not much is known about the origins of the lordship itself as a political entity. the lordship is mentioned for the first time in a text from 1284, although some latter documents (dated in the 15th century) state that the majorat over the land around oñati was given to the guevara family in the year 1149. the house of guevara came from a village with the same name located in what then was part of the kingdom of navarre. the family had important contacts with the navarrese monarchy and had been supporters of the gamboino faction during the war of the bands. the lordship had strong links with the county of álava and remained a vassal territory of navarre until the year 1200, when gipuzkoa and álava itself were conquered by the kingdom of castile. from that point and until its dissolution, the lordship was under the sphere of influence of castile, and it was eventually integrated into the kingdom, along with other basque feudal lordships such as the lordship of biscay.