ENCYCLOPAEDIA of Rebellions

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Beans riot, Manresa 1688

Synopsis
On 13 June 1688, a riot broke out in the city of Manresa against the clergy and the local oligarchy. Although it coincided in time with the revolt of the Barretines (1687-1689), it had different motivations and a different social composition. The revolt was led by peasants and broke out against the collection of the tithe on onions, garlic, beans, vegetables, and hemp. It was an anti-fiscal revolt which, however, ended up incorporating political demands. After assaulting and setting fire to the houses of various civil and religious authorities, the town council, unable to control the situation, ended up giving in to the demands of the rioters. It was agreed to renounce the collection of the tithe and to abolish taxes on wine and flour. They also accepted the resignation of the mayor, the expulsion of jurists and nobles from the municipal government and the incorporation of peasant representation in the local chamber. On the 17th, the local elites decided to lead the repression against the riot and to restore the order that had prevailed before the upheaval. The viceregal power did not make an appearance. Unable to deal with the disturbance, it was busy repressing the Barretines revolt. The repressive action in Manresa resulted in two deaths and several arrests. In the weeks that followed, eight people were executed, including a woman.
Additional info

Starting date: . Ending: . Duration: 5 days. Name in sources: Motín de las Habas, Avalot de les Faves. Location: Manresa Country (current): Spain. Monarchy: Spanish. Main participants: Artisans, Peasants, Women. Number of participants: >500. Main reasons & motivations: Anti-seigneurial, Fiscal, Political. Leadership: Unknown. Relevance: low.

Further reading
FERRER i ALÒS, Llorenç (1981). “L’Avalot de les Faves a Manresa. Un momento de la revolta de la terra a Catalunya el 1688”, Recerques: Història, Economia, Cultura 11: 125-135. KAMEN, Henry (1977). “A Forgotten Insurrection of the Seventeenth Century: The Catalan Peasant Rising of 1688”, Journal of Modern History, 49 (2): 210-230.
Cite this entry

(2023) "Beans riot, Manresa 1688", in J. V. Serrão and M. S. Cunha (coord), Rebellions in the Early Modern Iberian World. (accessed on ).