The Moriscos: Spain's Forgotten Muslims and the Expulsion

In 1609, King Philip III signed a decree that would exile hundreds of thousands of his own subjects: the Moriscos, descendants of Spain's Muslim population who had been forced to convert to Christianity a century earlier. This episode explores the origins of the Morisco community, their forced conversion after the Revolt of the Alpujarras (1568-1571), and the complex identity of people caught between two cultures. Lucas and Luna discuss the role of figures like Archbishop Juan de Ribera, who argued for expulsion, and the tragic exodus that depopulated entire regions of Valencia and Aragon. They examine the economic impact—many lords lost their laborers—and the human cost: families torn apart, children kept by Christians, and Moriscos who were attacked by pirates or died at sea. The conversation also touches on the Inquisition's persecution of crypto-Muslims, the literary figure of Ricote in Don Quixote, and the long-term consequences for Spain's demographic and cultural landscape. It's a story of faith, coercion, and the limits of religious uniformity in the early modern world. #Moriscos #Expulsion1609 #PhilipIII #Alpujarras #JuanDeRibera #CryptoMuslims #Inquisition #Valencia #Aragon #RevoltOfTheAlpujarras #Ricote #DonQuixote #ForcedConversion #MoriscoExpulsion #SpanishHistory #EarlyModernSpain #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo