Editing Afonso II of Portugal (section)

==Reign==
[[File:Afonso II, 23-4-1185 - 25-3-1223, retrato anónimo (siglo XIII).jpg|thumb|left|Afonso II as depicted in a 13th-century manuscript.]]
As a king, Afonso II set a different approach of government. Hitherto, his father Sancho I and his grandfather [[Afonso I of Portugal|Afonso I]] were mostly concerned with military issues either against the neighbouring [[Kingdom of Castile]] or against the [[Moors|Moorish]] lands in the south. Afonso did not pursue territory enlargement policies and managed to ensure peace with Castile during his reign. Despite this, some towns were conquered from the Moors by the private initiative of noblemen and clergy, as when Bishop [[Soeiro Viegas]] initiated the [[Siege of Alcácer do Sal|conquest of Alcácer do Sal]]. This does not mean that he was a weak or somehow cowardly man. The first years of his reign were marked instead by internal disturbances between Afonso and his brothers and sisters. The king managed to keep security within Portuguese borders only by outlawing and exiling his kin.

Since military issues were not a government priority, Afonso established the state's administration and centralized power on himself. He designed the first set of Portuguese written laws. These were mainly concerned with [[private property]], civil justice, and [[Mint (coin)|minting]]. Afonso also sent ambassadors to European kingdoms outside the [[Iberian Peninsula]] and began amicable commercial relations with most of them.

In 1220, Afonso instituted [[inquirições]] to investigate the nature of holdings and to recover whatever had been illegally taken from the crown.<ref name="Jensen">{{cite book | last=Jensen | first=Kurt Villads | title=Crusading at the Edges of Europe | publisher=Taylor & Francis | date=2016-10-14 | isbn=978-1-317-15670-3 | page=290}}</ref> This issue was in response to the church's rein over Portuguese land as they supported Afonso's fight in the civil war with [[Sancho II of Portugal|Sancho II]]. These included examination of local noble titles and rights, including investigation of properties, lands and incomes against royal charters that had been issued.<ref name="Jensen"/>

Other reforms included the always delicate matters with the pope. In order to get the independence of Portugal recognized by Rome, his grandfather, Afonso I, had to legislate an enormous number of privileges to the Church. These eventually created a state within the state. With Portugal's position as a country firmly established, Afonso II endeavoured to weaken the power of the clergy and to apply a portion of the enormous revenues of the [[Catholic Church]] to purposes of national utility. These actions led to a serious diplomatic conflict between the pope and Portugal. After being [[excommunicated]] for his audacities by [[Pope Honorius III]], Afonso II promised to make amends to the church, but he died in Coimbra on 25 March 1223{{Sfn|Caetano de Souza|1735|p=134}} before making any serious attempts to do so.<ref>{{Cite EB1911|wstitle=Alphonso|display=Alphonso s.v. Alphonso II.|first=David|last=Hannay|author-link=David Hannay (historian)|volume=1|page=733}}</ref>

King Afonso was buried originally at the [[Monastery of Santa Cruz (Coimbra)|Monastery of Santa Cruz]] in Coimbra where his body remained for nearly ten years. His remains were transferred subsequently to [[Alcobaça Monastery]],{{Sfn|Caetano de Souza|1735|pp=134–135}} as he had stipulated in his will. He and his wife, Queen Urraca, were buried at its Royal Pantheon.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mosteiroalcobaca.pt/pt/index.php?s=white&pid=232&identificador=at321_pt.doc |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160310172933/http://www.mosteiroalcobaca.pt/pt/index.php?s=white&pid=232&identificador=at321_pt.doc |archive-date=2016-03-10 |title=D. Afonso II |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |website=Mosteiro de Alcobaça |access-date=5 February 2017 |language=pt}}</ref>