Exiled Moriscos adapted economically to exile by turning to piracy, trade, and arms dealing

Evidence

In Tunisia, Moriscos earned their living in agriculture, manufacturing, and trade. In Morocco, too, they were engaged in trade and production, but at the heart of this commercial activity were all the transactions associated with piracy, including the ransoming of captives. Exiled from their home and resident in another land that, particularly after the death of Muley Zaidan, was torn by strife both inside and outside the circle of the ruling dynasty, many Moriscos turned to the profession of arms dealing. — L. P. Harvey, Muslims in Spain, 1500 to 1614, 1657

Categorization

• SHARE: Anyone interested in refugee economic adaptation or early modern Mediterranean piracy would enjoy this contrast between Tunisia’s agrarian/manufacturing niche and Morocco’s piracy-centered economy.