What was the real reason of the expulsion of Jews from Spain in 1492?

Answer 1

It was perhaps inevitable that the waves of anti-Semitism that swept across medieval Europe would eventually find their way into Spain. Envy, greed, and gullibility led to rising tensions between Christians and Jews in the 14th century. In 1391, urban mobs in Barcelona and other towns poured into Jewish quarters, rounded up Jews, and gave them a choice of baptism or death. In 1414 a debate was held in Tortosa between Christian and Jewish leaders, resulting in a wave of voluntary conversions - in Aragon alone, 3,000 Jews received baptism.

By the mid-15th century, a whole new converso culture was Jewish in ethnicity and culture, but Catholic in religion. Conversos, whether new converts themselves or the descendants of converts, took enormous pride in that culture. Some even asserted that they were better than the "Old Christians," since as Jews they were related by blood to Christ himself.

Among aristocratic and middle-class Old Christians, resentment developed over the arrogance of the conversos, and anti-Semitic conspiracy theories abounded. The conversos, it was said, were part of an elaborate Jewish plot to take over the Spanish nobility and the Catholic Church, destroying both from within. The conversos, according to this logic, were not sincere Christians but secret Jews. In 1478, Pope Sixtus IV issued a bull, allowing the crown to form an inquisitorial tribunal to investigate these allegations.

Many became convinced that Spain's Jews were actively seducing the conversos back into their old faith. It was argued that the Spanish Inquisition could never succeed in bringing the conversos back into the fold while the Jews undermined its work. Beginning in 1482, Ferdinand and Isabella expelled Jews from specific areas where the trouble seemed greatest.

Finally, in 1492, the monarchs issued an edict expelling all Jews from Spain. The Jewish population of Spain had numbered about 80,000, and about half were baptised, including those in the royal court and many others in high positions, thereby keeping their property and livelihoods. The rest departed, but many eventually returned and received baptism and had their property restored.

Answer 2

The Jews were expelled from Spain in 1492 due, in part, to the recent "retaking" of Spain from the Muslims. King Ferdinand & Queen Isabella had recently driven Islam out of Spain and returned it and its inhabitants to the "true" or Catholic church. Anyone who was not Catholic was suspect. The Muslims as well as the Jews were caught up in the religious frenzy commonly called the Spanish Inquisition. The basic premise of the Inquisition was convert, leave or die.

Answer 3

Spain, in the past, has been ruled by Muslims. However, during the 11th, 12th and 13th Centuries, the Catholic kingdoms of Northern Spain began taking control of Muslim territories in a process known to historians as the Reconquista. The last Muslim city - Grenada - fell to them in 1492, the same year that Spanish Jews were expelled from the country, and Spain was ruled in its entirety by Catholics.

At first, Spanish Muslims enjoyed relative tolerance and were allowed to practice their religion freely even in Granada where Hernando de Talavera became the first archbishop following the Muslim's defeat. However, his successor - Cardinal Cisneros - was not so enlightened and rapidly instigated a program of mass conversion to Catholicism and burnt Arabic texts. The Mudejar Spanish Muslims were understandably outraged, which led to the unsuccesful First Rebellion of Alpajarras in 1499 - which in turn gave Catholic King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella an excuse to revoke earlier promises of tolerance and set about persecuting Muslims. They began by seizing remaining Arabic texts, most of which were burnt, and then in 1502 Muslims were offered a choice - either convert to Catholicism or leave the country.