the moor’s last stand how seven Centuries of muslim rule in spain Came to an end elizabeth drayson PROFILE BOOKS Moor's Last Stand.indd 3 03/03/2017 15:51 First published in Great Britain in 2017 by PROFILE BOOKS LTD 3 Holford Yard Bevin Way London wc1x 9hd www.profilebooks.com Copyright © Elizabeth Drayson, 2017 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2 Typeset in Palatino by MacGuru Ltd Printed and bound in Great Britain by Clays, St Ives plc The moral right of the author has been asserted. All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the publisher of this book. A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. ISBN 978 1 78125 686 2 eISBN 978 1 78283 276 8 Moor's Last Stand.indd 4 03/03/2017 15:51 Contents Acknowledgements ix List of Illustrations xi Maps xiii Preface xvii 1 The Nasrid Dynasty of Granada 1 2 Man of Destiny: Boabdil’s Early Life 23 3 From Knight to King: Boabdil Reigns in Granada 36 4 Captured 51 5 From King to Pawn 71 6 Checkmate: The Path of Surrender 92 7 Exile 118 8 Boabdil in Fiction and Legend 140 9 The Moor’s Last Stand 162 Principal Dramatis Personae 183 Lineage of the Nasrid Dynasty 185 Glossary 186 Reading Suggestions 188 Index 193 Moor's Last Stand.indd 7 03/03/2017 15:51 acknowledgements First and foremost, I am deeply grateful to the Isaac Newton Trust of Trinity College, Cambridge, for awarding me a year’s research leave, and to Murray Edwards College and Peterhouse, who fully sup­ ported me. In Granada, special thanks are due to Bárbara Jiménez Serrano and María del Mar Melgarejo at the archive of the Alhambra, who welcomed me and made some fascinating material available. Thanks are also due to the archivists and staff of the municipal archives, and to José María Pérez Lledó from the Ayuntamiento de Granada. I received great practical help and encouragement from Professor José María Pérez Fernández, Dra. Mercedes Castillo Fer­ reira, Professor Luis Bernabé Pons and Dr Teresa Tinsley, and I am extremely grateful to Dra María Luisa García Valverde, who helped me decipher some tricky medieval script. Thanks are due to Javier Balaguer and Dr Mostafa Abdulrahman, who generously shared their research on the tomb of Boabdil with me, and I also thank Prof­ essor Brad Epps, Dr Rodrigo Cacho and Professor Isabel Torres for their invaluable help, as well as the students and colleagues at Cam­ bridge and elsewhere who have shown such interest in my project. All translations from Spanish into English are my own. It has been a joy to work with my editor, John Davey, who has been so understanding, supportive and perceptive, and sincere Moor's Last Stand.indd 9 03/03/2017 15:51 x THE Moor’s lAST STAND thanks are also due to Penny Daniel, copy­editor Trevor Horwood and the marvellous production team at Profile Books who made this book a reality. Last but not least, heartfelt gratitude to my husband, Kiernan Ryan, who is my inspiration, and to my daughter Fiona for her good­humoured encouragement. Moor's Last Stand.indd 10 03/03/2017 15:51 Illustrations 1. Statue of Muhammed I in Arjona, southern Spain. Image courtesy of Fundación El legado andalusí. 