1324 The king assumes the government, but fails to restore order. He murders his cousin, Juan el Tuerto, and by repudiating his own wife, daughter of Don Juan Manuel, provokes the latter to rebellion.
1328 Right of the cortes to a voice in important affairs of state recognised by the king. He undertakes for himself and successors to impose no tax without the consent of the cortes.
1339 Abul Hakam, emir of Fez, arrives in Spain with a large army. Alfonso aided by troops from Aragon and Portugal defeats him in the great
1340 Battle of Salado. Abul Hakam flees to Africa.
1344 Algeciras taken by Alfonso after a long siege.
1350 Death of Alfonso by the Black Death at the siege of Gibraltar. It was to pay for this war that the alcavala, a tax of one-twentieth on all sales of real property, was first granted. Alfonso XI patronised letters, and ordered the continuation of the Crónica of Alfonso X which was intrusted to a royal chronicler. The code of Alfonso X was also brought into use in this reign. Pedro the Cruel. Leonora de Guzman, the late king’s mistress, imprisoned and her sons driven into exile.
1351 Murder of Leonora de Guzman and of Garcilasso de la Vega, adelantado of Castile.
1352 Henry of Trastamara and Don Tello, Leonora’s sons, revolt and form a league against
1353 Pedro. The king marries Blanche de Bourbon, a French princess, but immediately forsakes her for Maria de Padilla, retaining Blanche a prisoner.