Conversos, jews and diabolic conspiracy in the Revolt of the Comunidades of Castile, 1520-1521

Abstract

This work deals with the responsibility given to the Jews and to the Conversos in the documentation related to the Revolt of the Comunidades of Castile. It proposes that its supposed role as main cause of the rebellion can be placed in an extensive tradition of accusations to these groups, as much in Castile as in the Europe of the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period. It also analyzes the reasons for the persistence of the word Jew for the period after the expulsion of 1492. Finally, it suggests the role of the devil as an articulator of negative stereotypes such as Jews, heretics and Muslims, in order to explain the appearance of these references in the causes of the revolt according to different testimonies of the time. Thus, the article tries to make a contribution to the study of the religious and cultural context of the events of 1520-1521 in Castile.