any way for the loses. On the contrary, the French merchants competed with the Valencians, because they exported the same products to the whole of Europe.
In the Principality of Catalonia, during the last third of the 17th century, had also appeared a new social class, similar to the Valencian, formed by exporters and producers. They were leading a process of “primitive accumulation of the capital”, through earning money in exportating farming-products, which was reinvested in a process of industrialization fairly similar to the one taking place in England and Holland. This group had elaborated a project of recuperation, not only economical, but also national, of the Medieval Principality of Catalonia. Their aim was to return to the old forum structures and the freedom that the Catalan Constitution offered, to promote a course of action of social and economical regeneration.
They were known under the name of regenerationists. The most genuine representative member of this “regeneracionists” was Narcís Feliu de la Penya, author of a book called “Fènix de Catalunya” (Phoenix of Catalonia), authentic treaty of the political, economical and social theory to renew the structures and the running of the Principality. These movement stayed well alive until the nineties in the 17th century, during the shared reign of Hesse-Darmstadt, and it does not seem strange to suppose that the General Basset, right hand of the Viceroy and cultivated person, had continuous contact with them. This would impact the elaboration of their views on the Valencian reality, because the proposals of Basset and the Maulets were very similar to the proposals of the regenarionists. The whole group of Feliu de la Penya in fact supported Charles III of Austria.
[edit] Successful Rebellion
Since the year 1704, Francesc Davila, who probably was a leader of the Segona Germania who had escaped persecution, toured all the southern counties of Valencia explaining to the peasants that the Austrian pretender was ready to abolish all the rights of the Nobles to higher taxes than the ones imposed by Jaume I. When Joan Baptista Basset disembarked in Altea in August 1705, a new revolt commenced and spread out everywhere.
Basset rode to València, via Dénia, Gandia and Alzira, and didn't meet any real resistance. When the Borbonic Nobles or the fortresses tried to resist, it were the armed villagers who forced them to flee. Together with the viceroy, Duke Gandia, a long list of Nobles and “botiflers” siding with Philip V of Spain started to flee, not to Valencia, but to Castille; they did not trust the resistance of the capital, and with reason.
The city of Valencia opened its doors to the Maulet army without resistance. On the contrary, the popular enthusiasm was great. At the same time, news from the uprising in the Principality of Catalonia arrived, where the towns had expelled the “felipist” military and where Charles III himself had triumphantly disembarked in Barcelona. This news was enough to spread the uprising through the rest of the Kingdom: from Vinaròs and Benicarló to Vila-real and Castelló, where the Maulets where specially strong.
Once Basset was established in València, practically exercising the function of Viceroy, and with most of the country under control of the Maulets (meaning, of the armed villagers), the first thing was to abolish all taxes to the Nobles.
Basset even went further and , with the doubtful legality of his high office, stopped paying any kind of tax to the tax collectors of the King. He also abolished the right of doors, a hated tax on products coming from the colonies into València.
He also tolerated, and even stimulated, a real persecution, expulsion and arrest of French citizens, mainly merchants, who were seen by the population as enemies and by the native merchants as dangerous competitors.
Obviously the relationships with the Maritime powers, allied to Charles III were re-established , and the countries harbours were opened to Dutch and English ships, resuming trade as before. At the same time, Basset and the Maulets arrested and ousted the most notorious “botiflers”, and seized their possessions.
[edit] Clash amongst allies
Basset , now in control of the Valencian country, had to organize armed resistance against “Borbonic” attacks. He realized quickly that his peasant army of Maulets was no match for the professional Spanish army, let alone their French allies.
Basset asked Charles III for military help. The help came, in the form of Earl of Peterborough and his English soldiers. Even thought his arrival saved the delicate situation from enemies attacks, it also meant the creation of another political power led by count Cardona, with a military force independent from the Maulets and with no intention of allowing what they considered “plebeian excesses”.
It all points to the fact that count Cardona and the English general had instructions, probably from the King, to end the “excesses” of Basset and the Maulets, in this way trying to gain back the support of the Nobles, most of them siding with the Borbóns.
Sure enough, Charles III, as an owner of royal lands and main lord of the Order of Montesa, had experienced a reduction in his income, by the Maulets refusal to pay. This money was absolutely necessary to keep the very expensive army together with which he hoped to win the war. In consequence, it was necessary to stop the Maulets and their chief, general Basset, but it was needed to do it wisely and with indulgence.
Cardona and Peterborough then started an offensive centred at some of Bassets collaborators, accusing them of inappropriate confiscation of goods from the French and the Botiflers, and imprisoning them awaiting trial. Meanwhile Basset was lured away from València, first to Alzira and later on to Xàtiva, encouraging him to take part in the fighting. They waited an opportunity to imprison him, but were fearful of his great popularity amongst the people and feared a rebellion of the Maulets if that ever happened.
