Esquilache Riots facts for kids
| Part of Enlightenment in Spain | |
The Esquilache Riots, by Francisco de Goya
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| Date | 23–26 March 1766 |
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| Location | Madrid |
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The Esquilache Riots (also known as Motín de Esquilache) were a big uprising that happened in March 1766 in Madrid, Spain. This was during the time when Charles III of Spain was king. People were very unhappy about two main things. First, the cost of everyday foods like bread was going up. Second, a new rule about what people could wear made many angry. This rule came from Leopoldo de Gregorio, Marqués de Esquilache, a minister from Italy who was close to the king.
Contents
Why the Riots Started: Rules and Rising Prices
New Fashion Rules for Madrid
Minister Esquilache wanted to change how men in Madrid dressed. He wanted them to stop wearing long capes and wide-brimmed hats called chambergos. Instead, he wanted them to wear shorter capes and three-cornered hats, which were popular in France.
The main reasons for this change were to make the city safer and more modern. Long capes could hide weapons, and big hats could hide faces. This made it easier for criminals to get away with things.
Food Prices and Public Anger
At first, people didn't pay much attention to the new clothing rules. They were more worried about other problems. The cost of important foods like bread, oil, coal, and cured meat was rising fast. This happened partly because Esquilache had changed the rules for selling grain.
The clothing rules were first tried out on the king's household staff in January 1766. They had to follow the rules or face arrest. Then, Esquilache decided to make everyone in Madrid follow them. Some government officials, like Pedro Rodríguez de Campomanes, warned him that people would be upset if their traditional clothes were taken away.
But Esquilache didn't listen. On March 10, 1766, signs were put up in Madrid saying these clothes were not allowed. People immediately tore down the signs. Soldiers were called in, and angry crowds attacked local officials. Rioters shouted, "Long Live Spain! Death to Esquilache!"
The Riots Begin: A City in Uproar
On a Sunday afternoon, two men walked through a public square wearing the forbidden long capes and chambergos. Soldiers tried to stop them, but the men fought back. One of them pulled out a sword and whistled. Suddenly, a large group of townspeople appeared, and the soldiers ran away.
The rioters quickly took over a place where muskets and swords were kept. About 2,000 rioters then marched towards the Plaza Mayor, shouting insults about Esquilache. They met Luis Antonio Fernández de Córdoba y Spínola, a duke, and asked him to take their demands to the king.
The duke went to the king, who seemed calm and didn't realize how serious the situation was. Meanwhile, the rioters started destroying many of the 5,000 lampposts that had been put up in the city as part of another modernization plan. The rioters also wanted the unpopular Guardia Valona (Walloon Guards) to be sent away. These were foreign soldiers who protected the king. The rioters even attacked Esquilache's home and burned a picture of him in the Plaza Mayor. The king still didn't act.
The King Responds to Demands
On March 24, the situation got worse. More rioters joined, and they felt stronger. They marched towards the king's palace, where Spanish and Walloon troops were guarding. The Walloon troops fired, and a woman was killed, which made the crowd even angrier.
A priest became the rioters' spokesperson and managed to reach King Charles. He told the king that if their demands weren't met, the palace would be destroyed within two hours. The rioters had several demands:
- Minister Esquilache and his family must leave Spain.
- Only Spanish ministers should be in the government.
- The Walloon Guard must be sent away.
- The price of basic goods must be lowered.
- The groups in charge of food prices (Juntas de Abastos) must be removed.
- All soldiers must go back to their barracks.
- People must be allowed to wear long capes and wide-brimmed hats again.
- The king must appear and promise to meet these demands himself.
The king decided to agree to the demands, even though some of his ministers told him not to. Other ministers believed that if he didn't agree, the riots could become a challenge to his power. So, Charles appeared on the palace balcony. The rioters repeated their demands, and Charles calmly agreed to them. He then went back into the palace with his Walloon Guard.
This calmed the people for a short time. But King Charles was worried about his safety. He decided to leave Madrid secretly and go to Aranjuez with his family and ministers, including Esquilache.
After the King Leaves
A group of military leaders tried to bring order back to the city. Madrid was quiet for a while. However, when people heard that the king had left for Aranjuez, they became angry again. They felt the king had only agreed to their demands to escape. There were also fears that a large army would come to Madrid to stop the revolt.
Because of these fears, about 30,000 people, including men, women, and children, surrounded the house of the bishop of Cartagena. They told the bishop to inform the king of their mood and to create new demands. An envoy was sent to Aranjuez, and the bishop remained trapped. Meanwhile, people started to break into military buildings and free prisoners.
The king sent a letter saying he truly promised to meet his people's demands and asked for calm. This calmed the crowd again. Esquilache was also removed from his position, which both Charles and Esquilache regretted. Esquilache felt he had improved the city by cleaning streets and building boulevards. He was sent to Venice as an ambassador, where he later died.
What Happened Next
King's Reputation and New Clothes
Still worried, King Charles stayed in Aranjuez. He left the government in the hands of his minister, Pedro Pablo Abarca de Bolea, Count of Aranda. This decision made some people think less of the king. Aranda and troops were sent to Aranjuez to protect the king, which helped calm Charles down. The king stayed there until mid-April.
Back in Madrid, Aranda convinced people to start wearing the French-style short capes and three-cornered hats. He met with members of Madrid's main and minor guilds (groups of skilled workers). Aranda told them that the chambergo and long cape were like the clothes of an executioner, and no respectable person would wear them. So, people peacefully started wearing more modern clothes.
The Jesuits and Future Reforms
Some of King Charles III's advisors blamed the riots on a secret plan by the Jesuits. The Jesuits were a religious group already not favored by the king. The riots helped lead to their expulsion from Spain in January 1767. Their missions in the Americas were also shut down.
Even though the people had almost rebelled, King Charles continued his plans to modernize Spain. The famous painter Francisco de Goya, who saw these events, painted his Motín de Esquilache around 1766–67.
Similar Events in History
- In the 1600s, the Qing dynasty in China made all Chinese men wear the queue hairstyle, or they would be killed.
- In 1698, Czar Peter the Great in Russia ordered his officials to cut off their long beards and wear European clothes.
- In 1925, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk in Turkey banned the traditional fez hat, seeing it as a symbol of the old Ottoman Empire.
See also
- Enlightenment Spain
- Esquilache, a 1989 Spanish film about the minister and the riot.
Images for kids
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Demonstrators being outfitted as "Hats-and-Capes"; painting by José Martí y Monsó (1864)
