Monfi
Encyclopedia
The monfíes were morisco
s who lived during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries in the mountains around Granada
.
The first monfíes were people driven to the mountains as a result of the disorder and repression associated with the conquest of Granada by the Catholic Monarchs
in 1492. Their numbers grew in subsequent decades as the new Castilian authorities put more pressure on the Muslims of Granada to convert to Christianity. The monfíes, who were largely of rural origin, occasionally formed mountain communities in which they could practice their faith openly, in contrast to most moriscos, who were forced either to abandon their religion or practice it covertly. Their chief occupation was banditry against Christians.
The monfíes figured prominently in the Morisco Revolt
of Aben Humeya
.
Morisco
Moriscos or Mouriscos , meaning "Moorish", were the converted Christian inhabitants of Spain and Portugal of Muslim heritage. Over time the term was used in a pejorative sense applied to those nominal Catholics who were suspected of secretly practicing Islam.-Demographics:By the beginning of the...
s who lived during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries in the mountains around Granada
Granada
Granada is a city and the capital of the province of Granada, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains, at the confluence of three rivers, the Beiro, the Darro and the Genil. It sits at an elevation of 738 metres above sea...
.
The first monfíes were people driven to the mountains as a result of the disorder and repression associated with the conquest of Granada by the Catholic Monarchs
Catholic Monarchs
The Catholic Monarchs is the collective title used in history for Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon. They were both from the House of Trastámara and were second cousins, being both descended from John I of Castile; they were given a papal dispensation to deal with...
in 1492. Their numbers grew in subsequent decades as the new Castilian authorities put more pressure on the Muslims of Granada to convert to Christianity. The monfíes, who were largely of rural origin, occasionally formed mountain communities in which they could practice their faith openly, in contrast to most moriscos, who were forced either to abandon their religion or practice it covertly. Their chief occupation was banditry against Christians.
The monfíes figured prominently in the Morisco Revolt
Morisco Revolt
The Morisco Revolt , also known as War of Las Alpujarras or Revolt of Las Alpujarras, in what is now Andalusia in southern Spain, was a rebellion against the Crown of Castile by the remaining Muslim converts to Christianity from the Kingdom of Granada.-The defeat of Muslim Spain:In the wake of the...
of Aben Humeya
Aben Humeya
Aben Humeya was a Spanish leader who commanded the Morisco Revolt against Philip II of Spain in the Alpujarras region, near Granada.-Early life:...
.
See also
- Al-AndalusAl-AndalusAl-Andalus was the Arabic name given to a nation and territorial region also commonly referred to as Moorish Iberia. The name describes parts of the Iberian Peninsula and Septimania governed by Muslims , at various times in the period between 711 and 1492, although the territorial boundaries...
, the part of the Iberian Peninsula under Islamic rule. - Andalusian Arabic, the former language of Moriscoes.
- ConversoConversoA converso and its feminine form conversa was a Jew or Muslim—or a descendant of Jews or Muslims—who converted to Catholicism in Spain or Portugal, particularly during the 14th and 15th centuries. Mass conversions once took place under significant government pressure...
s, the baptized Jews and Muslims of the Iberian Peninsula and their descendents. - MoorsMoorsThe description Moors has referred to several historic and modern populations of the Maghreb region who are predominately of Berber and Arab descent. They came to conquer and rule the Iberian Peninsula for nearly 800 years. At that time they were Muslim, although earlier the people had followed...
, the Muslim inhabitants of the Iberian Peninsula and North Africa. - Morisco RevoltMorisco RevoltThe Morisco Revolt , also known as War of Las Alpujarras or Revolt of Las Alpujarras, in what is now Andalusia in southern Spain, was a rebellion against the Crown of Castile by the remaining Muslim converts to Christianity from the Kingdom of Granada.-The defeat of Muslim Spain:In the wake of the...