Antigypsyism in Imperial Spain: A Genealogy
摘要
This chapter examines the genealogy of antigypsyism in Spain using a Foucauldian perspective on biopolitics. It discusses how antigypsyism developed as a specific form of biopower during the period from the unification of various Iberian kingdoms under the Catholic Monarchs to the Enlightenment era of Charles III. Through an analysis of royal decrees, inquisitorial documents, contemporary accounts, and literary sources, the chapter explores how Roma populations were constructed as an “abnormal” group and subjected to regulatory measures. Events such as the first royal decree of 1499, the establishment of the Inquisition in 1478, and “La Gran Redada” (1749) illustrate changing policies from expulsion and violence to efforts at forced assimilation. During the reign of King Charles III, policies encouraging sedentism, linguistic assimilation, and labor regulation were implemented as biopolitical strategies designed to foster integration while simultaneously reinforcing social exclusion. This chapter places these Spanish developments within the wider context of European racialization trends and examines how early biopolitical initiatives contributed to persistent stereotypes and institutionalized discrimination, thereby shaping the ongoing manifestations of antigypsyism.