Spain Issues Alhambra Decree Expelling Jews

Context

Jewish communities had lived on the Iberian Peninsula since Roman times. Under Muslim rule in al-Andalus, they held protected dhimmi status that permitted trade, scholarship, and court service, fostering a period of cultural and intellectual achievement known as the Golden Age of Jewish culture in Spain. Christian advances during the Reconquista gradually eroded this tolerance; by the fourteenth century, anti-Jewish violence intensified, most notably in the 1391 massacres and forced conversions that created a large population of conversos, or New Christians.

What Happened

The marriage of Ferdinand and Isabella in 1469 united the crowns of Aragon and Castile, enabling coordinated policies that culminated in the fall of Granada in January 1492 and the completion of the Reconquista. With Muslim rule ended, the monarchs turned to enforcing religious uniformity. The Spanish Inquisition, established in 1478, had already investigated conversos suspected of secretly practicing Judaism. Grand Inquisitor Tomás de Torquemada pressed the rulers to remove any remaining Jewish influence that might encourage crypto-Judaism.

Aftermath

On March 31, 1492, the monarchs signed the edict at the Alhambra palace in Granada. It required all unconverted Jews to leave Castile and Aragon by July 31 or face execution and property confiscation. Jews could take movable goods but were barred from exporting gold, silver, or coined money, forcing many to sell assets at low prices before departure.

Legacy

Between 40,000 and 100,000 Jews chose exile while others converted to remain. The sudden outflow disrupted commerce and finance in which Jewish merchants and moneylenders had played key roles. Exiles dispersed across the Mediterranean, with many welcomed by the Ottoman Empire; their descendants became the Sephardic communities that preserved Ladino language and customs for centuries.