Historic Tales: The Romance of Reality. Vol. 07 (of 15), SpanishMorris, Charles
History
Historic Tales: The Romance of Reality. Vol. 07 (of 15), Spanish
Morris, Charles
Spain -- History
Spain was in this barbarous manner freed of her Jewish population. There
remained the Moors, who had capitulated, under favorable terms, to
Ferdinand in 1492. These terms were violated a few years later by Cardinal
Ximenes, his severity driving them into insurrection in 1500. This was
suppressed, and then punishment began. So rigid was the inquiry that it
seemed as if all the people of Granada would be condemned as guilty, and
in mortal dread many of them made peace by embracing Christianity, while
others sold their estates and migrated to Barbary. In the end, all who
remained escaped persecution only by consenting to be baptized, the total
number of converts being estimated at fifty thousand. The name of Moors,
which had superseded that of Arabs, was now changed to that of Moriscos,
by which these unfortunate people were afterwards known.
The ill-faith shown to the Moors of the plain gave rise to an insurrection
in the mountains, in which the Spaniards suffered a severe defeat. The
insurgents, however, were soon subdued, and most of them, to prevent being
driven from their homes, professed the Christian faith. By the free use of
torture and the sword the kings of Spain had succeeded in adding largely
to their Christian subjects.
The Moriscos became the most skilful and industrious agriculturists of
Spain, but they were an alien element of the population and from time to
time irritating edicts were issued for their control. In 1560 the Moriscos
were forbidden to employ African slaves, for fear that they might make
infidels of them. This was a severe annoyance, for the wealthy farmers
depended on the labor of these slaves. In 1563 they were forbidden to
possess arms except under license. In 1566 still more oppressive edicts
were passed. They were no longer to use the Arabic language or wear the
Moorish dress, and the women were required to go about with their faces
unveiled,—a scandalous thing among Mohammedans. Their weddings were to be
conducted in public, after the Christian forms, their national songs and
dances were interdicted, and they were even forbidden to indulge in warm
baths, bathing being a custom of which the Spaniard of that day appears to
have disapproved.
The result of these oppressive edicts was a violent and dangerous
insurrection, which involved nearly all the Moriscos of Spain, and
continued for more than two years, requiring all the power of Spain for
its suppression. Don John of Austria, the victor at Lepanto, led the
Spanish troops, but he had a difficult task, the Moriscos, sheltered in
their mountain fastnesses, making a desperate and protracted resistance,
and showing a warlike energy equal to that which had been displayed in the
defence of Granada.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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