Valencia and Seville served as the main markets for the sale of Canarian aboriginals captured during the conquest of the Canary Islands by the Crown of Castile between the 15th and 16th centuries. This is the conclusion of a study by Rocío Jiménez Díaz from the University of Teramo, conducted in collaboration with the public universities of the Canary Islands. It reveals how the enslavement of these islanders set a precedent for the later slave trade associated with the conquest of America.
According to a statement from the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Jiménez has reconstructed the dynamics of the enslavement of these indigenous people, illustrating how they became part of the emerging Atlantic trade routes. This foreshadowed the subsequent transportation of millions of enslaved Africans to America in later centuries.
Most of those enslaved from the Canary Islands were sent to Valencia, where their market value was lower than in Seville. This disparity arose due to Valencia’s role as a redistribution hub in the Mediterranean, compared to Seville’s reliance on primary ports.
The study highlights that the enslaved individuals were often used as economic resources to pay off debts and generate profits. Most were aged between 14 and 25, although there are records of those younger than 13 in Valencia and over 35 in Seville. Both men and women were traded in these markets.
Jiménez Díaz notes that studies on the Amazigh-Canarian enslaved individuals have historically been secondary to broader works on slavery in Europe. Her research aims to deepen the understanding of the unique enslavement dynamics originating from the Canary Islands, collecting more information about the lives of these individuals, including their backgrounds, how they arrived in these cities, and how they were valued within the diverse groups of enslaved people.
Furthermore, she argues for a reevaluation of historiographical language. She prefers the term “enslaved person” over “slave,” stating that the latter objectifies the individual and shifts focus onto the enslaver. This change in terminology is part of her effort to avoid dehumanising perspectives and to centre these individuals in their own narratives, illustrating the forced geographical displacements they experienced.
The study also addresses the dehumanisation faced by those enslaved, which led to a loss of their cultural and linguistic identities. For instance, baptisms replaced their indigenous names with Christian ones, complicating historical records. Living far from their origin further facilitated the adoption of European languages and customs, gradually eroding their original identities.
