Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Preface and Acknowledgements
- Contents
- The Sources
- Abbreviations
- Maps
- Dedication
- Introduction
- Part One The Legal and Political Conditions
- Part Two Jewish Self-Government
- §2.1 The Jewish Community in the Crown of Aragon
- §2.2 The System of Communal Government
- §2.3 Elections and Appointments
- §2.4 Leaders and Leadership
- §2.5 Communal Functionaries and Synagogue Officials
- §2.6 The Law and the Judiciary
- Part Three Inter-Communal Relations
- Part Four The Jewish Quarter
- Part Five Jewish Society
- Part Six Religious Life
- Conclusion
- APPENDIX I The Monetary System in the Medieval Crown of Aragon
- APPENDIX 2 The Sovereigns of the House of Aragon in the Crown of Aragon, Majorca-Roussillon, and Sicily, 1213-1336
- Glossary
- Bibliography
- Index
§2.2 - The System of Communal Government
from Part Two - Jewish Self-Government
- Frontmatter
- Preface and Acknowledgements
- Contents
- The Sources
- Abbreviations
- Maps
- Dedication
- Introduction
- Part One The Legal and Political Conditions
- Part Two Jewish Self-Government
- §2.1 The Jewish Community in the Crown of Aragon
- §2.2 The System of Communal Government
- §2.3 Elections and Appointments
- §2.4 Leaders and Leadership
- §2.5 Communal Functionaries and Synagogue Officials
- §2.6 The Law and the Judiciary
- Part Three Inter-Communal Relations
- Part Four The Jewish Quarter
- Part Five Jewish Society
- Part Six Religious Life
- Conclusion
- APPENDIX I The Monetary System in the Medieval Crown of Aragon
- APPENDIX 2 The Sovereigns of the House of Aragon in the Crown of Aragon, Majorca-Roussillon, and Sicily, 1213-1336
- Glossary
- Bibliography
- Index
Summary
No field of Jewish life in the territories of the Crown of Aragon underwent a more radical change in this period than the system of government in the Jewish community. The traditional regime in the aljama was that of aristocratic oligarchy allied with scholars who often belonged to the same class. This coalition ran the affairs of the Jewish communities of Catalonia and Aragon until late in the thirteenth century and also controlled the communities in Majorca and Valencia, newly conquered from the Muslims by Jaime I. Until then, we hear very little of complaints against the system by the lower classes; the only signs of conflict came from rival families and individuals among the aristocracy. Admittedly the sources at our disposal originated in the same aristocratic circles, and therefore we can hardly interpret their silence as definite proof that there was no unrest in the Jewish communities, where a large majority of members had no say in communal affairs. Nor can we expect to find political self-criticism, for that matter. Latin sources until the second half of the century are scarce and, in any case, they too reflect exclusively aspects of Jewish life of the upper classes.
The scarcity of documentation would have rendered impossible a detailed description of the Jewish system of communal government, were it not for the rich sources available from the beginning of the fourteenth century which deal with the changes and reforms of the system. As a full description of these changes appears below, it is sufficient here to note the general characteristics of the communal regime.
THE TRADITION OF OLIGARCHY
The oligarchy of the wealthy and educated in communal government continued almost undisturbed until nearly the end of the thirteenth century. Members of rich and well-established aristocratic families retained power through a system that perpetuated itself. Each family considered it correct and prestigious to be represented in the governing body of the aljama. Until the reforms of Jaime II's reign, the number of leaders in a community depended primarily on the number of wealthy families. ‘Often', says Adret, ‘the large number of ne'emanim is purely for honorific purposes, since all the families in town wish to see one of their sons nominated only for the glory of the family.’
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- The Golden Age of Aragonese JewryCommunity and Society in the Crown of Aragon, 1213-1327, pp. 76 - 87Publisher: Liverpool University PressPrint publication year: 1997