Morisco

Yet, in crushing Protestantism, he also crushed all power of independent thought, leaving Spain far in the rear of European intellectual progress.

In the same way, the commercial prosperity of the country was choked by the persecution of the industrious Moriscos, the real source of the industrial wealth of Spain.

These people were at least outwardly converted Moors, who were successful farmers and craftsmen.

The attitude of the Spaniards toward them at its best was but that of an armed neutrality, and a change of affairs in the Mediterranean soon aroused an active hostility.

In the first place, the onslaughts of the Barbary pirates, their kinsmen, provoked two expeditions against the former, which met with only moderate success.

And in the second, another great Mahometan power, the Turks, in 1565, laid siege to Malta, which was relieved somewhat grudgingly and only just in time by the Viceroy of Naples.

The outcome of these struggles with the infidel was a series of edicts against all the most cherished national customs of the Moriscos, so outrageous as to provoke remonstrance even from the Spanish nobles.

The Moriscos then broke into rebellion in 1568, set up a king of their own, and took a cruel revenge upon all Christians in their power.

Got to give them credit.

OK, on this day in 1609, an expulsion order is issued against the Moriscos.

I'm probably pronouncing that badly.

Moriscos.

Moriscos of Valencia.

Valencia.

beginning the expulsion of all the Spanish Moriscos who are former Muslims and their descendants.

So getting towards the end of the Reconquista there.

His half-brother King Philip II denied him, maybe doubting whether sending his 18-year-old half-brother into such an important engagement was a safe move.

Eventually, Philip did give John his opportunity when a major Morisco uprising occurred in the mountains south of Granada in 1568.

The Moriscos were Muslims living in Spain forcibly converted to Christianity following the Reconquista and they were suspected of preserving elements of Islamic culture in secret.

Philip II's Pragmatica of 1567 outlawed nearly every aspect of Morisco cultural life, including use of the Arabic language, Moorish dress and traditional music and dances, among other things.

This triggered the revolt of the Alpujarras, one of the most violent internal conflicts of 16th century Europe.

Don John was given independent military command and demonstrated energy, determination and personal courage throughout the campaign.

He insinuated in Isabella's holy mind the pernicious doctrine that to keep faith with infidels was breaking faith with God.

And it is one of the few blots on the good king's name that she at length consented to the persecutions of the Moors, or Moriscos as they now began to be called.

The first attempt to coerce the Granadinos was a failure.

Some of the straighter Muslims expressed their repugnance to the new conversions to Christianity, and these malcontents were arrested.

This temporary success however only aggravated the reprisals of now exasperated Christians.

The Count of Tendilla stormed Guéjar, the count of Cerín blew up the mosque in which the women and children of a wide district had been placed for safety, and King Ferdinand himself seized the key of passes the castle of Lanjarón.

The remnant of the rebels fled to Morocco Egypt and Turkey where their skill as artificers secured them a living Thus the first revolt in the Alpujarras was suppressed Half a century of smouldering hatred ensued The Moriscos grudgingly fulfilled the minimum of their religious duties imposed on them by their outward conversion But they took care to wash off the Holy Water With which their children were baptized As soon as they were out of the priest’s sightThey came home From their Christian weddings To be married again After the Mohammedan rite and they made the Barbary corsair at home in their cities and helped him to kidnap the children of the Christians.

A wise and honest government, respecting its pledges given at the surrender of Granada, would have been spared the danger of this hidden disaffection but the rulers of Spain were neither wise nor honest in their dealings with the Moriscos and as time went on they became more and more cruel and false.

Hernando de Valo, of the race of the caliphs of Cordoba, a man of note in Granada, but brought to disgrace by his dissolute habits, was chosen king of Andalusia, with the title of Muley Mohammed Aben Omeia.

And in a week, the whole of the Alpujarras was in arms, and the second Morisco rebellion had begun, 1568.

The district of the Alpujarras was well fitted to harbour a revolt.

The stretch of high land between the Sierra Nevada and the sea, about 19 miles long and 11 broad, is so rudely broken into rugged hills and deep ravine, that it would be hard to find in its whole surface a piece of level ground, except in the small valley of Andarax and on the Belto plain which intervenes betwixt the mountain and the sea.

Another golden deed is told of the advance of the Christian expedition to put down the revolt.

The troops had arrived at the ravine of Tablete, a grim chasm a hundred feet deep with a roaring torrent at the bottom.

The Moriscos had destroyed the bridge, and only a few tottering planks remained by which a venturesome scout might cross if needful.

On the other side of these planks, Moorish archers kept their bows at stretch.

A dyer of Granada, Farax Aben Farax, of the blood of the Albencerages, gathered together a band of the disaffected and escaped to the mountains before the garrison had made up their minds to pursue him.

Hernando de Valo, of the race of the caliphs of Cordoba, a man of note in Granada, but brought to disgrace by his dissolute habits, was chosen king of Andalusia, with the title of Mulay Mohammed Aben Omeia, and in a week the whole of the Alpujarras was in arms, and the second Morisco rebellion had begun, 1568.

The district of the Alpujarras was well fitted to harbour a revolt.

The stretch of high land between the Sierra Nevada and the sea, about 19 miles long and 11 broad, is so rudely broken into rugged hills and deep ravine, that it would be hard to find in its whole surface a piece of level ground, except in the small valley of Andarax and on the belt of plain which intervenes betwixt the mountain and the sea.

Another golden deed is told of the advance of the Christian expedition to put down the revolt.

The troops had arrived at the ravine of Tablete, a grim chasm a hundred feet deep with a roaring torrent at the bottom.

The Moriscos had destroyed the bridge, and only a few tottering planks remained by which a venturesome scout might cross if needful.

On the other side of these planks, Moorish archers kept their bows at stretch.

End of chapter 26 Chapter 27 of Historical Tales, Volume 7, Spanish by Charles Morris This LibriVox recording is in the public domain Chapter 27, The Invincible Armada During almost the whole reign of Philip II, the army of Spain was kept busily engaged.

Now with the Turks and the Barbary states, now with the revolted Moriscos, or descendants of Moors of Granada, now in the conquest of Portugal, now with the heretics of the Netherlands.

All this was not enough for the ambition of the Spanish king.

Elizabeth of England had aided the Netherland rebels and had insulted him in America by sending fleets to plunder his colonies.

The restrictions and monopolies of her colonial policy gave rise to an active contraband trade which reaped the harvest of her commerce.

The overabundant supply of gold and silver had the effect of increasing the price of other commodities and discouraging her rising industries, the result being that she was obliged to purchase abroad the things she ceased to produce at home, and the wealth of America flowed from her coffers into those of the adjoining nations.

Her policy toward the Moriscos banished the most active agriculturalists from the land, and large districts became desert.

Population declined and the resources of the kingdom diminished yearly.