The political ranking and hierarchy of the towns in the late medieval duchy of Brabant

This paper analyses the hierarchy and ranking of the towns of the Duchy of Brabant within the Estates, the principality’s representative political institution. It seeks to answer the question why social and economic changes in the urban landscape were not, or only partly, reflected in the political sphere. An analysis of a series of convocation lists of the Estates on the one hand, and subscription
lists of charters on the other, make it clear that a distinction can be made between the towns and the socalled liberties, and that a neat territorial hierarchy is applied between these two categories. Although the four “capitals” and three other important towns headed the urban hierarchy, both as regards attendance and the order in which they were placed, there was certainly space for other minor towns, both ducal and seigniorial, to participate in the political arena. The ranking of a town implied certain rights and (fi nancial) obligations and was also expressed symbolically, for example in wine gifts and in seating arrangements at the meetings of the Estates. Whereas the formal political hierarchy within the Estates was quite rigid, other rankings of a military and fi scal character were subject to change.