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ALPHONSO X

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Originally appearing in Volume V01, Page 735 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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ALPHONSO X ., El Sabio, or the learned (1252–1284), is perhaps the most interesting, though he was far from being the most capable, of the See also:Spanish See also:kings of the See also:middle ages. (His merits as a writer are dealt with in the See also:article See also:SPAIN: Literature). His scientific fame is based mainly on his encouragement of See also:astronomy. It may be pointed out, however, that the See also:story which represents him as boasting of his ability to make a better See also:world than this is of See also:late authority. If he said so, he was speaking of the Ptolemaic See also:cosmogony as known to him through the See also:Arabs, and his vaunt was a humorous See also:proof of his scientific See also:instinct. As a ruler he showed legislative capacity, and a very commendable wish to provide his kingdoms with a See also:code of See also:laws and a consistent judicial See also:system. The See also:Fuero Real was undoubtedly his See also:work, and he began the code called the Siete Partidas, which, however, was only promulgated by his See also:great-See also:grandson. Unhappily for himself and for Spain, he wanted the singleness of purpose required by a ruler who would devote himself to organization, and also the See also:combination of firmness with See also:temper needed for dealing with his nobles. His descent from the See also:Hohenstaufen through his See also:mother, a daughter of the See also:emperor See also:Philip, gave him claims to represent the Swabian See also:line. The choice of the See also:German See also:electors, after the See also:death of See also:Conrad IV. in 1254, misled him into See also:wild schemes which never took effect but caused immense expense. To obtain See also:money he debased the coinage, and then endeavoured to prevent a rise in prices by an arbitrary See also:tariff. The little See also:trade of his dominions was ruined,. and the burghers and peasants were deeply offended.

His nobles, whom he tried to cow by sporadic acts of violence, rebelled against him. His second son, Sancho, enforced his claim to be See also:

heir, in preference to the See also:children of See also:Ferdinand de la Cerda, the See also:elder See also:brother who died in Alphonso's See also:life. ' Son and nobles alike supported the See also:Moors, when he tried to unite the nation in a crusade; and when he allied himself with the rulers of See also:Morocco they denounced him as an enemy of the faith. A reaction in his favour was beginning in his later days, but he died defeated and deserted at See also:Seville, leaving a will by which he endeavoured to exclude Sancho and a heritage of See also:civil See also:war.

End of Article: ALPHONSO X

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