Anticipated expulsion drove Aragonese Moriscos to abandon their fields

Evidence

The Spanish authorities in Oran had made it quite clear that the flood of refugees with which they had to cope in late 1609 had given rise to difficulties of all sorts, so that there were sound logistical and operational reasons for taking a little more time before increasing the total of persons displaced. Against that had to be set the fact that the Aragonese Moriscos knew that they were almost certainly the next in line to be driven out, even if they did not know exactly when. Not surprisingly, they began abandoning the cultivation of fields from which they were to reap no benefit and sought to make such preparations for their journey as were permitted. The situation in the Morisco villages was thus very unsettled. And, as the Christians saw matters, there was always the danger that the Aragonese Moriscos might seek to take up arms as some of the Valencians had done. The proximity of the French border and the fact that these Moriscos of Aragon (along with the now-expelled Moriscos of Valencia) had already had active contacts with the representatives of Henry IV of France (before that king was assassinated) made this a daunting prospect. — L. P. Harvey, Muslims in Spain, 1500 to 1614, 1474 (#expands, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Winter storms and hostile locals degraded the expulsion’s later voyages; Anticipating expulsion, Aragonese Moriscos abandoned cultivation and sought help from France — L. P. Harvey, Muslims in Spain, 1500 to 1614, 1474; Expelled Moriscos could convert assets to goods but forfeited land to the Crown

Broader Connections

• Anticipating expulsion, Aragonese Moriscos abandoned cultivation and sought help from France #expands (0.97) — L. P. Harvey, Muslims in Spain, 1500 to 1614, 1474