Spain began to expel Moriscos - the descendants of Muslims who had converted, often under pressure, to Christianity - on 9th April, 1609. 

Although many had lived alongside Christian neighbours for generations, political suspicion lingered, and King Phillip III increasingly viewed them as a problem to be solved rather than a community to be integrated: expelling the Moriscos offered a way to assert religious conformity while also making practical use of naval resources no longer required for war. 

Longstanding fears, partly grounded in memory of Islamic rule in Iberia and partly in anxiety about the expanding Ottoman Empire, fed the idea that Moriscos might act as an internal threat, even where little concrete evidence existed. 

The human consequences were severe. Estimates suggest that hundreds of thousands were expelled, most commonly to North Africa, where they were not always welcomed. The journeys themselves were dangerous, marked by unrest, violence, and significant loss of life. 

In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly explore the parallels with more recent events; reveal the lasting effects the expulsion had on Spain itself; and consider the authenticity of  conversions conducted during the Reconquista…

Further Reading:

• ‘The Expulsion of the Moriscos’ (Al-Andalus y la Historia, 2024): https://www.alandalusylahistoria.com/?p=4679

• ‘The Expulsion of the Moriscos, 1609-1614’ (History Today, 1978): https://www.historytoday.com/archive/expulsion-moriscos-1609-1614

• ‘In Search of My Roots’ (Al Jazeera, 2021): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sznIwFim_x0

#Spain #Muslim #1600s #Racism

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The Retrospectors are Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina & Arion McNicoll, with Matt Hill.

Theme Music: Pass The Peas. Announcer: Bob Ravelli. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Edit Producer: Ollie Peart.

Copyright: Rethink Audio / Olly Mann 2026.

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