22 Moriscos

Session 22

Moriscos: Muslims in a Persecuting Society

 

 

1. The Moriscos 2. A resisting minority 3. A persecuted minority 4. The expulsion of the Moriscos

 

 

1. The Moriscos

 

 

the Moriscos Moriscos are Muslims of the Crowns of Aragon and Castile converted to Christianity by force – during the first three decades of the 16th century – after the conquest of Nasrid Granada (1492)

 

 

the Moriscos from circa 1530 on nobody could openly live as a Muslim in any part of Iberia – no Jews – no Muslims – only Christians (Old and New Christians) an exclusively Christian society

 

 

the Moriscos in a context of Christian pressure – many Moros decided to emigrate to North Africa and other parts of the Mediterranean – more Moros decided to stay, as New Christians highest concentrations of Moriscos, circa 1550 – in Granada, circa 54% of the population – in Valencia, circa 30% of the population

 

 

2. A resisting minority

 

 

a resisting minority

identity

the Moriscos preserved – their cultural identity their particular names, their particular way of dressing (a la morisca)

– their most important boundary-maintaining elements • language: aljamia and algarabía • religion

 

 

a resisting minority Moriscos decided to stay as Muslims – preserving secretly Islam – simulating in public to be Christians taqiyya – dispensation from requirements of Islam under compulsion or threat of injury – innovation: a whole community in a permanent way

 

 

a resisting minority

religion

in that situation effort to adapt code of Islam to hostile new environment a literature for crypto-Muslims: a secret literature, literatura aljamiada remarkable example: Breviario Sunní (Kitab segoviano) of Ice de Gebir, an imam and mufti from Segovia

 

 

Dixo un alim [ulema] d'este rreyno hablando de nuestro encerramiento: "Yo bien conozco que somos en una época de grande espanto, mas no por eso dexara Allah de darnos cautoriçada [castigo] si dexamos el pro'o [el pro, la ventaja] de nuestro poderío en lo que toca al preçeptado mandamiento. Y a quanto l'amonestança [el disimulo, la taqiyya], todos la podemos usar por la bía prebilejiada y con los cantares ajenos por donde los christianos hacen salva, pues todo cabe debaxo de buena disimulança, porque la buena doctrina no la puede bedar ninguna ley por inumana que sea". Mancebo de Arévalo: una invitación dirigida a los moriscos o criptomusulmanes  españoles para que sigan cumpliendo con las prescripciones islámicas a pesar de las prohibiciones legales y  para que disimulen y se protejan mostrando adhesión púlica a la fe cristiana    

3. A persecuted minority

 

 

a persecuted minority a situation of de facto tolerance, circa 1530-1570 with the new reign of Philip II

 

 

a persecuted minority a hopeless situation – Moriscos: largely impervious to mission – Moriscos: resisting assimilation resistance and open revolt

– Moriscos: a threat, links with Spain's enemies particularly Spain's enemies in the Islamic world: the Ottoman Empire

 

 

a persecuted minority that gave arguments for a radical solution – no conversion was ever going to take place – expulsion as only solution

 

 

a persecuted minority

expulsion

decision for expulsion taken 9th April 1609 by Royal Council no single decree for whole of Iberia: in the Crown of Aragon edict was not published until May 29th 1610

 

 

a figure approaching 300.000 people (out a population of 8-9 millions) – entire process lasted for five years – armed resistance occurred only in a few places

Vicente Carducho, La Expulsión de los Moriscos.  Museo del Prado, Madrid.

 

 

the destinies: – North Africa

Morocco Ottoman Empire of the Moriscos from Iberia, 17th century The expulsion

– many left to the North: France, Germany and Italy, where they could take a ship for Muslim countries