Philip III of Spain Orders the Expulsion of the Moriscos, September 22, 1609.

From 1609 to 1614, the Spanish Crown issued a series of decrees to expel the Moriscos, who were descendants of Spain’s Muslim population who had been forcibly converted to Christianity.

Background

In various parts of Spain, tensions between the Moriscos, descendants of Spain’s Muslim population who had converted to Christianity, and Old Christians, those of non-Moorish descent, arose. Old Christians often doubted the sincerity of Morisco conversions, suspecting them of secretly practising Islam. However, much of the animosity between Old and New Christians was rooted in ethnic divisions, rather than purely religious differences.

During the 16^th century, several revolts broke out, the most significant being the 1568–1573 revolt against Philip II’s edict banning Arabic, and Arabic names, and requiring Morisco children to be educated by Christian priests. After the revolt was violently suppressed, Philip ordered the dispersal of Granada’s Moriscos to other parts of Spain in the hope that this would lead to their assimilation. While this was somewhat successful, Islamic practices and ethnic tensions persisted.

At the same time, Spain’s grip on power in Europe was weakening. Protestant rebels in the Low Countries successfully seized much of Spain’s territory, forming the Dutch Republic. This defeat, combined with Protestant criticisms accusing Spain of being “corrupted” by Muslims, pushed Spain’s ruling class toward more radical actions.

The situation worsened when a recession struck the country due to the decline in gold and treasure from Spain’s American colonies. The resulting economic downturn heightened tensions between the Moriscos and Old Christians, as both groups competed for increasingly scarce jobs and resources.

The Expulsion of the Moriscos

The Duke of Lerma, with the assistance of the Archbishop of Valencia, Juan de Ribera, played a pivotal role in persuading King Philip III to proceed with the expulsion of the Moriscos. Ribera, who viewed the Moriscos as both heretics and traitors, proposed that the expulsion could be leveraged to benefit the crown financially. He suggested that confiscating the Moriscos’ assets would provide a substantial boost to the royal treasury.

On April 9, 1609, the edict for the expulsion was officially signed. Given the large scale of the operation, they decided to start with Valencia, which had the largest Morisco population. On September 22, the viceroy announced the decree, but faced immediate opposition from the Valencian aristocracy, who feared that the loss of Morisco workers would devastate their agricultural income. The government offered some of the confiscated property and land to the aristocracy in compensation, though it was insufficient to offset their losses.

The expulsion of the Moriscos began on September 30, with the first groups transported to the ports. They were allowed to carry only their personal belongings, while their homes and lands were transferred to their former masters. Upon arriving in North Africa, the Moriscos encountered hostility in some regions and faced occasional uprisings aboard the ships, leading to clashes with the crew and additional casualties. The fear of similar violence incited several rebellions among the remaining Moriscos in Valencia.

By November, the uprisings had been suppressed, and over the course of three months, 116,000 Moriscos had been expelled from Valencia to North Africa. The expulsion continued into 1610, with the Moriscos of Aragon and Catalonia being relocated. The expulsion of Moriscos from Castile, Extremadura, and Andalusia (then all part of the Crown of Castile) proved to be the most challenging. In these regions, the Moriscos were dispersed rather than concentrated, a result of the 1571 rebellion. To address this, they were given the option of voluntary departure, allowing them to take their most valuable possessions. Consequently, the expulsion in Castile extended over three years, from 1611 to 1614.

Aftermath

Assessing the success of the expulsion of the Moriscos is challenging and has recently undergone academic reassessment. Some estimates, based on records of expulsion orders, suggest around 300,000 Moriscos, while more recent estimates propose figures of up to one million.

In 1619, the Council of Castile assessed the expulsion’s impact and concluded it had minimal economic effect nationwide. This conclusion applied primarily to Castile, but the Kingdom of Valencia faced a starkly different scenario. The expulsion, which removed approximately one-third of Valencia’s population, led to severe economic disruptions. Agricultural fields were left fallow, and vital economic sectors were left unfilled, as native Christians struggled to take over these roles.

The expulsion had a profound effect not only on the economies of Aragon and Valencia but also on the power dynamics among their nobility. The former Crown of Aragon, already overshadowed by the more affluent and populous Crown of Castile, saw its influence diminish further. Meanwhile, Catalan nobles, who were less affected by the absence of a Morisco population, gained prominence. This shift contributed to a realignment of power from Valencia to the Principality of Catalonia within the Crown of Aragon.