Decree of King Jaime I in 648 AH/1251 CE in the city of Xàtiva

Abstract

Objectives: This study investigates then  decree that King James I issued in 648 AH / 1251 CE in the city of Xàtiva. The study outlines the thirty-one articles constituting the decree, analyzes its content, and explores the motivations behind its issuance and its outcomes.

Methods: The study employed the historical-analytical descriptive method, focusing on a document containing a decree issued in the year 648 AH/1251 CE in the city of Shatiba, and connecting the provisions of the decree to the political, social, and economic conditions in the same period.

Results: The study reached many results, the most important of which is, the designation of the suburb of Xàtiva as the residential area for its Muslim inhabitants, which was overseen by Muslim officials, who were all residents of the city, including a judge, the city council, and an administrator. Additionally, the study emphasizes the Muslims' right to own real estate, butcher shops, public baths, bakeries, and workshops.

Conclusion: The study concluded that the decree granted the Mudejars a form of self-governance in the suburb of Shatiba, administered through the city's leader, the Zalmedina, the Amin, and the Thabathalyanus.