Encomienda System, Mudejars, and Moriscos in Spanish History
The Encomienda System in the Americas
Originating in medieval Spain, the Encomienda system established a relationship of dependency, either free or forced, where peasants were under the protection of a lord in exchange for income or tribute. It was introduced to America in the sixteenth century, where conquistadors were granted indigenous people on their lands. These individuals worked for the encomenderos, who were, in return, supposed to ensure their evangelization.
The principles and theoretical basis of the encomienda were intended to be humane (respect for indigenous property, recognition as freemen, prohibition of abuse). However, in reality, the indigenous people were often treated almost as slaves. Consequently, some religious figures and missionaries, such as Fray Bartolomé de las Casas, denounced these conditions, influencing the actions of the Spanish Crown.
In 1542, the publication of the New Laws abolished personal service obligations and the hereditary nature of encomiendas. However, due to uprisings in New Spain and Peru, personal services were ultimately replaced only by a tribute payment, as manpower was still needed for systems like the mita and the obrajes (workshops). The mita, of Inca origin, was adapted by the Spanish to compel indigenous people to perform labor for the state (primarily in mines like Potosí, which employed up to 13,000 people) in return for a wage. The obrajes also utilized indigenous labor, often forced, in craft workshops for a salary; these eventually declined due to competition from Spanish manufactures.
Throughout the sixteenth century, the encomienda system continued to evolve while encomenderos often illegally occupied indigenous lands. By the seventeenth century, due to population decline and the flight of indigenous people, the system weakened, eventually disappearing in the early eighteenth century.
Mudejars and Moriscos in Spain
The Mudejars were Muslims who remained in territories conquered by Christians during and after the Reconquista. Economic and demographic needs, along with pressure from the nobility, led Christian kings to permit their presence. This community began to form notably after the capture of Toledo (1085), when Mudejars were granted the privilege of preserving their religion, customs, and laws in exchange for paying a tribute.
Areas with the largest Mudejar populations included seigneurial rural lands, the Ebro valley, and the Kingdom of Valencia, largely due to the economic benefits they represented for lords. In contrast, in Castile, Murcia, and Andalusia, their numbers decreased significantly after the failed Mudejar revolt of 1264 and subsequent emigration to the Emirate of Granada. The Mudejars left a lasting imprint on Spanish culture, particularly visible in architecture (e.g., La Seo Cathedral in Zaragoza, the Mudejar towers of Teruel).
Their situation deteriorated from the thirteenth century onwards, as they were often confined to separate quarters (morerías or aljamas) and sometimes forced to wear distinctive badges. In 1492, Granada was conquered, and the Jews were expelled. This left the Mudejars as the primary religious minority diverging from the policy of religious unity pursued by the Catholic Monarchs. Initially, voluntary conversion efforts were led by figures like Fray Hernando de Talavera, but due to limited success, conversion became compulsory in Castile (1502) and Aragon (1526). From that point, these converted Muslims and their descendants became known as Moriscos.
In 1567, Philip II banned many Morisco customs in the former Kingdom of Granada, including their language, dress, and traditional bathing. This decree was a major factor leading to the Revolt of the Alpujarras (1568-1571). Later, in 1609, during the reign of Philip III, a combination of factors—including social unrest, fear of Moriscos collaborating with the Ottoman Turks (acting as a ‘fifth column’), and pressure from various societal groups—led to the decree for the Expulsion of the Moriscos from the entire Iberian Peninsula. The economic and demographic consequences of this expulsion were particularly severe in the regions of Valencia and Aragon.