Spain, too, experienced the growth of a strong national monarchy at the end of the 1400s.
Muslims had conquered much of Spain by about 725.
During the Middle Ages, Christian rulers in Spain had fought to regain their lands from the Muslims.
Several independent Christian kingdoms had emerged in the course of the long re-conquest of the Iberian Peninsula.
Among them were Aragon and Castile.
Aragon and Castile were both strong kingdoms.
When Isabella of Castile married Ferdinand of Aragon in 1469, it was a major step toward unifying Spain.
Castile and Aragon remained distinct political kingdoms with separate councils of state and parliaments.
However, Isabella and Ferdinand worked together to strengthen their royal control in the dual monarchy.