Coffee: Hilni was a- a giyores, b- not put in place by the Jews themselves, c- rich. Only b has anything to do with halacha, but a and c (particularly c) may explain why the masses were so accepting.
KeenObserver: Most likely a misunderstanding of the Rambam’s Hilchos Melachei Yisrael uMilchamosehem 1:6.