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1. Morales Padrón, La ciudad del quinientos, 93, based on a census in AMS, sec. 16 (Diversos ), 334. 3 averting a morisco crisis Many Moriscos were taken by force to the galleys. —diego ortiz melgarejo D uring the month of june, another matter occupied the Count of Villar and the cabildo. Seville was home to about six thousand Moriscos, Muslim converts to Christianity.1 After the fall of Granada in 1492, Muslims were allowed to continue to practice their religion, but they faced much discrimination. By the end of the century , resentment against these policies among the Mudéjares (Muslims living in Christian lands) culminated in several rebellions both in Granada and other parts of eastern Andalusia. The authorities decided to resolve the problem by forcing Muslims throughout Castile to either convert to Christianity or leave. Most chose to remain, hoping that by ostensibly accepting Christianity they could continue to practice Islam clandestinely. Because Moriscos seemed to have been resisting integration they were always suspect and a target of the Inquisition . The frequent raids by North African corsairs along the Spanish coast, coupled with the Ottoman empire’s expansion during the sixteenth century and its foothold in North Africa, contributed to fears of a Muslim invasion. In such a climate, Moriscos were viewed as Ottoman sympathizers at best and more often as active agents helping the enemy. Local authorities reacted to the threat by keeping a closer watch on the Moriscos, as did the Inquisition. They were spied on, subjected to frequent inspections in their homes, their activities scrutinized; and infractions, whether for nonpayment of taxes or any indication of old customs in dress or culture, were punishable by fines, service in the galleys, or confiscation of land and property. On Christmas eve of 1568 Moriscos began a bloody rebellion in the Alpujar- averting a morisco crisis | 31 2. Antonio Domínguez Ortiz and Bernard Vincent, Historia de los moriscos: Vida y tragedia de una minoría (Madrid: Alianza Universidad, 1997), 17–56. See also Ruth Pike, “An Urban Minority: The Moriscos of Seville,” International Journal of Middle East Studies 2 (1971): 368–77; Pike, Aristocrats and Traders, 154–70; David Coleman, Creating Christian Granada: Society and Religious Culture in an Old-World Frontier City, 1492–1600 (Ithaca, N.Y.: Cornell University Press, 2003), 180–85; and Morales Padrón, La ciudad del quinientos, 93–94. For analysis of the relationship between the Ottoman Turks and the Moriscos, see Andrew C. Hess,“The Moriscos: An Ottoman Fifth Column in Sixteenth-Century Spain,” American Historical Review 74, no. 1 (1968): 1–25. 3. AMS, sec. 10, 1580 [1] (20 May). ras Mountains of Granada, and for the next two years there was fierce fighting in the region. After the rebels were finally defeated in 1570, most Moriscos were expelled from Granada and resettled throughout Castile, including Extremadura and western Andalusia. The few who were allowed to remain in Granada appeared well integrated into the dominant Christian society. Many of the exiled Moriscos settled in Seville. Some had been enslaved as rebels, but most were free and made their living in various occupations, seemingly interacting with the rest of the populace.Yet authorities were uneasy, given the large number of Moriscos from Granada who now lived in Seville, and periodically rumors flared up that the converts were plotting an uprising.2 In the late spring of 1580 the city council was once again concerned about the concentration of Moriscos in certain parishes and the possibility of unrest. Indeed, during a council meeting discussing the problem, the jurado Cristóbal Suárez argued that there were too many Moriscos in the city and advocated that all should be expelled.3 The Count of Villar informed the cabildo on Monday, 20 June, that after having made “certain inquiries,” he had concluded that the Moriscos “want to rise up” and had set the date for “the eve of San Pedro” (28 June). The threat seemed serious and involved Moriscos not just in Seville but in other parts of Andalusia as well. The leader of the rebellion was thought to be Don Fernando Muley, a Morisco also known as Don Fernando Henríquez. The city council acted quickly. First, the councilors agreed to apprise the inquisitors and church authorities of the situation and ask them to conduct their own investigation and then share their findings with city officials. At the same time, the count and several council members who had formed a commission...

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