Jewish Merchants in the Catalan Maritime trading network
The thirteenth
and fourteenth centuries were a period of economic growth in the
Crown of Aragon in medieval Spain. In this period of time,
considerable development took place in the areas of international
trade and industry. The economic growth was the result of the
expansion of the Christian monarchy by reconquering vast amounts of
Islamic territory towards the south. In addition, the Crown of Aragon
expanded towards the eastern Mediterranean by taking control of the
Balearic Islands. In this period of growth and prosperity the Catalan
city of Barcelona grew and extended its commercial activities
throughout the Mediterranean. Maritime trade and shipbuilding
developed well in Barcelona.
This period of time,
until the Black Plague in the middle of the fourteenth century, can
be regarded as a golden age of the Jews in Spain. Their involvement
in economic life was extensive. Jews were active in moneylending, tax
farming and domestic commerce. Their activities were met with
opposition and resentment by the Christian middle class and the
Church.
Sources,
such as business agreements between Jewish merchants, suggest that
they were active in maritime trade with the eastern Mediterranean and
North Africa as well. The main focus of this short research is the
part that these Jewish-Catalan merchants played in maritime trade in
the Mediterranean during the second half of the thirteenth century
and the first half of the fourteenth century. To what extent did they
succeed to develop their Mediterranean trading activities amongst an
emerging and hostile Catalan bourgeoisie?
Network theory
can be used to uncover the trading routes and methods of these Jewish
Catalan traders, which seem to follow the infrastructure and
commercial methods of the Christian Catalan merchants. However, the
routes of Jewish merchants particularly lead to the eastern
Mediterranean with Alexandria as a final destination.
The Jewish merchants from Barcelona only succeeded partially in their efforts to establish themselves in the maritime trade. The prohibition to trade with Muslim territories affected mostly Jews. Additionally, due to the political and economical climate toward the end of the 14th century, the Catalan bourgeoisie was able to minimize the trading activities of Jews.
The Jewish merchants from Barcelona only succeeded partially in their efforts to establish themselves in the maritime trade. The prohibition to trade with Muslim territories affected mostly Jews. Additionally, due to the political and economical climate toward the end of the 14th century, the Catalan bourgeoisie was able to minimize the trading activities of Jews.
Further
reading:
Ackerman-Lieberman, Philipp, Stanford Studies in Jewish History and Culture : Business of Identity : Jews, Muslims, and Economic Life in Medieval Egypt, (2014)
Ashtor, E., “Jews in the Mediterranean trade in the Middle Ages”, Hebrew Union College Annual, 55 (1984), 159-178
Assis, Yom Tov, Jewish economy in the medieval Crown of Aragon, 1213-1327 Money and Power, (1996)
Assis, Yom Tov, “Els jueus de Barcelona i el comerç marítim amb la Mediterrània oriental”, Tamid, 2 (1998-1999), 29-71
Baer, Yitzhak, A history of the Jews in Christian Spain, Vol. 2, (1966)
Beinart, Haim, (ed.), Moreshet Sepharad, The Sephardi legacy. Vol.1, (Jeruzalem 1992)
Bisson, Thomas N., Medieval Crown of Aragon: a short history, (2000)
Caracausi, Andrea en Jeggle, Christof, eds., Commercial networks and European cities, 1400-1800, (2014)
Gertwagen, Ruthy en Jeffreys, Elizabeth, eds.,Shipping, Trade and Crusade in the Medieval Mediterranean, (2012),
Goldberg, Jessica L., Trade and Institutions in the Medieval Mediterranean; The Geniza Merchants and their Business World (2012)
Hillgarth, J.N., The Spanish Kingdoms, 1250-1516, (1976)
Meyerson, Mark D., Jews in an Iberian frontier kingdom: society, economy, and politics in Morvedre, 1248-1391, (Leiden, 2004)
Nirenberg, David, Communities of violence: persecution of minorities in the Middle Ages, (Princeton, 1996)
Ray, Jonathan, ed., Jews in Space and Time : Jew in Medieval Iberia : 1100-1500, (2011)
Remie Constable ed., Olivia, Medieval Iberia. Readings from Christian, Muslim and Jewish sources, (Philadelphia, 2012)
Tartakoff, Paola, Between Christian and Jew, conversion and inquisition in the crown of Aragon, 1250-1391 (2012),
Ackerman-Lieberman, Philipp, Stanford Studies in Jewish History and Culture : Business of Identity : Jews, Muslims, and Economic Life in Medieval Egypt, (2014)
Ashtor, E., “Jews in the Mediterranean trade in the Middle Ages”, Hebrew Union College Annual, 55 (1984), 159-178
Assis, Yom Tov, Jewish economy in the medieval Crown of Aragon, 1213-1327 Money and Power, (1996)
Assis, Yom Tov, “Els jueus de Barcelona i el comerç marítim amb la Mediterrània oriental”, Tamid, 2 (1998-1999), 29-71
Baer, Yitzhak, A history of the Jews in Christian Spain, Vol. 2, (1966)
Beinart, Haim, (ed.), Moreshet Sepharad, The Sephardi legacy. Vol.1, (Jeruzalem 1992)
Bisson, Thomas N., Medieval Crown of Aragon: a short history, (2000)
Caracausi, Andrea en Jeggle, Christof, eds., Commercial networks and European cities, 1400-1800, (2014)
Gertwagen, Ruthy en Jeffreys, Elizabeth, eds.,Shipping, Trade and Crusade in the Medieval Mediterranean, (2012),
Goldberg, Jessica L., Trade and Institutions in the Medieval Mediterranean; The Geniza Merchants and their Business World (2012)
Hillgarth, J.N., The Spanish Kingdoms, 1250-1516, (1976)
Meyerson, Mark D., Jews in an Iberian frontier kingdom: society, economy, and politics in Morvedre, 1248-1391, (Leiden, 2004)
Nirenberg, David, Communities of violence: persecution of minorities in the Middle Ages, (Princeton, 1996)
Ray, Jonathan, ed., Jews in Space and Time : Jew in Medieval Iberia : 1100-1500, (2011)
Remie Constable ed., Olivia, Medieval Iberia. Readings from Christian, Muslim and Jewish sources, (Philadelphia, 2012)
Tartakoff, Paola, Between Christian and Jew, conversion and inquisition in the crown of Aragon, 1250-1391 (2012),