The Mudejar community of Toledo under the first Trastamaras: between survival and conversion

Abstract

The situation of Mudejar aljamas in Castile between Henry II’s accession and the end of Henry III’s reign still needs in-depth studies. The appearance of a long lawsuit in the cathedral of Toledo, which began around 1390 and ended in 1407, allows us to approach the study of this aljama for the given period. First of all, we will see the development of the Mudejar community in a city decimated by the plague and civil war, which had lost most of its Jewish community. The prosopographical analysis of the members of the Mudejar aljama, their convert relatives and the Christian authorities involved in their daily life, is followed by the basic characteristics for the recognition of the aljama by the king and by their fellow citizens, unraveled throughout the lawsuit. Testimonies show that conversion to Christianity was increasing among the Mudejars, whose families were becoming more and more mixed. The kings supported this conversion policy among Mudejar elites. Finally, we can see how the continuous contact with the archbishop and the chapter plays a fundamental role in the development and limitations of the daily life of the aljama.