ABSTRACT
As the month of March turned to April in 1621, the Spanish monarchy, once the most powerful state in Europe, changed rulers. The early modern understanding of nobility was complicated and contentious. The nobility was a social rank comprised of a complex hierarchy of titled and non-titled subjects, who perpetuated those titles and that social group by carrying on their lineage. In an effort to secure the loyalty and service of the nobility, Philip IV and royal officials would wage an educational campaign for nearly 20 years, skillfully navigating the contentious notion of nobility. The educational programs studied here give us only a glimpse into the contested space of nobility in early modern Spain; much is left to be discovered. Only with further investigations into the contentious idea of nobility in early modern Spain will the actions and intentions of all the king's men become clear.
