Nasr of Granada
Nasr | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Muhammad III | |||||
Successor | Ismail I | ||||
King of Guadix | |||||
Reign | February 1314 – November 1322 | ||||
Born | 1 November 1287 Granada, Emirate of Granada | ||||
Died | 16 November 1322 Guadix, Emirate of Granada | (aged 35)||||
| |||||
House | Nasrid dynasty | ||||
Father | Muhammad II | ||||
Mother | Shams al-Duha | ||||
Religion | Islam |
Nasr (1 November 1287 – 16 November 1322), full name Abu al-Juyush Nasr ibn Muhammad (
Despite achieving peace with relatively minimal losses, Nasr was unpopular at court as he was suspected of being pro-Christian and accused of devoting so much time to astronomy that he neglected his duties as ruler. A rebellion started by his brother-in-law
Birth and early life
Abu al-Juyush Nasr ibn Muhammad
Muhammad III became the sultan after the death of their father in 1302. In the last few years of his reign, the emirate was on the verge of war against a triple alliance of its larger neighbors, the Christian kingdoms of
War against the triple alliance
Granada was in a very dangerous situation when Nasr took power, without allies and with three larger enemies preparing for war against it. One of the main points of contention was Granada's occupation of Ceuta, a port on the North African coast of the Strait of Gibraltar which had rebelled against the Marinids in 1304 and was conquered by Granada in 1306 during Muhammad III's reign.[9] The Granadan capture of Ceuta, in addition to its control of Algeciras and Gibraltar, other ports in the Strait, as well as Málaga and Almería further east, had given it strong control of both sides of the Strait, alienating not only the Marinids but also Castile and Aragon.[10][11]
The Marinids commenced an attack against Ceuta on 12 May 1309 and secured a formal alliance with Aragon in early July. Aragon was to send galleys and knights to help the Marinids take Ceuta in exchange for deliveries of wheat and barley to Aragon, commercial benefits for Catalan traders in Morocco and agreement for both parties to not make a separate peace. The agreement also stipulated that, once captured, the territory would be handed back to the Marinids but the port would first be sacked and all movable goods would be given to Aragon.[12] However, on 20 July 1309, the people of Ceuta overthrew their Nasrid rulers and allowed the Marinids to enter the city without Aragonese help. The return of Ceuta softened the Marinid stance against Granada and the two Muslim states then entered into negotiations.[13] Nasr had already sent his envoys to the Marinid court at Fez since April and, by late September 1309, a peace agreement was reached.[12] In addition to accepting Marinid rule over Ceuta, Nasr had to yield Algeciras and Ronda—both in Europe—and their surrounding territories.[13] Thus, the Marinids once again had outposts on Granada's traditional territories on the southern Iberian peninsula, after their last withdrawal in 1294.[9] No longer needing help from Aragon, the Marinids discarded the alliance between them and did not send the booty from Ceuta as promised; soon King James II of Aragon wrote to his Castilian counterpart Ferdinand IV about the Marinid Sultan Abu al-Rabi Sulayman, "It seems to us, King, that from now on we can regard that king as an enemy".[14]
Meanwhile, at the end of July 1309 the Christian forces, including not only the forces of Castile and Aragon but also those of
On the eastern front, Aragonese troops besieged Almería with some support from Castile. The city managed to stockpile supplies and improve its defenses due to the late arrival of the Aragonese forces, led by James II, by sea in mid-August 1309.[19] A series of assaults against the city failed, and Nasr sent troops under Uthman ibn Abi al-Ula to relieve it. They took a position in nearby Marchena after defeating an Aragonese contingent there and continuously harassed the besieger's foraging parties.[20][21] By the time winter approached, the city still held out, and the weakening of the siege of Algeciras in November meant that Granada could send more reinforcements to the east. At the end of December, James II and Nasr agreed to a truce and that the Aragonese king would evacuate his troops from Granadan territories. The evacuation was completed in January 1310 after some incidents.[19] At one point during the evacuation, Nasr wrote to James that the city's defenders had to put the remaining Aragonese troops under detention because they were pillaging Granadan territories. Nasr further noted that the Muslims gave them housing and food at their own expense "because some of them were starving" while waiting for the Aragonese ships to pick them up.[22]
Ferdinand IV's siege of Algeciras made little progress, and by January 1310 he lifted the siege and entered into talks with Nasr.
