Politics and scholarship often overlapped in the nineteenth century. Scholars often mixed in political circles and at times held governmental posts. Gayangos is not an exception. Throughout his life, he was acquainted with many diplomats and politicians in Spain and in Britain, whose support was often crucial to his scholarly endeavours. Yet only late in life did he hold two official positions. A consideration of Gayangos's family background, of his bourgeois upbringing and education in France, of the political sympathies of his relatives and many of his friends, have led scholars to describe Gayangos as a liberal. However, this view needs to be refined, because Gayangos's writings also reveal a degree of scepticism towards the liberal tradition. This essay scrutinises Gayangos's social network, his involvement with govern – mental tasks and his academic output relevant to political debate at the time. The purpose is to assess Gayangos's political thinking within the political panorama in his native Spain and in his adoptive country, Britain.

GAYANGOS AND POLITICS IN SPAIN

Gayangos was the son of brigadier José de Gayangos y Nebot, whose ancestors had all been military men too. Little is known about his political disposition, but we may assume a liberal affiliation to which many military men in early nineteenth-century Spain subscribed. More evidence is available regarding the political stance of Gayangos's uncle, captain Francisco de Gayangos, who, together with his squadron, joined the famous proclamation of colonel Rafael del Riego in 1820 against Ferdinand VII.