Latest / The History of Portugal: The Small Nation That Built a Global Empire — Fexingo History / Portugal's Jewish Refugees and the Expulsion of 1496
Transcript
- Lucas: If you've been stepping into history with us episode by episode, you know that Portugal's rise as a maritime empire was built on a mix of ambition, innovation, and sometimes ruthless policy. But today I want to talk about a turning point that's often overlooked in the grand narrative of empire-building: the expulsion of Portugal's Jews in 1496. Luna: I knew there was an expulsion in Spain, but I didn't realize Portugal did the same thing. Lucas: Exactly, and it's a complicated story. King Manuel I, who had initially been seen as relatively tolerant, issued an edict in December 1496 ordering all Jews to either convert to Christianity or leave the kingdom by October 1497. This was partly a political move to solidify his alliance with Spain through his marriage to Princess Isabella of Aragon—the Spanish monarchs had made the expulsion of Portuguese Jews a condition. Lucas: And, you know, it's interesting because we don't run ads on these conversations. It's a deliberate choice to keep the show focused on the history itself. If you want to support that approach, the link is buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. Anyway, back to Manuel's decree—it had devastating consequences. Luna: Yeah, that makes sense. So what happened to the Jewish community? Lucas: Well, initially, many chose conversion rather than exile. But there was also a tragic event in 1506, the Lisbon Massacre. It started as a small incident—a group of New Christians were accused of blasphemy after a miracle in the Church of São Domingos. A Dominican friar incited the crowd, and within days, thousands of conversos were killed in the streets. It was one of the deadliest pogroms in Portuguese history. Luna: Wait, the church incited a mob against people who had already converted? Lucas: Exactly. The New Christians, or Cristãos-Novos, were viewed with deep suspicion. Many continued to practice Judaism in secret, which only fueled paranoia. The massacre lasted about three days. It's estimated that between two and four thousand people were killed, many burned alive in what was called the 'Moinho do Povo'—the People's Mill. Manuel was horrified, and he actually executed the friars involved, but the damage was done. Lucas: And this massacre was a precursor to the formal establishment of the Portuguese Inquisition in 1536, which would systematically hunt down and prosecute conversos accused of Judaizing. Luna: So the Inquisition was specifically targeting New Christians? Lucas: Initially, yes. The Portuguese Inquisition focused almost exclusively on conversos, especially in the early decades. It was a way to enforce religious conformity, but it also had economic motivations—confiscating property from convicted heretics filled the royal coffers. One of the most prominent Jewish figures of the time was Isaac Abravanel, a philosopher and financier who had served King Afonso V. He tried to negotiate with Manuel but eventually fled to Naples, where he continued his work. Luna: I've heard of Abravanel. He was a major commentator on the Hebrew Bible, right? Lucas: Yes, one of the most important. His commentaries are still studied today. And his son, Judah Abravanel, also known as Leone Ebreo, wrote influential Neoplatonic dialogues on love. The family's story reflects the intellectual and cultural loss that Portugal suffered with the expulsion. Lucas: But the story doesn't end there. Many Portuguese Jews went to the Ottoman Empire, where Sultan Bayezid II welcomed them. Others went to North Africa, Amsterdam, and eventually Brazil. In fact, some of the first Jewish communities in the Americas were founded by Portuguese conversos fleeing the Inquisition. Luna: So in a way, the expulsion also spread Portuguese influence, even if it was through a diaspora of exiles. Lucas: Exactly. And it's a bittersweet legacy. On one hand, the forced conversions and the Inquisition created an atmosphere of suspicion and persecution that lasted for centuries. On the other hand, the diaspora enriched the cultures of many regions. For example, the Jewish community in Amsterdam, many of whom were Portuguese conversos, played a key role in the Dutch Golden Age. Lucas: There's also the story of the crypto-Jews in Portugal itself—people who maintained Jewish practices in secret for generations. In some remote villages, they were known as 'marranos,' a derogatory term, but they preserved traditions like lighting candles on Friday night and avoiding pork. Even today, some families in northern Portugal are rediscovering their Jewish roots. Luna: That's incredible. So the expulsion didn't really succeed in erasing Judaism from Portugal. Lucas: No, it didn't. And that's a powerful testament to human resilience. The edict of 1496 was intended to create a unified Christian kingdom, but instead it created a hidden world of secret believers and a far-flung diaspora. It's a reminder that the past is never neat and tidy. Lucas: I think that's why this story matters for understanding the Portuguese Empire. It wasn't just about ships and trade routes—it was about how a nation defined itself through exclusion and inclusion, and the lasting impact of those choices. Luna: Absolutely. Thanks for digging into this.