The Morisco Exodus: Spain's Forgotten Expulsion

In 1609, King Philip III signed an edict that would expel nearly 300,000 Moriscos—descendants of Spain's Muslim population—from their homeland. This episode explores the final chapter of Al-Andalus, focusing on the Morisco communities in Valencia, Aragon, and Castile. We discuss the fears that drove the expulsion, the human cost, and the lasting economic and cultural impact. We meet figures like the Archbishop of Valencia, Juan de Ribera, who advocated for expulsion, and examine the secret lives of Moriscos who practiced taqiyya—dissimulating their faith. We also look at the aftermath: the depopulated villages, the lost agricultural knowledge, and the diaspora across North Africa and the Ottoman Empire. Was the expulsion a necessary security measure or an act of ethnic cleansing? We weigh the evidence and consider the legacy of this forgotten tragedy in Spanish history. #Moriscos #Expulsion #PhilipIII #AlAndalus #Valencia #Aragon #JuanDeRibera #Taqiyya #Inquisition #Spain #History #FexingoHistory #Alpujarras #OttomanEmpire #NorthAfrica #ForcedMigration #ReligiousIntolerance #EarlyModernSpain #SpainHistory #Reconquista Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo