Aixa on:
[Wikipedia]
[Google]
[Amazon]
Aisha
A famous legend says that when her deposed son Muhammad XII left Granada after its fall, he reined his horse and for a final time looked back upon Granada and wept. Aixa then replied:
The place where he stopped at till this day is known as " the Last Sigh of the Moor".
:
al-Hurra
Al-hurra or al hurra () was an Arabic title historically often given to, or used to refer to, women who exercised power or had a position of power or high status.
In a harem, the title al-hurra was often used to refer to a legal wife of aristocr ...
(), generally known under her Spanish name Aixa (''fl.'' 1493), was a Queen of the Nasrid dynasty
The Nasrid dynasty ( ''banū Naṣr'' or ''banū al-Aḥmar''; ) was an Arab dynasty that ruled the Emirate of Granada from 1232 to 1492. It was the last Muslim dynasty in the Iberian Peninsula. Twenty-three sultans ruled Granada from the foun ...
. She was the spouse of Muhammed XI and of Abu l-Hasan Ali, and the mother of Muhammad XII. She was politically active and exerted influence upon the policy of state during the last years of the Emirate of Granada
The Emirate of Granada, also known as the Nasrid Kingdom of Granada, was an Emirate, Islamic polity in the southern Iberian Peninsula during the Late Middle Ages, ruled by the Nasrid dynasty. It was the last independent Muslim state in Western ...
. Aixa is one of the best known women of the history of the Emirate of Granada.
Aixa was also known by the Muslims as Aisha al-Horra; " al-Horra" being a noble title (meaning "Free Woman") because she was one of the living descendants of Muhammed
Muhammad (8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Islam, he was a prophet who was divinely inspired to preach and confirm the monotheistic teachings of Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, ...
.
Life
Aixa was born a member of the rulingNasrid dynasty
The Nasrid dynasty ( ''banū Naṣr'' or ''banū al-Aḥmar''; ) was an Arab dynasty that ruled the Emirate of Granada from 1232 to 1492. It was the last Muslim dynasty in the Iberian Peninsula. Twenty-three sultans ruled Granada from the foun ...
of Granada, likely the daughter of Muhammed IX.
She personally owned several palaces and properties. The Nasrid princesses had control over their own property (dowry) in accordance with Islamic law and were free to dispose of it as they pleased, provided they continued to observe their harem seclusion.
The princes of the Nasrid dynasty could have many slave concubines
Slavery is the ownership of a person as property, especially in regards to their labour. Slavery typically involves compulsory work, with the slave's location of work and residence dictated by the party that holds them in bondage. Enslavemen ...
, but normally only married members of the Nasrid dynasty to benefit dynastic legitimacy, forge alliances between different family fractions and keep royal property in the family.
Aixa was first married to Muhammed XI; after his death in 1455, she was married by his successor Said
Said can refer to:
* Speech, or the act of speaking
* Saʽid, a male Arabic given name
* Said (honorific), a honorific in Islamic culture
* Said, Iran (disambiguation), multiple places in Iran
* Port Said, a city in Egypt
* Saïd Business School ...
to his heir, Abu l-Hasan Ali. Her second marriage was likely an attempt to make peace between the rival factions of the dynasty. Aixa was exiled to another palace with her sons after her spouse fell in love with his Christian slave Isabel de Solís
Isabel de Solís ( ''Thoraya, Soraya, Zoraya'') (before 1471 – after 1510) was the slave concubine and later the wife of Abu l-Hasan Ali, Sultan of Granada. Originally a Christian from Castile, she converted to Islam under the name of Zoraya. ...
and married her.
In 1482, Aixa allied herself with the opposition party Abencerrages
The Abencerrages or Abencerrajes (, ; from the Arabic ,Chambers Biographical Dictionary, , page 3 ) were a family or faction that is said to have held a prominent position in the Kingdom of Granada in the 15th century.
The name appears to have ...
and had her husband deposed in favour of her son Muhammed XII, also known as Boabdil.
Aixa was politically active during the reign of her son. She is said to have prevented harassment of the Christians in Granada.
In 1483, she handled the negotiations for the release of her son, who had been taken captive by Castile.
Aixa was known to be an extreme patriot, since she wanted to continue to fight to the death using women, children, and old men, even though the army of Granada was defeated by Ferdinand and Isabella of Castile and Aragon. She blamed the defeat on traitors in the kingdom who allowed themselves to betray their country for large sums of money and property if they would convince their king to surrender the Kingdom of Granada.
After the fall of Granada
The Granada War was a series of military campaigns between 1482 and 1492 during the reign of the Catholic Monarchs, Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon, against the Nasrid dynasty's Emirate of Granada. It ended with the defeat of G ...
in 1492, she followed her son into exile—first to Alpujarras
The Alpujarra (, ) is a natural and historical region in Andalusia, Spain, on the south slopes of the Sierra Nevada and the adjacent valley. The average elevation is above sea level. It extends over two provinces, Granada and Almería; ...
, and in 1493 to Fes
Fez () or Fes (; ) is a city in northern inland Morocco and the capital of the Fez-Meknes administrative region. It is one of the largest cities in Morocco, with a population of 1.256 million, according to the 2024 census. Located to the nort ...
.
A famous legend says that when her deposed son Muhammad XII left Granada after its fall, he reined his horse and for a final time looked back upon Granada and wept. Aixa then replied:
The place where he stopped at till this day is known as " the Last Sigh of the Moor".
:
See also
* Dar al-HorraReferences