Morisco refugees formed the elite core of Morocco’s 1591 Saharan conquest

Evidence

Although Jaudar’s small contingent of cavalry for the expedition to Timbuktu was Moroccan, the core of his little army of 5,000–6,000 men were Moriscos and other soldiers of European origin, among whom the corps d’ ´elite were specialist Morisco troops trained in the use of the harquebus. (The words of command in this expedition across the Sahara to the bend of the Niger were given in Spanish.) — L. P. Harvey, Muslims in Spain, 1500 to 1614, 1601

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to the broader theme of Morisco diaspora military service; similar to how other expelled/refugee groups take up arms for new patrons.
• STORYSTEM: Spanish words of command ringing across the Sahara in a 1591 expedition headed for Timbuktu is a vivid novelistic image — the displaced speaking their persecutors’ language at the head of an African army.
• SHARE: Worth sending to anyone interested in the Morisco diaspora or in the military history of the Sahel.