2. General view of the Alhambra. Author’s photograph. 3. The Nasrid shield in the Alhambra. Photo by Jackie Ramo. 4. Court of the Lions in the Alhambra. Photo: Alamy. 5. The house of El Partal in the Alhambra, where Boabdil lived in his youth. Author’s photograph. 6. Nasrid wall painting from El Partal. Photo courtesy of the Museum and Archivo del Patronato de la Alhambra y Generalife. 7. Nasrid chessboard. Photo courtesy of the Museum and Archivo del Patronato de la Alhambra y Generalife. 8. Page from the Capitulations, or terms of surrender. Photo: akg- images/Album/Oronoz. 9. Boabdil’s marlota. Photo: akg-images/Album/Oronoz. 10. Boabdil’s sword and sheath. Photo: akg-images/Album/ Oronoz. 11. Boabdil with chains around his neck. Photo: akg-images/ Album/Oronoz. 12. Patio of the mosque and window through which Boabdil escaped with his brother in 1482. Photo courtesy of the Moor's Last Stand.indd 11 06/03/2017 12:01 xii THE MOOR’S LAST stanD Museum and Archivo del Patronato de la Alhambra y Generalife. 13. The Dar al-Horra palace in Granada inhabited by Boabdil’s mother Aixa. Author’s photograph. 14. The alcaicería, or old silk market, Granada. Photo: Wikicommons. 15. The Calle de la Tiña, where Boabdil was proclaimed sultan on his return to Granada in 1487. Author’s photograph. 16. Portrait of Boabdil as Rey Chico. Photo: Wikicommons. 17. Gate of Justice in the Alhambra. Photo: Andrew Dunn. 18. The Dar al-Horra palace in Granada inhabited by Boabdil’s mother Aixa. Author’s photograph. 19. The surrender of Granada by Francisco Pradilla y Ortiz. Photo: akg-images/Pictures From History. 20. The Moor’s Last Sigh by Francisco Pradilla y Ortiz. Photo: akg- images/Pictures From History. 21. Portrait of Queen Isabella I of Castile, by John of Flanders. Photo: akg-images/Album/Prisma. 22. Portrait of King Ferdinand II of Aragon. Photo: akg-images/ Erich Lessing. 23. Muhammed I, depicted in Cantigas de Santa María. Photo: Public domain. 24. The musalla, shrine, in Fez. Author’s photograph. 25. El Mulhacén, Sierra Nevada. Photo: Mariano Sevilla, Wikicommons. 26. Sculpture of Boabdil in courtyard of the Hispanic Society of America, New York. Author’s photograph. 27. Monument to Boabdil in Granada. Author’s photograph. While every effort has been made to contact copyright-holders of illustrations, the author and publishers would be grateful for information about any illustrations where they have been unable to trace them, and would be glad to make amendments in further editions. Moor's Last Stand.indd 12 06/03/2017 12:01 maps Map of Arab Granada xiv Kingdom of Granada in 1480 xv The Nasrid Kingdom of Granada xvi Moor's Last Stand.indd 13 03/03/2017 15:51 Moor's Last Stand.indd 14 CANICIE-AZ-ZEITUNA Map of Arab Granada Genna-al-Aarif (after Luis Seco de Paredes, 1910) C C i q i Kasr-Alhijar u q i u AIKABIA a i a A BIB-MAADAMA R l c o o m t a HANDAC a n y l C a iqu ia M CÁNTARA- ija BIB-GÚEDAIX AS SOFTA ra mil ALHARRACIN m RABAD-ALBAIDA ha Al Medina BIB-ALBEYEZIN A C lcadi B I Ciquia A S A A RABAD-ALBEYEZIN ABAHUL