)
, common_languages = Official language:
Classical ArabicOther languages:
Andalusi Arabic,
Mozarabic,
Berber,
Ladino
, capital =
Granada
, religion = Majority religion:
Sunni IslamMinority religions:
Roman Catholicism
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
Judaism
Judaism ( he, ''Yahăḏūṯ'') is an Abrahamic, monotheistic, and ethnic religion comprising the collective religious, cultural, and legal tradition and civilization of the Jewish people. It has its roots as an organized religion in th ...
, leader1 =
Muhammad I
, leader2 =
Muhammad XII
Abu Abdallah Muhammad XII ( ar, أبو عبد الله محمد الثاني عشر, Abū ʿAbdi-llāh Muḥammad ath-thānī ʿashar) (c. 1460–1533), known in Europe as Boabdil (a Spanish rendering of the name ''Abu Abdallah''), was the ...
, year_leader1 = 1238–1273
, year_leader2 = 1487–1492
, title_leader =
Sultan
, today =
, stat_year1 = 1314
, stat_pop1 = 200,000
, ref_pop1 =
The Emirate of Granada ( ar, إمارة غرﻧﺎﻃﺔ, Imārat Ġarnāṭah), also known as the Nasrid Kingdom of Granada ( es, Reino Nazarí de Granada), was an
Islamic realm in southern
Iberia during the
Late Middle Ages. It was the last independent
Muslim state in
Western Europe.
Muslims had been present in the Iberian Peninsula, which they called ''
Al-Andalus
Al-Andalus translit. ; an, al-Andalus; ast, al-Ándalus; eu, al-Andalus; ber, ⴰⵏⴷⴰⵍⵓⵙ, label= Berber, translit=Andalus; ca, al-Àndalus; gl, al-Andalus; oc, Al Andalús; pt, al-Ândalus; es, al-Ándalus () was the M ...
'', since the early eighth century. At its greatest geographical extent, Muslim-controlled territory occupied most of the peninsula and part of present-day southern
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
. From the ninth to the tenth century, under the
Caliphate of Córdoba
The Caliphate of Córdoba ( ar, خلافة قرطبة; transliterated ''Khilāfat Qurṭuba''), also known as the Cordoban Caliphate was an Islamic state ruled by the Umayyad dynasty from 929 to 1031. Its territory comprised Iberia and part ...
, the region was one of the most prosperous and advanced in Europe. Conflict with the northern Christian kingdoms was recurrent, while mounting civil strife led to a
fragmenting of Muslim states in the early eleventh century. This marked a precipitous decline in Muslim power and facilitated the centuries-long Christian ''
Reconquista
The ' ( Spanish, Portuguese and Galician for "reconquest") is a historiographical construction describing the 781-year period in the history of the Iberian Peninsula between the Umayyad conquest of Hispania in 711 and the fall of the N ...
.''
By 1230, the
Almohad Caliphate in Morocco ruled the remaining Muslim territories in southern Iberia. Exploiting the Almohad's dynastic strife, the ambitious
Muhammad ibn al-Ahmar rose to power and established the
Nasrid
The Nasrid dynasty ( ar, بنو نصر ''banū Naṣr'' or ''banū al-Aḥmar''; Spanish: ''Nazarí'') was the last Muslim dynasty in the Iberian Peninsula, ruling the Emirate of Granada from 1230 until 1492. Its members claimed to be of Arab ...
dynasty in control of a sizeable portion of this territory, roughly corresponding to the modern Spanish provinces of
Granada,
Almería, and
Málaga.
By 1250, the emirate was the last Muslim polity in the peninsula. Although effectively a vassal of the rising Crown of Castile, for over two centuries, Granada enjoyed considerable cultural and economic prosperity; much of the famed
Alhambra palace complex was built during this period, and the Nasrids would be the longest-lived Muslim dynasty in Iberia.
