The Haskamot of Barcelona of 1354: A Historical, Legal, And Political Approach

Abstract

The aim of this dissertation is to explore the contents of the Agreements of Barcelona in their historical and political context. The document was elaborated and signed by three good standing Jews from Catalonia and Valencia in 1354 as a response to the challenges and threats faced by the Catalan-Aragonese Jewry. They intended to create a common front to strengthen the position of the Jewish communities of the Crown of Aragon and to avoid their annihilation. This common front was to be led by a supra-communal assembly of delegates from Catalonia, Valencia, Mallorca and Aragon. The delegates would have been empowered to take care of the general affairs of the communities and to negotiate with the King and the Pope the concession of a number of bulls and privileges. The list of petitions that the drafters aimed to submit to the King and the Pope constitutes a detailed account of the social and legal distresses of the Catalan and Valencian Jewry. Each request shows a concern, a negative daily reality that conditioned the public and private life of the Jews. The study of these proposals can bring to light a complete portrait of the social situation of the Jews in the mid-fourteen century. On the other hand, the study of the articulation of the supra-communal assembly can add valuable information to our knowledge on the practical and theoretical foundations of the Jewish political tradition in Medieval Catalonia. The dissertation is divided into two main parts. The first one consists of a historical commentary on each proposal addressed to the King. The second one approaches the theoretical and social grounds behind the production of the Agreements, as well as their implications for Catalan communal politics. Our work concludes with an English translation of the text of the Agreements.

Date of Award	30 Mar 2022
Original language	English
Supervisor	Pompeu Casanovas Romeu (Director)