Raymond IV of Pallars Jussà

Raymond IV (Catalan: Ramon, error: {{lang-xx}}: text has italic markup (help)) was the Count of Pallars Jussà from 1047 until his death in 1098. He was the son and successor of Raymond III and Ermessenda. His reign was characterised by ceaseless wars and litigations with his cousins Artau I and Artau II of Pallars Sobirà, yet it was transformative in the history of Pallars through the new modes of exercising comital power that Raymond introduced. The viscounties of Pallars Jussà during the time of Raymond IV were Vilamur, Bellera, and Orcau.

There is a rather large and well-preserved series of records for the reign of Raymond IV largely because he pioneered the use of written conventions for the making of agreements in Pallars. In this he was helped along by the same scribe who had at times served his father since 1040 and who had worked at the court of his father-in-law Arnau Mir de Tost for some time, Vidal.

Early in his reign Raymond exacted a collective oath from the general public, claiming to rely on precedent established earlier that century by his father Raymond III and uncle William II of Pallars Sobirà. His action in fact harkened back to the original public function of the count during Carolingian times. He renewed the collective oath a second time at a later date.

In 1055 Raymond married Valença, daughter of Arnau Mir de Tost, and granted him four castles as a pledge to keep the oaths he had sworn for her hand. She acted alongside him in many of his charters and conventions. In 1056–1057 Raymond and Valença ceded their "power" (potestas) over the castle of Orcau to Ramon Mir and his wife Maria. In 1088 they renewed the concession to Ramon Mir's son Tedball Ramon. This and similar actions have led certain historians to consider Raymond weak in relation to his vassals. He was even forced out of power at one point, but had regained it by the early 1070s. Raymond had three sons by Valença: Pere Ramon, Arnau Ramon, and Bernat Ramon. The eldest two succeeded him and ruled jointly until around 1112, when they were succeeded by their brother Bernat, who ruled until 1124.

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