The occasion came when Charles III had defeated the Borbons in Castile and had managed to enter Madrid on June 27, 1706 . In between the popular celebrations, Peterborough secretly sent troops to Xàtiva, with the order to arrest Basset and imprison him in a fortress in English hands. When news came out, effectively the people revolted.
In València the shouts of “Long live to Basset, before than Charles III” proved clearly, in case of doubt, which was the real feeling of the Valencian Maulets. In fact, Peterborough had to turn the cannons, ment to defend Valencia from the Borbons, around to aim at the revolting population, to drive them of. During days there were demonstrations of protest, letters sent to the King in Barcelona and all kind of public declarations in Bassets favour and his reforms. But what could the Maulets do? A new revolt, this time against who they considered represented their legitimized King, and with a Borbon army at the doors of the Kingdom threatening with invasion, would have been suicidal. A victory of the Borbons would have meant the return of the Botiflers, with all the old taxes and repression. Consequently they resigned themselves, without being convinced, and stopped their protests, believing that King Charles, in coming to Valencia shortly would repair the injustice and would free Basset.
[edit] Defeat and Retreat
Meanwhile the Maulets continued refusing to pay the door rights, or any other taxes. Charles III demanded from the authorities from Valencia to call for its payment, without too much success. But time was running out. Charles had already been forced to abandone Madrid and was then beaten by the Duke of Berwick in the Battle of Almansa.
Charles withdrew towards Barcelona, and with him the Viceroy, the whole administration and surviving troops.
The people and the Maulets were left at the mercy of the Borbon advance, and the return of the Botiflers Nobles. King Philip never hid his intentions , to destroy the Furs and the old Valencian laws “by the just right of conquest”. The Valencian kingdom disappeared as a legal structure, and was only left as a name, empty of meaning.
The Maulets never resigned, and their resistance was ferocious. Xàtiva had to be taken by the Borbonics house by house, and was afterwards razed and set on fire in revenge. On its ruins a new city would be built , with the shameful name of San Felipe, in honour of the winning monarch. In Valencia, the Maulets tried in vain to hinder the entrance of the occupiers, with boycotts and passive resistance, until the repression of Berwick and Asfeld made them silent.
In the north, the Borbons advanced towards Tortosa, burning, killing and looting the towns on their way. Gandia, Alzira, Dénia, Alcoi, Alicante, Elx, and so many other towns acknowledged the Maulets resistance.
When all the cities were in Borbonic hands, the remaining Maulets escaped to the mountains, the most inaccessible place in the country, and continued their resistance during years, creating serious problems for the occupant army.
When, in 1710, the war seemed to turn back in favor of Charles III, the city of València raised again in anti-Borbon revolt. The Maulets appeared on the streets again, awaiting in vane an Austriacista fleet that had to disembark troops at the harbour.
The most brutal repression fell on the whole country. The Nueva Planta decrees banned the old laws and the own language. Weapons were confiscated to the extreme (for instance forcing the people to tie up the kitchen knives to the table), fortresses demolished, the Maulets had to withdraw slowly towards Catalonia still loyal to Charles III. The most dark night of the repression had fallen on the Valencian country.
[edit] Barcelona 1714 , the last stand
Thousands of Valencian refugees concentrated in Barcelona and other cities of the Principality, determined to continue the fight against the invader. But the international events made clear the futility of carrying on the struggle. Charles III himself had signed a peace treaty with Philip V of Spain and went back to Austria. The Maritime powers had accepted Philip V as king of Spain and had evacuated their troops from Barcelona over sea. The Catalans and the Valencian Maulets carried on fighting for their cause, even thought all was lost.
When the Borbonic armies, being managed by Berwick d’Almansa himself lay siege on Barcelona. Two full regiments of Valencians were formed, the Mare de Déu dels Desamparats and the Sant Vicent Ferrer, to fight next to their comrades from Catalonia.
On the September 11, 1714, when Barcelona fell after a heroic fight in Borbonic hands, many Valencian Maulets had fallen. Many of them were buried in the Fossar de les Moreres, together with their comrades from the Principality. Many others, amongst them General Basset, who had directed the artillery of the resistance, were arrested and imprisoned. Others, who managed to escape from the Borbonic troops via Majorca, or who were later on freed, ended up exiled in Vienna, at the court of “their” Charles III, now emperor of Austria.
This was how death, repression, silence and exile destroyed what would have been a project of modernisation, social renovation and national consolidation that could have put Valencia amongst the most advanced and progressive countries in Europe: the project Maulet.
