Forced conversion drove Spanish Islam underground where contemporaries soon lost track of it.

Evidence

Writing toward the end of the sixteenth century but looking back on the immediate aftermath of the first conversions, Luis del M´armol described the situation. His words convey well the uncomprehending irritation and exasperation that was the reaction of many Christians to the failure of the policy of forcible conversion. It will be noted that he was aware of the strength of the Moriscos’ clandestine religion. He had had access to some of the intelligence of the Second Granadan Rebellion and knew very well that by his day Islam had not faded away at all. One may doubt whether most Christian observers, writing immediately after the conversions, would have known that Islam had gone underground in the way that M´armol does. — L. P. Harvey, Muslims in Spain, 1500 to 1614, 370

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to the pattern of outward conformity with hidden practice found in crypto-Judaism’s conversos and other forced-conversion contexts.