Nascent Christian power in Iberia meant that Granada's existence was always precarious. In 1491, after a decade of intermittent warfare known as the
Granada War, the emirate was
forced to capitulate to the
Catholic Monarchs. The following year,
Muhammad XII
Abu Abdallah Muhammad XII ( ar, أبو عبد الله محمد الثاني عشر, Abū ʿAbdi-llāh Muḥammad ath-thānī ʿashar) (c. 1460–1533), known in Europe as Boabdil (a Spanish rendering of the name ''Abu Abdallah''), was the ...
, the last Nasrid ruler of Granada, formally relinquished his sovereignty and surrendered his territories to Castile, eventually moving to North Africa in exile. This marked the end of independent Muslim rule in Iberia.
History
Formation and conflicts
With the
Reconquista
The ' ( Spanish, Portuguese and Galician for "reconquest") is a historiographical construction describing the 781-year period in the history of the Iberian Peninsula between the Umayyad conquest of Hispania in 711 and the fall of the N ...
in full swing after the conquest of
Córdoba in June 1236, Mohammed I ibn Nasr aligned Granada with
Ferdinand III of Castile in 1246, thereby making it a
tributary state, or ''
taifa'', under the
Crown of Castile. Granada remained a tributary state for the next 250 years, with Nasrid emirs paying tribute () to Castilian kings mostly in the form of
gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile ...
from present-day
Mali
Mali (; ), officially the Republic of Mali,, , ff, 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞥆𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 𞤃𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭, Renndaandi Maali, italics=no, ar, جمهورية مالي, Jumhūriyyāt Mālī is a landlocked country in West Africa. Ma ...
and
Burkina Faso, brought to Iberia by the merchant routes in the
Sahara. The Nasrids also provided military assistance to Castile for its other conquests.
In 1306, Granada conquered
Ceuta, but lost control of the city in 1309 to the
Kingdom of Fez which was assisted by the
Crown of Aragon. Granada re-captured Ceuta a year later, but again lost it in 1314. Granada again held the city from 1315 to 1327. In 1384, Granada again re-took Ceuta but lost it finally to the Kingdom of Fez in 1386. Ceuta would be taken by the
Portuguese Empire in 1415 and came into the
Spanish Empire in 1580.
Granada's peace with Castile broke down on various occasions. Granada lost territory to Castile at the
Battle of Teba in 1330. In 1340, Granada under
Yusuf I, supported the failed
Marinid invasion of the Iberian Peninsula, which ended at the
Battle of Río Salado.
Granada also served as a refuge for Muslims fleeing during the
Reconquista
The ' ( Spanish, Portuguese and Galician for "reconquest") is a historiographical construction describing the 781-year period in the history of the Iberian Peninsula between the Umayyad conquest of Hispania in 711 and the fall of the N ...
. Regardless of its comparative prosperity, intra-political strife was constant. Skirmishes along the
border of Granada
The border of Granada (''frontera de Granada'' in Spanish) was a border region that existed between the Nasrid kingdom of Granada and the kingdoms of Murcia, Jaén, Córdoba and Seville following the integration of those former Muslim territori ...
occurred frequently and the territory was gradually lost to Castile.
Fall of Granada
The war of Granada would offer an opportunity for Ferdinand and Isabella to harness the restless Castilian nobility against a common enemy and instill subjects with a sense of loyalty to the crown.
The Emirate's attack on the Castilian frontier town of
Zahara in December 1481 led to a prolonged war.
The
Granada War began in 1482, with Christian forces capturing
Alhama de Granada in February 1482. This marked the beginning of a grinding 10-year war. The Christian force was made up of troops provided by Castilian nobles, towns, and the
''Santa Hermandad'', as well as Swiss mercenaries.
The Catholic Church also encouraged other Christian countries to offer their troops and their finances to the war effort. Meanwhile,
civil war erupted in Granada as a result of succession struggles in the Nasrid ruling house. Castile used this internal strife as an opportunity to push further into Granada. By 1491, the city of Granada itself lay under siege. On November 25, 1491, the
Treaty of Granada was signed, setting out the conditions for surrender. On January 2, 1492, the last Muslim leader,
Muhammad XII
Abu Abdallah Muhammad XII ( ar, أبو عبد الله محمد الثاني عشر, Abū ʿAbdi-llāh Muḥammad ath-thānī ʿashar) (c. 1460–1533), known in Europe as Boabdil (a Spanish rendering of the name ''Abu Abdallah''), was the ...
