Nasrid dynasty

Historical Arab states and dynasties
Ancient Arab States Kingdom of Thamud 800 BC–200 BC Kingdom of Qedar 800 BC–300 BC Kingdom of Lihyan 600 BC–100 BC Nabataean Kingdom 400 BC–106 AD Kingdom of Kindah 200 BC–633 AD Kingdom of Osroene 132 BC–244 AD Kingdom of Characene 127 BC–221 AD Royal family of Emesa 64 BC–300s AD Kingdom of Araba 100s–241 AD Tanukhids 196–1100 AD Ghassanids 220–638 AD Lakhmids 300–602 AD
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Eastern Dynasties Emirate of Armenia 654–884 Emirate of Tbilisi 736–1122 Emirate of Crete 824–961 Dulafids 840–897 Kaysites 860–964 Shirvanshah 861-1538 Alavids 864–928 Hamdanids 890–1004 Rawadids 955–1071 Jarrahids 970–1107 Uqaylids 990–1096 Numayrids 990–1081 Mirdasids 1024–1080 Muzaffarids 1314–1393 Ma'anids 1517–1697 Shihabid 1697–1842 Al-Azm family 1720–1807
Western Dynasties Emirate of Córdoba 756–929 Muhallabids 771–793 Idrisids 788–974 Aghlabids 800–909 Emirate of Sicily 831–1091 Caliphate of Córdoba 929–1031 Kanzids 1004–1412 Tujibids 1013–1039 Abbadids 1023–1091 Hammudids 1026–1057 Jawharids 1031–1091 Hudids 1039–1110 Sumadihids 1041–1091 Nasrids 1230–1492 Saadis 1554–1659 Senussids 1837–1969
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Current monarchies Alaouites (Morocco) 1631–present Al Qasimi (Ras al Khaymah) 1727–present Al Qasimi (Sharjah) 1727–present Al Saud (Saudi Arabia) 1744–present Al Said (Oman) 1749–present Al Sabah (Kuwait) 1752–present Al Nahyan (Abu Dhabi) 1761–present Al Nuaim (Ajman ) 1810–present Al Mu'alla (Umm al-Quwain) 1775–present Al Khalifa (Bahrain) 1783–present Al Maktoum (Dubai) 1833–present Al Thani (Qatar) 1868–present Al Sharqi (Fujairah) 1900–present Hashemites (Jordan) 1921–present

The Nasrid dynasty (Arabic: بنو نصر‎ banū Naṣr or banū al-Aḥmar, Spanish: Nazarí) was the last Arab Muslim dynasty in Iberia, ruling the Emirate of Granada from 1230 until 1492.^[1] The Nasrid dynasty rose to power after the defeat of the Almohad Caliphate in 1212 at the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa. Twenty-three emirs ruled Granada from the founding of the dynasty in 1230 by Muhammad I until 2 January 1492, when Muhammad XII surrendered to the Christian Spanish kingdoms of Aragon and Castile. Today, the most visible evidence of the Nasrids is the Alhambra palace complex built under their rule.

Coat of Arms of the Emirate of Granada on a wall in the Alhambra, Nasrid dynasty (1013-1492)

Contemporary coat of arms (upper right) of the Nasrid dynasty of Grenada with garbled Arabic inscription (Wernigerode Armorial).

Lineage

The Nasrid dynasty was descended from the Arab Banu Khazraj tribe,^[2] and claimed direct male-line descent from Sa'd ibn Ubadah, the chief of the tribe and one of the companions of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. The nasab of Yusuf (nicknamed "al-Ahmar", meaning "the Red").^[3]

Conflicts of succession and civil war

During the time the Christians were launching a campaign against the Emirate of Granada that would effectively end the Nasrid dynasty, the Nasrids were engaged in a civil war over the throne of Granada. When Abu l-Hasan Ali, Sultan of Granada, was ousted by his son Muhammad XII, Abu l-Hasan Ali retreated to Málaga and civil war broke out between the competing factions. Christians took full advantage of this and continued capturing Muslim strongholds. Muhammed XII was caught by Christian forces in 1483 at Lucena, Córdoba. He was freed after he swore an oath of allegiance to Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile. Abu l-Hasan Ali finally abdicated in favor of his brother Muhammad XIII, Sultan of Granada, known as Al-Zaghal (the valiant), and a power struggle with Muhammad XII continued. Al-Zaghal prevailed in the inner struggle but was forced to surrender to the Christians. Muhammad XII was given a lordship in the Alpujarras mountains but instead took financial compensation from the Spanish crown to leave the Iberian Peninsula.^[4]

