ABSTRACT
The reliance that Alfonso X of Castile placed on his taxation revenue was not solely in order to support the precarious state of his economy. The work of Hernandez has examined the extant accounts of all of the different communities of Castile between 1287 and 1292 and, together with other studies, it provides an important tool for a comparison of the economic situation of all three faith communities in Sancho's kingdom. The aljamas did not pay the ecclesiastical tax demanded from the Christians. The martiniega demanded of the Christians of Avila in 1292 was 26,400 mrs. Two elements have been examined that were critical to the ability of the aljamas to satisfy the heavy demands made on them by the King. The anger that the inequitable distribution of the tax burden aroused in the aljamas had roots that were not dissimilar to those found among the inhabitants of the towns.
