Who Were the Moriscos?

Matthew Carr – author of Blood and Faith: The Purging of Muslim Spain, 1492 to 1614 – joined us on The afikra Podcast and delved into the history of the Moriscos and their tragic predicament, drawing compelling parallels to modern-day patterns of exclusion and Islamophobia in Palestine and broader societal patterns of intolerance. So, who were the Moriscos?

L’expulsió dels moriscos. Pintura de Gabriel Puig Roda (1894), Museu de Belles Arts de Castelló

The Moriscos were Muslims in Spain who were forcibly converted to Catholicism after 1492. Despite their conversion, many continued to hold on to their original customs and faith in secret. They remained in Spain for over a century but were eventually expelled en masse between 1609 and 1614. The Catholic Church and Spanish monarchy had come to believe they could never become “good and faithful Christians.”

All through the summer leading up to September 1609, mysterious ships appeared off the coast of Valencia. These were not just Spanish ships; Spain had to subcontract English, French, and Genoese ships from across Europe. Rumors spread through Valencia about what was happening. Then in September, the king announced that all Muslims had three days to withdraw to their homes, sell what they could, and prepare for deportation. The king’s constables would then arrive to march them to the coast.

This led to a brutal event: lines of Moriscos were led from the countryside to the coast, often robbed or killed on the way by Christian bandits or opportunists. The Moriscos desperately sold whatever they could to make money for their journey. Once at the coast, they sometimes waited weeks or months for the right tides before being taken to North Africa, where they were simply dumped on the beaches.

Many were killed in the lawless regions of North Africa, though local rulers eventually tried to care for them. Without any international aid or institutions, the Moriscos had to fend for themselves. Meanwhile, many Moriscos in Spain refused deportation and retreated into the mountains of southern Valencia, resisting so fiercely that some chose suicide over exile.

The expulsion of the Moriscos, Carducho, Vicente Florence, 1576 - Madrid, 1638

The Moriscos faced a complex identity, many considered themselves Spanish, having adapted to Christianity by force or over time, while still preserving aspects of their original heritage. Their story is a tragic and often overlooked chapter in history, raising questions about identity, faith, and belonging.

Islamophobic conspiracy theories like “Eurabia”, which gained prominence in the early 2000s, falsely claim that Muslims are working to dominate Europe demographically and culturally. These narratives echo the same fears and prejudices that fueled the expulsion of the Moriscos. This history serves as a powerful parallel to the experiences of many Muslims in Europe today.