ad ▁de ▁las ▁Mar ism as , ▁the ▁trad ing ▁association ▁formed ▁by ▁the ▁ports ▁of ▁Cast ile ▁along ▁the ▁Cant ab rian ▁coast , ▁res emb ling ▁in ▁some ▁ways ▁the ▁Han se atic ▁League , ▁fought ▁against ▁the ▁latter , ▁an ▁al ly ▁of ▁England , ▁a ▁rival ▁of ▁Cast ile ▁in ▁political ▁and ▁economic ▁terms . ▁Cast ile ▁sought ▁to ▁claim ▁the ▁G ulf ▁of ▁B isc ay ▁as ▁its ▁own . ▁In ▁ 1 4 1 9 , ▁the ▁powerful ▁Cast ilian ▁n avy ▁thoroughly ▁defeated ▁a ▁Han se atic ▁fleet ▁in ▁La ▁Ro ch elle . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 5 th ▁century , ▁the ▁imperial ▁amb ition ▁of ▁the ▁I ber ian ▁powers ▁was ▁pushed ▁to ▁new ▁height s ▁by ▁the ▁Catholic ▁Mon arch s ▁in ▁Cast ile ▁and ▁Arag on , ▁and ▁by ▁Manuel ▁I ▁in ▁Portugal . ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁acc ession ▁of ▁Henry ▁III ▁to ▁the ▁throne ▁of ▁Cast ile , ▁the ▁popul ace , ▁ex as per ated ▁by ▁the ▁pre ponder ance ▁of ▁Jewish ▁influence , ▁perpet r ated ▁a ▁mass acre ▁of ▁Jews ▁at ▁To led o . ▁In ▁ 1 3 9 1 , ▁mob s ▁went ▁from ▁town ▁to ▁town ▁throughout ▁Cast ile ▁and ▁Arag on , ▁killing ▁an ▁estimated ▁ 5 0 , 0 0 0 ▁Jews , ▁or ▁even ▁as ▁many ▁as ▁ 1 0 0 , 0 0 0 , ▁according ▁to ▁Jane ▁Ger ber . ▁Women ▁and ▁children ▁were ▁sold ▁as ▁slaves ▁to