Historical estimates of the expelled Val de Ricote population vary wildly

Evidence

“About 15,000” of them was the figure given by Lea (1901, 256), certainly far too large an estimate, even if we assume this last redoubt would have become overpopulated. Lapeyre reminds us (1959, 196) that Bleda (1618, 1060) had given a figure of 2,500, and he also reports other figures much at variance with these. The discrepancies presumably arise because it is not clear whether the Val de Ricote proper is intended, or whether the surrounding area with nearby villages is to be included. — L. P. Harvey, Muslims in Spain, 1500 to 1614, 1537

Categorization

• QUESTION: The passage cuts off mid-thought on why the counts diverged — worth chasing what Lapeyre concluded about the enumeration confusion.