The genesis of the Kingdom of Portugal: an approach in historiography and events

Abstract

The formation of Portugal in the Middle Ages is an issue that became theoretically important from the very moment of the constitution of the kingdom, due to its political context and the need to justify its existence as a response to the ideology developed in Castile. This paper reviews and contrasts the different Portuguese, Galician and Spanish historiographies that have studied this process. Secondly, it analyses the formation of the county and its evolution until it became a kingdom, as well as the different social sectors involved, its formation, development and political actions from the foundation of the county until the achievement of independence.