, known as ''Boabdil'' to the Spanish, gave up complete control of Granada to
Ferdinand and
Isabella, ''
Los Reyes Católicos
The Catholic Monarchs were Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon, whose marriage and joint rule marked the ''de facto'' unification of Spain. They were both from the House of Trastámara and were second cousins, being bo ...
'' ("The Catholic Monarchs").
Aftermath
The Christian ousting of Muslim rule on the Iberian Peninsula with the conquest of Granada did not extinguish the spirit of the ''Reconquista''. Isabella urged Christians to pursue a conquest of Africa.
About 200,000 Muslims are thought to have emigrated to North Africa after the fall of Granada. Initially, under the
conditions of surrender, the Muslims who remained were guaranteed their property, laws, customs, and religion. This however, was not the case, causing the Muslims to rebel against their Christian rulers, culminating with
an uprising in 1500. The rebellion was seen as a chance to formally end the treaty of Granada, and the rights of Muslims and Jews were withdrawn. Muslims in the area were given the choice of expulsion or conversion. In 1568–1571, the descendants of the converted Muslims
revolted again, leading to their
expulsion from the former Emirate to
North Africa and
Anatolia.
For Jews as well, a period of tolerance under Muslim rule in the Iberian Peninsula came to an end with their
expulsion by the Christian monarchy in 1492.
Economy
Granada's status as a tributary state and its favorable geographic location, with the
Sierra Nevada as a natural barrier, helped to prolong Nasrid rule and allowed the Emirate to prosper as a regional
entrepôt with the
Maghreb and the rest of Africa. The city of Granada was one of the largest cities during this time: it accepted numerous Muslim refugees expelled from Christian controlled areas, doubling the size of the city and even becoming the largest city of Europe in 1450 in terms of population. During this time there were 137 mosques in the Medina of
Granada.
Granada was tightly integrated into Mediterranean trade networks and heavily financed by
Genoese bankers aiming to gain control of the gold trade carried in through the
Trans-Saharan trade routes.
However, after
Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of th ...
opened direct trade routes to
Sub-Saharan Africa by sea in the 15th century, Granada became less important as a regional commercial center. With the
union of Castile and Aragon in 1469, these kingdoms set their sights on annexing Granada.
Culture
Literature
Ibn al-Khatib was a polymath and poet of the
Nasrid period. He authored many works in various fields, and his poetry is carved into the walls of the Alhambra palace.
Architecture
The architecture of Nasrid Granada embraced extensive surface decoration in wood, stucco, and ''
zillij'' tiling, as well as making use of elaborate ''
muqarnas'' sculpting in many buildings. The Nasrids' most famous architectural legacy is the
Alhambra, a hilltop palace district protected by heavy fortifications and containing some of the most famous and best-preserved palaces of
western Islamic architecture, including what is known today as the
Comares Palace
The Court of the Myrtles () is the central part of the Comares Palace () inside the Alhambra palace complex in Granada, Spain. It is located east of the Mexuar and west of the Palace of the Lions. It was begun by the Nasrid sultan Isma'il I in th ...
and the
Courtyard of the Lions. The palace complex was developed throughout the period but some of the most important contributions were generally made during the rule of
Yusuf I and
Muhammad V Mohamed V may refer to:
* Al-Mu'tazz, sometimes referred to as ''Muhammad V'', was the Abbasid caliph (from 866 to 869).
