In the early-modern period, the Dutch called the grain trade on the Baltic the 'mother of all trades', as they considered it to be the basis of most of their trade and shipping and indeed the cornerstone of the Dutch economy. For a very long time the mass grain exports from the Baltic were dominated by the Dutch, and Amsterdam was the central entrepot from which the grain was distributed over the Dutch hinterland and the rest of Europe. This book aims to present a general history of the 'mother of all trades' and particularly shows the fundamental importance for transaction costs, including...

This book provides the first analysis of the evolution of the Mudejar of conquered Muslim community of Xativa from its foundation after the Christian conquest in 1244 until 1327. Using the Mudejar revolt of 1276 as a turning point, it examines the political, social, economic and religious foundations of the community, and compares the status of the Mudejar generation of the conquest with later generations. An analysis of the increased Christian acculturative pressure on the Mudejars shows that the Mudejars of Xativa did not remain passive, but responded with emigration and frequent appeals to...

This book examines the presence of the converted Jews in Sicily following the 1492 expulsion, discussing their legal status, economic activities and integration into Sicilian society, and the phenomenon of conversion and return of many exiles. The research is based on the account of books of the Spanish Inquisition in Sicily and other contemporary sources. Detailed inventories of confiscated property offer insights into the converts' cultural world, and can also be of interest to the scholar of social and material history in Early Modern Europe. By focussing on royal policies towards the...

The first full-length study of Robert of Naples' reign in over seventy years, this volume analyzes Robert's policies and image in the context of larger shifts in rulership from the Middle Ages to the early modern period. Treating kingship as a joint enterprise of king and court, it draws on an interdisciplinary range of sources from chronicles, sermons, popular poetry, and works of art to diplomatic and archival records, to reassess the major issues of his reign and underscore the importance of image-making and negotiation to his rule. The final chapter tracks the legacy of his image as "the...