The
Counts
of Toulouse and Kings of Aragón were both natural rivals
and natural allies. Their way of life was similar. They
spoke mutually intelligible languages. The same troubadours
found the same welcome at both of their courts.
The Counts of Toulouse were expert at playing off surrounding regional powers one against the other. For centuries they maintained their independence, successively making friends with the Kings of Aragon, France and England. To complicate matters, much the same game was played by the neighbouring dukes of Aquitaine, Counts of Foix and by the Trencavel family. The Trencavels managed to keep their de facto independence by nominally sacrificing it. Under pressure from other powers they sold their Counties (Carcassonne, Bezièrs, Razès) to the King of Aragon and then received back the same lands as Viscounts. By tying themselves so closely to Aragón, they warded off other claims, and in practice were able to carry on much as before.
The Aragonese spirit of independence is well summed up by the famous 12th-century oath of allegiance to the king made by the nobles of the realm. As in England and other sovereign states the King did not rule by right of inheritance. The nobles needed to accept him as king. Noblemen were "peers" - not just the equals of each other, but equals of the king. And they made sure that he understood this:
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to: The Houses of Toulouse and France