* Muhammed V of Granada (1338–1391), Sultan of Granada
* Mehmed V (1848–1918), 39th Sultan of the Ottoman Empire
* Mohamm ...
during the 14th century. The summer palace and gardens known as the
Generalife
The Generalife (; ar, جَنَّة الْعَرِيف, translit=Jannat al-‘Arīf) was a summer palace and country estate of the Nasrid rulers of the Emirate of Granada in Al-Andalus. It is located directly east of and uphill from the Alhambra ...
were also created nearby, in a tradition reminiscent of the Almohad-era
Agdal Gardens of Marrakesh and the
Marinid Royal Gardens of Fes. Other notable buildings and structures known from this era are the
Madrasa al-Yusufiyya (now known as the Palacio del Madraza), the Funduq al-Jadida (now known as the
Corral del Carbón
The Corral del Carbón, originally al-Funduq al-Jadida, is a 14th-century historic building in the Spanish city of Granada (Andalusia). It is the only Nasrid ''alhóndiga'' or '' funduq'' (a commercial warehouse or inn) preserved in the Iberia ...
), parts of Granada's city walls, the
Alcázar Genil
The Alcázar Genil is a Muslim-era palace in the city of Granada, Spain. It was originally called ''al-Qasr al-Sayyid'' ("the palace of the lord") and is located beside the River Genil outside the city walls. Today, only a pavilion of the palace ...
, and the
Cuarto Real de Santo Domingo
The Cuarto Real de Santo Domingo is a former Nasrid palace and convent in Granada, Spain. It is located in the Realejo quarter of the city.
History
The original construction of the palace is believed to date from the reign of Muhammad II ( ...
in Granada, in addition to many various other fortifications and smaller monuments across the former emirate's territory.
Music
Gharnati music
Gharnati (Arabic: الغرناطي) refers to an Algerian variety of Andalusian classical music originating in Tlemcen. Its name is derived from the Arabic name of the city of Granada. Gharnati has also become an established tradition in other c ...
() is a variety of
Andalusi music
Andalusi classical music ( ar, طرب أندلسي, ṭarab ʾandalusī; es, música andalusí), also called Andalusi music or Arab-Andalusian music, is a genre of music originally developed in al-Andalus by the Muslim population of the region a ...
that originated in Granada and moved to North Africa where it survived to this day.
Military
Constantly under threat by both the Christian kingdoms to the north and the Muslim
Marinid Sultanate to the south, the population of the Emirate of Granada developed a "siege mentality". The country consequently maintained a strong military. Its border territories were dotted with castles maintained by frontier warriors (''thagri'') led by armoured elite warriors who were influenced by and comparable to the Christian
knights. However, the core of the emirate's army consisted of highly mobile light cavalry as well as light infantry.
The Granadan army was ethnically and culturally mixed. A large part were recruited locally through the ''
jund'' system in which families with military obligations were registered and conscripted for service. In addition, the Granadan rulers encouraged North African warriors to migrate to the country and serve as ''
ghazi''. These immigrants were mostly
Zenata (or Zanata) Berbers and eventually organized as
Volunteers of the Faith, a factually autonomous and very powerful unit within the Granadan military. The Zenata served as
light cavalry, which gave rise to the
Spanish term ''
jinete'' (derived from the name 'Zenata'), which denoted this type of light cavalry.
They formed the backbone of the Granadan army, serving both in crucial battles as well as in regular
raids inside Christian territory.
They were highly mobile on the field, armed with
lances
A lance is a spear designed to be used by a mounted warrior or cavalry soldier (lancer). In ancient and medieval warfare, it evolved into the leading weapon in cavalry charges, and was unsuited for throwing or for repeated thrusting, unlike sim ...
,
javelins, and small round
shields known for their flexibility, and used their own characteristic set of tactics.
They sometimes also served as
auxiliaries
Auxiliaries are support personnel that assist the military or police but are organised differently from regular forces. Auxiliary may be military volunteers undertaking support functions or performing certain duties such as garrison troops, ...
in Castilian armies, sent by the Nasrid emirs of Granada to aid their allies.
They were recruited and led by exiled members of the Marinid family and settled within the kingdom of Granada. Their Marinid commander was known as the ''shaykh al-ghuzāt'' ('chief of the ''ghazis''
'), but in 1374
Muhammad V Mohamed V may refer to:
* Al-Mu'tazz, sometimes referred to as ''Muhammad V'', was the Abbasid caliph (from 866 to 869).
