The Slave Narrative on Spanish Moors in the Maghrib

ABSTRACT In 1609 Philip III signed a decree to enforce the expulsion of Moriscos from Spain. This article examines the fate of the expelled Spanish Moriscos once they arrived in the Maghrib through the narrative of two Christian slaves. Examining unexplored Vatican and Spanish sources, this contribution reveals how the identity of the Spanish Moriscos continued to be questioned years after their expulsion. It retraces the sociopolitical effects of the expulsion of Spanish Moriscos showing how the sense of marginalization and displacement of the Moriscos followed them into the Maghrib, where they found themselves at the margin of society because their status as true Muslims continued to be doubted. The two Christian slaves noted the mistreatment of those called the “Taragins.” The poor treatment they received from the local Maghrebi because of their foreignness prolonged their longing for Spain for generations after their arrival in the Maghrib. The process of marginalization did not stop with their expulsion and can be perceived as one of the cultural legacies of the Spanish Empire.