Why go
This sequence explains the Catalan language and the different medieval paths of Mallorca, Ibiza and Menorca. It also places the Kingdom of Mallorca in context: the islands formed a separate crown territory for a time before direct incorporation into Aragon. The conquests involved violence, enslavement and resettlement, not just a change of rulers.
The full story
James I of Aragon landed on Mallorca in 1229 and entered Palma on 31 December after months of fighting. The assault brought severe violence against the Muslim population. Resistance continued in the mountains, and many survivors were enslaved or reduced to dependent status. Settlers arrived from Catalan-speaking parts of the Crown of Aragon and nearby Roussillon, helping establish the language still heard across the islands. Ibiza was conquered in 1235, with its inhabitants also subjected to enslavement and dispossession. Menorca followed a different course. It accepted Aragonese vassalage in the 1230s while its Muslim community and institutions continued for decades. Alfonso III's fleet took the island in 1287. James I later divided his domains, and in 1276 the islands became part of a Kingdom of Mallorca ruled by his son James II, formally subordinate to Aragon. Conflict between the related crowns continued until James III of Mallorca was killed at the Battle of Llucmajor in 1349. The islands were then incorporated directly into Aragon.