Everything about Converso totally explained
Conversos (
Spanish and
Portuguese for "a convert", from
Latin conversus, "converted, turned around") and its feminine form
conversa referred to
Jews or
Muslims or the descendants of Jews or Muslims who had converted or, in most cases, were compelled to convert to
Catholicism in
Spain and
Portugal, particularly during the
14th century and
15th century.
See the main articles:
Conversos were apparently subject to harassment from both the community they were leaving and that they were joining. Both Christians and Jews called them
tornadizo (renegade), and laws were passed during the reigns of
Jaime I,
Alfonso X and
Juan I forbidding the use of this epithet. This was part of a larger pattern of royal protection, laws also being promulgated to protect their property, forbid attempts to reconvert them, and regulating the behavior of the
conversos themselves, preventing their cohabitation or even dining with Jews, lest they reconvert. However, they didn't enjoy legal equality,
Alfonso VII prohibiting the "recently converted" from holding office in
Toledo, and they'd both supporters and bitter opponents within the Christian secular and religious leadership.
Conversos could be found in various roles within the
Iberian kingdoms, from
Bishop to royal mistress, showing a degree of general acceptance, yet they'd become targets of occasional
pogroms and of the
Spanish Inquisition and
Portuguese Inquisition.
While pure blood (so-called
limpieza de sangre) would come to be placed at a premium, particularly among the nobility, in a
15th century defense of
conversos Bishop
Lope de Barrientos would list what Roth calls "a veritable 'Who's Who' of Spanish nobility" as having
converso members or being of
converso descent and would point out that given the near-universal conversion of Iberian Jews during
Visigothic times, (quoting Roth) "who among the Christians of Spain could be certain that he isn't a descendant of those
conversos?"
Further Information
Get more info on 'Converso'.
|
External Link Exchanges
Do you know how hard it is to get a link from a large encyclopaedia? Well we're different and will prove it. To get a link from us just add the following HTML to your site on a relevant page:
<a href="http://converso.totallyexplained.com">Converso Totally Explained</a>
Then simply click through this link from your web page. Our crawlers will verify your link, extract the title of your web page and instantly add a link back to it. If you like you can remove the words Totally Explained and embed the link in article text.
As long as your link remains in place, we'll keep our link to you right here. Please play fair - our crawlers are watching. Your site must be closely related to this one's topic. Any kind of spamming, dubious practises or removing the link will result in your link from us being dropped and, potentially, your whole site being banned. |