Legacy

The Nasrid dynasty was the longest ruling Muslim dynasty in the Iberian Peninsula. Reigning for more than 250 years from the establishment of the Emirate of Granada in 1230, to its annexation by the 'Catholic Monarchs' in 1492. The Nasrids constructed the Alhambra palace in Granada.

Family tree

The family tree below shows the genealogical relationship between each sultan of the Nasrid dynasty.^[5] It starts with their common ancestor, Yusuf al-Ahmar. Daughters are omitted, as are sons whose descendants never reigned. During times of rival claims to the throne, the family tree generally recognizes the sultan who controlled the city of Granada itself and the Alhambra palace.

List of Nasrid sultans of Granada

Monarchs of the Iberian Peninsula

al-Andalus (taifas)

Aragon Family tree

Asturias Family tree

Castile Family tree

Catalonia

Galicia

Granada

León Family tree

Majorca

Navarre Family tree

Portugal Family tree

Spain Medieval · Modern Family tree

Suebi

Valencia

Viguera

Visigoths Family tree

First dynasty (al-dawla al-ghalibiyya):^[6]

• Muhammad I ibn Nasr (1238–1272)
• Muhammed II al-Faqih (1273–1302)
• Muhammed III (1302–1309)
• Nasr (1309–1314)

Second dynasty (al-dawla al-isma'iliyya al-nasriyya):^[6]

• Ismail I (1314–1325)
• Muhammed IV (1325–1333)
• Yusuf I (1333–1354)
• Muhammed V (1354–1359, 1362–1391)
• Ismail II (1359–1360)
• Muhammed VI (1360–1362)
• Yusuf II (1391–1392)
• Muhammed VII (1392–1408)
• Yusuf III (1408–1417)
• Muhammed VIII (1417–1419, 1427–1429)
• Muhammed IX (1419–1427, 1430–1431, 1432–1445, 1448–1453)
• Yusuf IV (1432)
• Yusuf V (1445–1446, 1462)
• Muhammed X (1446–1448)
• Muhammed XI (1453–1454)
• Sa'ad (1454–1464)
• Abu l-Hasan Ali, known as Muley Hacén (1464–1482, 1483–1485)
• Abu ‘Abd Allah Muhammed XII, known as Boabdil (1482–1483, 1486–1492)
• Abū ‘Abd Allāh Muhammed XIII, known as El Zagal (1485–1486)

See also

• Al-Andalus
• Alhambra
• Romance of Abenamar

Notes

Bibliography

• Fernández Puertas, Antonio (1997). The Alhambra. Vol 1. From the Ninth Century to Yusuf I (1354). Saqi Books. ISBN 0-86356-466-6.
• Fernández Puertas, Antonio. The Alhambra. Vol. 2. (1354 - 1391). Saqi Books. ISBN 0-86356-467-4.
• Harvey, Leonard Patrick (1992). Islamic Spain 1250 to 1500. University of Chicago Press. ISBN 0-226-31962-8.
• Watt, W. Montgomery (1965). A History of Islamic Spain. Edinburgh University Press. ISBN 0-7486-0847-8.
• Arié, Rachel (1990). L’Espagne musulmane au Temps des Nasrides (1232–1492) (in French) (2nd ed.). De Boccard. ISBN 2-7018-0052-8.
• Bueno, Francisco (2004). Los Reyes de la Alhambra. Entre la historia y la leyenda (in Spanish). Miguel Sánchez. ISBN 84-7169-082-9.
• Cortés Peña, Antonio Luis; Vincent, Bernard (1983–1987). Historia de Granada. 4 vols (in Spanish). Editorial Don Quijote.
• Miranda, Ambroxio Huici (1970). "The Iberian Peninsula and Sicily". In Holt, P.M; Lambton, Ann K.S.; Lewis, Bernard. The Cambridge History of Islam. Vol. 2A. Cambridge University Press.
• 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. Vol. 7 (No. 1).