The Marinid presence on the Iberian Peninsula proved to be short-lived. Abu al-Rabi died in November 1310 and was succeeded by
Rebellion and downfall
Despite his success in ending the three-front war with minimal losses, Nasr and his vizier Ibn al-Hajj—who replaced Ibn al-Mawl when the latter fled to North Africa
In November 1310, Nasr fell gravely ill, and a faction at court attempted to restore Muhammad III. The old and nearly blind former sultan was transported by litter from Almuñécar. The plot failed when Nasr recovered before Muhammad was enthroned; Nasr then imprisoned his brother in the Dar al-Kubra (La Casa Mayor, "Big House") of the Alhambra.[28] Nasr later had his brother drowned, although there are conflicting reports of when this happened. Ibn al-Khatib listed four dates: mid-February 1311, February or March 1312, 12 February 1312, and 21 January 1314.[29] Historian Francisco Vidal Castro, who considered all four dates, considers the latest date to be the valid one because it also appears in other credible reports as well as on Muhammad's tombstone.[28]
The leader of the next rebellion was Abu Said Faraj, the governor of Málaga and a member of the Nasrid dynasty.[30] He was a nephew of Muhammad I, Nasr's grandfather and the founder of the emirate, as well as Nasr's brother-in-law as he was married to Nasr's sister, Princess Fatima.[31] When Abu Said paid his annual homage to Nasr, he found that the sultan was unpopular at court. He also disliked what he heard about Nasr; according to Fernández-Puertas, Abu Said was further outraged at the death of the Muhammad III.[27]
Abu Said started his rebellion in Málaga in 1311.
Opposition to Nasr continued, and members of the anti-Nasr faction fled the court for Málaga.[33] Soon Ismail restarted the rebellion with help from his mother Fatima and Uthman ibn al-Ula.[4] As Ismail moved towards Granada, his army swelled and the capital's inhabitants opened the city gates for him. Ismail entered the city from the Elvira (Ilbira) Gate and besieged Nasr, who remained in the Alhambra.[35] Nasr tried to request help from Infante Peter (now one of the regents for the infant king), but aid did not come in time.[34] Nasr was forced to abdicate on 8 February 1314 (21 Shawwal 713 AH).[19] In exchange for surrendering the Alhambra, he was permitted to leave for Guadix and rule there as governor.[19][35] Abd al-Haqq ibn Uthman and Hammu ibn Abd al-Haqq accompanied him there.[19][26]
Attempt to regain the throne
After Nasr's defeat and move to Guadix, he still maintained his claim to the throne.[36] He styled himself "King of Guadix" and led a group of his relatives and servants to resist Ismail. Ismail besieged Nasr at Guadix in May 1315 but left after 45 days.[3] Nasr repeatedly requested help from Castile, which was ruled by a regency made up of Infante Peter, Infante John, and the king's grandmother María de Molina.[37] Peter agreed to meet Nasr and help him, but separately he also told James II of Aragon that he intended to conquer Granada for himself, and would give one-sixth of it to Aragon in exchange for help. In January 1316, Nasr reiterated to James II that the upcoming campaign was to restore himself as Sultan of Granada.[36] Nasr offered to give Guadix to Peter in exchange for his help if Nasr succeeded in retaking the throne.[3]
Preparation for Castile's campaign began in spring of 1316.
Nasr died in Guadix without an heir on 16 November 1322 (6 Dhu al-Qaida 722 AH) at the age of 35,[3] ending the direct male line of the Nasrid dynasty from Muhammad I, the founder of the emirate.[19][35][26] Subsequent Sultans of Granada would descend from Ismail, whose father came from a collateral branch of the dynasty, but whose mother Fatima was Muhammad I's granddaughter.[35] Nasr's lack of heir ensured the dynasty's unity for the time being,[26] and Ismail peacefully reincorporated territories formerly under Nasr's control to the Emirate.[35] Nasr was initially buried at the main mosque of Guadix, but subsequently moved to the Sabika Hill of the Alhambra alongside his grandfather Muhammad I and brother Muhammad III.[3]
Character and legacy
Official biographies described Nasr as being elegant, gentlemanly, chaste and peace-loving. He was knowledgeable in astronomy, tutored by
To traditional and modern historians, Nasr's abdication in favour of Ismail I marked the end of al-dawla al-ghalibiyya al-nasriyya, "the Nasrid dynasty of al-Ghalib", whose rulers are patrilineally descended from Muhammad I—also known by the epithet "al-Ghalib billah"—and the beginning of a new branch: al-dawla al-isma'iliyya al-nasriyya, "the Nasrid dynasty of Ismail".[35][47] The Nasrid dynasty did not have a specific rule of succession, but Ismail I was the first of the few rulers who only descended matrilineally from the royal line. The other instance happened in 1432 with the accession of Yusuf IV.[47]
Notes
- Arabic: amir) are also used in official documents and by historians.[2]
References
Citations
- ^ a b Latham & Fernández-Puertas 1993, p. 1020.
