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How did war taxes contribute to opposition in Catalonia and Aragon?

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Illustration of the Battle of Blenheim showing cavalry and infantry in combat, fallen soldiers, and smoke rising from cannon fire across a hilly battlefield. — War of the Spanish Succession The Battle of Blenheim (August 13, 1704), was the most famous victory of John Churchill, duke of Marlborough, and Eugene of Savoy during the War of the Spanish Succession.

During the War of the Spanish Succession, the Bourbon administration sought to create an efficient, centralized government to extract resources from Spain to fund the war effort and alleviate pressure on the French treasury.1

The implementation of war taxation and levies became a significant source of friction in Catalonia and Aragon. These regions viewed the imposition of effective royal rule and the associated financial demands as a Castilian-led effort to undermine their local privileges, known as fueros.1

This financial pressure, combined with the broader goal of centralizing power, fueled deep-seated resentment against the Bourbon dynasty. The local populations and nobility perceived these fiscal measures as an infringement on their autonomy, leading them to revolt against the crown's demands. Ultimately, this opposition contributed to the regions' support for the Austrian candidate, Archduke Charles, as they sought to protect their traditional liberties from what they perceived as an encroaching, absolute monarchy.1