alternatehistory.com

I'm doing some more research for The Prince of Peace, so I think naturally I should turn to the Moriscos. Spain is united in this TL by the Aviz through a surviving Miguel da Paz. I'm curious on the effects of a different dynasty might have on the Moriscos. As far as my TL goes, the first rising of the Mudéjars still happened in 1499, so Isabella and Ferdinand certainly revoked the religious toleration promised under the Treaties of Granada, leading to conversions and exiles from Spain. Certainly there would still be many cypto-Muslims as IOTL.

I figured the Aviz in my TL might take a more careless attitude regarding the Moriscos. While they certainly aren't going to restore the liberties promised in 1492, I don't see any pressing reason for them to ban Arabic, Islamic dress, and many other superflous bans that Philip II passed. Of course, if Spain suffered some serious crisis, I could see the alternate monarchy perusing persecution as a means of a scape-goat. I don't know too much about the situation beyond some light wiki-reading, so if anyone has any books about them, feel free to suggest them.

Either way even if the state isn't actively persecuting them, the Morsicos would still suffer prejudice from the common people: so I wonder that even if the crown doesn't want to press matters, they might be inclined to do so. At least in the 14th and 15th century, Castilian resentment against the Jews lead to persecution of them by the crown. So I wonder if something similar might occur. After all, the Inquisition is still around and going to be active even under the Aviz. Popular prejudices die hard, and if say, a Catholic fell on hard times, he might rat out his Morisco neighbors especially if there is competition for jobs for instance.

I'm just looking for the broad effects on no expulsion; I know a sort of brain drained happened and many Moriscos had technical skills (perhaps emulating France's own drain decades later when they expelled the Huguenots) and were also considered quite well off. Aragon and Valencia found their economies severely hampered, but I believe when the expulsion happened IOTL, the economies of the region were already beginning to stagnate. Could the Moriscos perhaps play a role in proto-industrialization, perhaps with fabric mills or something of the sort? Spain had a large problem with consumption, considering much money was spent importing manufactured goods that Spain did not produce, and whilst most early modern economies were fairly closed and mercantile, Spain was even more so. As the Aviz Spain won't decline as severely as the Habsburgs, I could see the Morsicos playing an important role in trade and industry.

I suppose we could also use this topic to talk about the Marranos (Jews who had been forced to convert to Catholicism). The big reason I'm asking this is that on the whole, the Aviz dynasty of the early 16th century seemed fairly unconcerned with the Jews in Portugal: the main reason for their expulsion was so that Manuel I could marry Isabella, the Princess of Asturias. I think once he comes into the inheritance of Castile and Aragon, he won't be too concerned with the Marranos and Moriscos.
Top