BIB-NECHED ABA BIB-ALMEDINA? BIB-ALHAMRA CAZ AL BIB-EL-BIS AT BIB-XAREA AR BIB-CAXTAR H BIB-CIEDA RABAD-HAXARIS Al Casba Cadia RABAD-CAURACHA HANDAC ADABICA D U RABAD-EL-NECHED AH RABAD-ALMUDAFAR BIB-HANDAC Y AL HA a AT ir RN ALBUNEST eb GA u BIB-ADIFFAF lq A RABAD-AITUNJARARROHAN RABAD ALCADI ANTEQUERUELA RABAD-XARIA ia u q BIB-ALHAZARIN RABAD-ALFAJJARIN i BIB-AXARC C RABAD-BADIS Al Casba Gidida l CANTARA- i BIP-ALBONAIDA n RABAD ALMANZORA ALHAGIMIN n BIB-ALFAJJARIN BIB-LACHA e l X i RABADASIF - n l RABAD-ALMURABIDIN RABAD EL-GOMERA e e - G RABAD MAUROR i d o i a BIB-ALASAD R u BIB-ALAACABA CANTARA-HAMMIN-EL-TIX G DAR NONSARA RABAD-EL-ZENATA BIB-ELBEIRA RABAD-GELILIS BIB-ALMEZRRA CANTARA-ALGHARRIZIN GENNA-ATEIBIN RABAD-BUCARALFACINRABAD-ZACAYAT-ALBACERY CANTARA-EL-AADIL BIB-ATEIBIN CÁNTARA-EL-XENNIL Arab buildings and BIB-ARBAATAYUN RABAD-ABULACI constructions still in HIZN BIB-ATEIBIN arro existence i-el-Had CANTARA-ADDABAGUIN Guad ALCANTARA-GIDIDABIB-ADDABBAGUIN BIB-ALFARÁS ro Arab buildings and Rio Dar 03/03/2017 15:51 constructions that have BIB-RIHA BIB-ARRAMLA disappeared RABAD-BIB-ALMAZDAA RABAD-ARRAMLA ALFONDAQ ZAIDA Built up areas of the city BIB-ALMAZDÁA Kingdom of Granada in 1480 Segura a r u g e Caravaca S e d a Mula rr ir r ie Murcia quiv i S dal iv ua Úbeda u o G lq Ri Baeza a agre Rio Guad a S Cazorla L R i Córdoba o G Quesada Castril Huéscar u a di Galera Jaén ana Solera M Ocra Vélez Blanco Lorca en o Sierra de Orce Cambil r Vélez Rubio Cartagena Huelma Benamaurel ias tanc Alcaudete e las Es Luque Montejícar Sierra d R Locubín Baza io Aguilar G e Alcalá la Real Piñar Huércal-Overa nil Cabra Priego Albox Lucena Iznalloz Purchena iego Colomera Sevila e Pr e Almanzora Zurgena ra d Moclin Rio d Marchena Rute Sier Montefrió Guadix es Vera Estepa Benamejí Íllora ilabr Izájar Sierra de los F Osuna Velefique La Calahorra Fiñana as Granada de Yegu Sierra Gérgal Sorbas Morón Loja Archidona Dilar Sierra Nevada Campillos Alhama Padul D A Teba Antequera A Rio Andarax Pruna R Zafarraya N Cañete io a Olvera G A Orgiva es u Comares vi Almería Ardales a ra Berja d R ont Setenil a C l Vélez de Benaudalla de Dalías h Sierra Zahara o G Álora r c Vélez Málaga Torrox Salobreña Adra Ronda e Motril Grazalema a Montejaque ond Cártama Nerja Almuñécar e R Málaga Ubrique a d Tolox ro ni Coin ia ra d er ua S Mijas G o i Marbella R Fuengirola Gaucín Jimena Casares a Estepona S e e a n r r a n El Castellar M e d i t e Gibraltar Algeciras r Tarifa lta 0 10 20 30 40 miles ibra of G Strait 0 20 40 60 kilometres Ceuta Moor's Last Stand.indd 15 Kingdom of Granada in 1480 Segura a r u g e Caravaca S e d a Mula rr ir r ie Murcia quiv i S dal iv ua Úbeda u o G lq Ri Baeza a agre Rio Guad a S Cazorla L R i Córdoba o G Quesada Castril Huéscar u a di Galera Jaén ana Solera M Ocra Vélez Blanco Lorca en o Sierra de Orce Cambil r Vélez Rubio Cartagena Huelma Benamaurel ias tanc Alcaudete e las Es Luque Montejícar Sierra d R Locubín Baza io Aguilar G e Alcalá la Real Piñar Huércal-Overa nil Cabra Priego Albox Lucena Iznalloz Purchena iego Colomera Sevila e Pr e Almanzora Zurgena ra