* Muhammed V of Granada (1338–1391), Sultan of Granada
* Mehmed V (1848–1918), 39th Sultan of the Ottoman Empire
* Mohamm ...
suppressed this office due to their political interference, after which they were commanded by a Nasrid or Andalusi general.
Muhammad V reduced the status of the Volunteers and reformed the military, strengthening instead the Andalusian components of the Granadan military. The smallest part of the regular Granadan military were Christians and ex-Christians who had been hired by the emirs or defected to them. These were often Spanish knights and termed
Mamluk
Mamluk ( ar, مملوك, mamlūk (singular), , ''mamālīk'' (plural), translated as "one who is owned", meaning " slave", also transliterated as ''Mameluke'', ''mamluq'', ''mamluke'', ''mameluk'', ''mameluke'', ''mamaluke'', or ''marmeluke'') ...
s; these warriors were organized as elite bodyguards by some emirs. To augment their army, the Granadans also hired foreign mercenaries.
In regard to its organization, the Granadan military was formally headed by the emir and divided into several units. The frontier areas were possibly commanded by ''
rais'', while each important frontier garrison was led by a ''shaykh khassa''. The army was divided into major divisions, each led by a ''
wali'', under whom military ''emirs'' served as leaders for 5,000 troops, followed by ''
qaid
Qaid ( ar , قائد ', "commander"; pl. '), also spelled kaid or caïd, is a word meaning "commander" or "leader." It was a title in the Norman kingdom of Sicily, applied to palatine officials and members of the ''curia'', usually to those ...
'' leading 1,000, ''naqib'' leading 200, and finally ''
nazir'' leading eight. The Volunteers of the Faith were initially commanded by the ''shaykh al-ghuzat''. In addition, there existed a
Gendarmerie-like ''shurta'' in Granada city, commanded by the ''sahib al-shurta''. The Granadan army was usually accompanied by a corps of guides (''dalil''), religious figures who tended to morale, armourers, medics, and some poets as well as orators.
List of the sultans of Granada
See also
*
Nasrid dynasty
*
Romance of Abenamar
Romance (from Vulgar Latin , "in the Roman language", i.e., "Latin") may refer to:
Common meanings
* Romance (love), emotional attraction towards another person and the courtship behaviors undertaken to express the feelings
* Romance languages, ...
*
Taifa of Granada
*
List of Sunni Muslim dynasties
*
Border of Granada
The border of Granada (''frontera de Granada'' in Spanish) was a border region that existed between the Nasrid kingdom of Granada and the kingdoms of Murcia, Jaén, Córdoba and Seville following the integration of those former Muslim territori ...
*
Emirate of Córdoba
The Emirate of Córdoba ( ar, إمارة قرطبة, ) was a medieval Islamic kingdom in the Iberian Peninsula. Its founding in the mid-eighth century would mark the beginning of seven hundred years of Muslim rule in what is now Spain and Po ...
References
Works cited
*
*
*
Further reading
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*Kennedy, Hugh (1996). ''Muslim Spain and Portugal: A Political History of al-Andalus''. Longman.
*O'Callaghan, Joseph F. ''The Last Crusade in the West: Castile and the Conquest of Granada''. University of Pennsylvania Press.
External links
Granada- The Last Refuge of Muslims in Spainby Salah Zaimeche
Al-Ándalus III: el Sultanato De Granada (1232–1492) y Una Breve Reseña Sobre la Alhambra* R.H. Shamsuddín Elía, Historia de Al-Andalus, Boletín N° 53 -08/200
''Al-Ándalus III: El Sultanato De Granada (1232–1492)''* Nicolás Homar Vives
''Les Nasrides, Les Banû al-Ahmar à Grenade''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Emirate Of Granada
Granada
Former Muslim countries in Europe
Former Arab states
History of Andalusia
1238 establishments in Europe
1492 disestablishments in Europe
1492 disestablishments in Spain
Former countries