Fear of child removal and prophetic rumors drove Granada’s Moriscos to revolt

Evidence

The banning of Moorish-style clothing (with the date of January 1, 1568, set as the deadline beyond which old-style clothes had to be replaced) was a requirement that had great symbolic impact, but undoubtedly what preoccupied the people most were reports (that as far as one can discover at the time were unfounded, although parents were, as we will see, well advised to be watching out for such proposals) that they might have their children taken from them so as to facilitate the process of indoctrination. The city of Granada became a hotbed of rumor and panic. Prophetic texts ( j´ofores) full of obscure predictions circulated. There appear to have taken place secret assemblies at which the Moriscos debated the options before them, and reached the decision to resist. — L. P. Harvey, Muslims in Spain, 1500 to 1614, 1003

Categorization

• QUESTION: The parenthetical suggests child-removal fears were initially unfounded but later vindicated — worth verifying what actually happened to Morisco children.