Grammars of Dependence. A Historical Semantics Approach to Population Charters Granted by Military Orders to Muslims in Medieval Iberia

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to analyse written records associated with the establishment of bonds between military orders as territorial lords and Muslims as settlers in the Christian kingdoms of medieval Iberia. These records are usually known as cartas de población or population charters and were issued in the context of the settlement of populations in a given area. Methods derived from historical semantics are applied to these texts, and the analysis explores the ways in which the existing  asymmetrical power relationships were reflected not only in the contents of the charters but also in the grammar and expressions used to formulate them.