ELECTIONS AND THE CROWN

AN important component of the communal regime was the system of elections and appointments to the various positions in the communal administration. There was no single procedure that was applied in all the communities of the Crown of Aragon. Until the end of the thirteenth century in most communities the leaders were appointed; only in a few were elections held. Several communities were ruled by a despotic regime that was severely criticized by R. Shelomo ben Adret. Whatever the system, the king's consent to all appointments was necessary. In principle, however, the king granted every community the right to chose its own leaders freely, as did noblemen to Jews living in their domains.

The need for the king's approval of the administrative system reveals one of the weaknesses of Jewish autonomy and its dependence on an all-powerful external factor. Royal confirmation of a new constitution for a community, and the recognition by the monarch of its elected or appointed leadership, although welcomed by the Jews, were nevertheless obvious examples of royal involvement in the community administration.

The king confirmed the right of the Jewish community to elect its own leaders and, if the Jewish public was not split over the issue, he did not interfere with the system of elections or appointments. Extant charters granted to Jewish communities and confirmed by successive monarchs include this right. In 1229 Jaime I approved the constitution of the aljama of Calatayud, which authorized the election of four adelantados with the consent of their rabbi for a period of its choice. The rabbi's consent was in accordance with Jewish custom. The unlimited term of office reflected the oligarchical character of the regime in most Jewish communities at the time.

Every aljama had its constitution, including its election or appointment system, approved by the monarch. This approval was not only a necessary formality offering a handsome income to the monarch, but was often necessary because of internal strife in the community. Successive monarchs confirmed the election systems of various aljamas. Jaime II was very much involved in this process. Under his reign many aljamas had their system of elections confirmed. In some cases, the king approved proposals put forward by the community, in others, he played a leading role in the formulation of the system.