- ^ Rubiera Mata 2008, p. 293.
- ^ a b c d e f g Vidal Castro.
- ^ a b Catlos 2018, p. 343.
- ^ Rubiera Mata 1996, p. 184.
- ^ Rubiera Mata 1969, pp. 108–109, note 5.
- ^ Harvey 1992, pp. 169–170.
- ^ a b Rubiera Mata 1969, p. 114.
- ^ a b c Harvey 1992, p. 172.
- ^ O'Callaghan 2011, p. 122.
- ^ Arié 1973, p. 267.
- ^ a b O'Callaghan 2011, p. 127.
- ^ a b Latham & Fernández-Puertas 1993, p. 1022.
- ^ O'Callaghan 2011, pp. 127–128.
- ^ O'Callaghan 2011, pp. 128–129.
- ^ Harvey 1992, p. 173.
- ^ O'Callaghan 2011, pp. 129–130.
- ^ a b O'Callaghan 2011, p. 130.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Latham & Fernández-Puertas 1993, p. 1023.
- ^ Harvey 1992, p. 175.
- ^ O'Callaghan 2011, p. 132.
- ^ Harvey 1992, p. 179.
- ^ O'Callaghan 2011, pp. 132–133.
- ^ a b O'Callaghan 2011, p. 133.
- ^ Rubiera Mata 1969, p. 115.
- ^ a b c d e Harvey 1992, p. 180.
- ^ a b c d e f g Fernández-Puertas 1997, p. 4.
- ^ a b Vidal Castro 2004, p. 361.
- ^ Vidal Castro 2004, pp. 362–363.
- ^ Fernández-Puertas 1997, pp. 2–3.
- ^ Fernández-Puertas 1997, pp. 2–4.
- ^ Rubiera Mata 1975, pp. 131–132.
- ^ a b Rubiera Mata 1975, p. 132.
- ^ a b c O'Callaghan 2011, p. 134.
- ^ a b c d e f Fernández-Puertas 1997, p. 5.
- ^ a b c O'Callaghan 2011, p. 138.
- ^ a b O'Callaghan 2011, p. 137.
- ^ O'Callaghan 2011, p. 139.
- ^ O'Callaghan 2011, pp. 139–143.
- ^ a b O'Callaghan 2011, p. 144.
- ^ O'Callaghan 2011, pp. 144–145.
- ^ Harvey 1992, p. 182.
- ^ O'Callaghan 2011, pp. 147–148.
- ^ a b O'Callaghan 2011, p. 147.
- ^ Arié 1973, p. 430.
- ^ Fernández-Puertas & Jones 1997, p. 247.
- ^ a b Boloix Gallardo 2016, p. 281.
Bibliography
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- Catlos, Brian A. (2018). Kingdoms of Faith: A New History of Islamic Spain. London: ISBN 978-17-8738-003-5.
- Fernández-Puertas, Antonio (April 1997). "The Three Great Sultans of al-Dawla al-Ismā'īliyya al-Naṣriyya Who Built the Fourteenth-Century Alhambra: Ismā'īl I, Yūsuf I, Muḥammad V (713–793/1314–1391)". Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society. Third Series. 7 (1). London: S2CID 154717811.
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- Latham, J.D. & Fernández-Puertas, Antonio (1993). "Naṣrids". In ISBN 978-90-04-09419-2.
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- Rubiera Mata, María Jesús (1975). "El Arráez Abu Sa'id Faray B. Isma'il B. Nasr, gobernador de Málaga y epónimo de la segunda dinastía Nasari de Granada" (PDF). Boletín de la Asociación Española de Orientalistas (in Spanish). Madrid: ISSN 0571-3692.
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- Rubiera Mata, María Jesús (1996). "La princesa Fátima Bint Al-Ahmar, la "María de Molina" de la dinastía Nazarí de Granada". Medievalismo (in Spanish). 6. Murcia and Madrid: Universidad de Murcia and Sociedad Española de Estudios Medievales: 183–189. (PDF) from the original on 13 July 2019.
- Vidal Castro, Francisco. "Nasr". Diccionario Biográfico electrónico (in Spanish). Real Academia de la Historia.
- Vidal Castro, Francisco (2004). "El asesinato político en al-Andalus: la muerte violenta del emir en la dinastía nazarí". In María Isabel Fierro (ed.). De muerte violenta: política, religión y violencia en Al-Andalus (in Spanish). Editorial – CSIC Press. pp. 349–398. ISBN 978-84-00-08268-0.