Disentailment-confiscation in the Kingdom of Granada after the moorish banishment

Abstract

During the XVIth Century the system of lease-holds was widely used, both longterm and open, as well as loans and bonds. In this way a large world of cristianos viejos rentiers (institutions and private individuals) lived on the moorish debts. This situation was exploited by the Crown after the expulsion of the moorish, in order to possession of their riches as well as a great number of cristianos viejos properties worked by moorish too. It was an obvious attempt of disentailment. But lacking legal consistency, the Crown had to either give back the confiscated properties to their Christian owners or indemnify them by cash. This unsuccessful disentailment had two serious consequences: an economical outflow in the reserves of the People’s Council to face the payment of the lease-holds and the moorish debt; and a significant reduction of the number of the re-settlers, who were removed of the assigned properties to give them back to their first Christian owners.