Editing Philip III of Spain (section)

===Expulsion of the Moriscos===
{{main|Expulsion of the Moriscos}}
One of Philip's first domestic changes was the issuing of a decree in 1609 for the expulsion of the [[Morisco]]s from Spain, timed to coincide with the declaration of a [[Twelve Years' Truce|truce]] in the [[Eighty Years' War]].<ref>{{harvnb|Cruz|1999|p=177}}</ref> The Moriscos were the descendants of the Muslims that had converted to Christianity during the [[Reconquista]] of the previous centuries; despite their conversion, they retained a distinctive culture, including many Islamic practices.<ref name="Parker, 1984, p.150">{{harvnb|Parker| 1984|page=150}}</ref> Philip II had made the elimination of the Morisco threat a key part of his domestic strategy in the south, attempting an assimilation campaign in the 1560s, which had resulted in the [[Morisco Revolt|revolt]] that concluded in 1570.<ref>{{harvnb|Zagorin|1992|p=15}}</ref> In the final years of his rule, Philip's father had reinvigorated efforts to convert and assimilate the Moriscos, but with almost 200,000 in the south of Spain alone, it was clear by the early years of the new century that this policy was failing.<ref name="Parker, 1984, p.150"/>

[[File:La Expulsión en el Puerto de Denia. Vicente Mostre.jpg|thumb|left|[[Expulsion of the Moriscos]] at the port of [[Dénia]], by Vincente Mostre]]

The idea of completely cleansing Spain of the Moriscos was proposed by [[Juan de Ribera]], the [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Valencia in Spain|Archbishop]] and [[Viceroy of Valencia]], whose views were influential with Philip III. Philip's eventual decree to expel a nationality that had lived in Spain for over 800 years and was assimilated within it was based less on doctrinal than financial considerations—confiscating the 'wealth' of the Moriscos—which caused jealousy and resentment by other Christians in Spain, especially in Valencia. Financially, the royal treasury stood to gain by seizing the assets of the removed peoples, while in due course those close to the crown would benefit from cheap land or gifts of estates. Estimates vary slightly, but between approximately 275,000<ref name="Parker, 1984, p.150"/> to over 300,000<ref name="Perry, p.133">{{harvnb|Perry|2005| p=133}}</ref> Moriscos were forced out of Spain between 1609 and 1614. To accomplish this, the ''armada'', or navy, and 30,000 soldiers were mobilized with the mission of transporting the families to [[Ottoman Tunisia|Tunisia]] or [[Saadi Sultanate|Morocco]]. Philip intervened in the problematic decision of what to do with Morisco children. A central question was whether they should be allowed to take them to Islamic countries, where they would be brought up as Muslims or, if they were to remain in Spain, what should be done with them. Philip paternalistically decreed that Morisco children under the age of seven could not be taken to Islamic countries, but that any children remaining in Valencia should be free from the threat of enslavement,<ref>{{harvnb|Perry|2005| p=148}}</ref> and rejected some of Ribera's more extreme suggestions.<ref>{{harvnb|Perry|2005| p=157}}</ref>

While popular at the time, and in keeping with earlier policies, this measure significantly damaged the economies of the [[Kingdom of Valencia]], [[Kingdom of Aragon|Aragon]] and [[Kingdom of Murcia|Murcia]]. The supply of cheap labour and the number of rent paying property owners in these areas decreased considerably, as did agricultural outputs.<ref>{{harvnb|De Maddalena|1974|p=286}}</ref> The cultivation of sugarcane and rice had to be substituted for [[white mulberry]], vineyards and wheat.{{citation needed |reason=sounds backward; labour intensive crops like sugarcane should be replaced by wheat|date=October 2023}}