THE IBERIAN POST 15/05/1493 Number 4592

GranadaThe last frontier

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In the ante room to the Royal Chapel in Granada, there is a copy of a 19th-century painting *** by Francisco Pradilla depicting the king of Granada, Boabdil, handing over the key of the Alhambra to the Catholic Monarchs, Ferdinand and Isabella. There is nothing special about the painting, but the scene portrays a defining moment in Spain’s history.Few events figure more dramatically in Spain’s past than the conquest of the Nasrid kingdom of Granada , and no other year is more prominent than 1492. Not only did the Reconquista finally end, but by fortuitous coincidence the “discovery” of America in the same year marked the birth of the Spanish “Empire.” The two events were brought together in the person of the Genoese sailor-explorer Christopher Columbus.On January 2 eight months before he set sail on his historic trip, he witnessed the entry of the Catholic Monarchs into Granada**.The kingdom of Granada had been a reality in the political map of the

Iberian Peninsula for over 250 years. It was a tributary state, , and in the 15th century hardly represented a danger to the Christian kingdoms of the peninsula (even Castile with which it shared a border), despite frequent frontier skirmishes. Why then should it have become necessary to conquer this tributary state in the late 15th century? Besides being a constant reminder of territorial rivalry, the kingdom of Granada clearly represented a different religion, and religion had again raised its ugly head at the eastern end of the Mediterranean. The fall of Constantinople was viewed as a major blow to Christendom and rekindled the crusading spirit throughout Europe.Papal appeals found immediate response in Spain with the taking of Gibraltar in 1462. By the time Ferdinand and Isabella took complete control of their respective kingdoms (Isabella became queen of Castile in 1474; Ferdinand became king of Aragón in 1479; in each other’s kingdom,

they were consorts) that crusading spirit was fully alive. In 1486 they undertook a pilgrimage to Santiago –the home of that militant saint and Moor killer, Santiago Matamoros–to seek divine help in uniting their land under one religion. Shortly after, many soldiers wore crusader crosses on their uniforms.

Fall of the Nasrid kingdom

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** The painting is historically inaccurate because1. the keys were actually handed over in the Alhambra itself; 2.  Ferdinand and Isabella woreMoorish clothes. Pradilla was a Castilian fromnear Zaragoza, which is why he probably placedIsabella more prominently towards the front;she is more colourfully dressed and is seated on a dashing white horse. On her head, she wears a crown. Set further back, Ferdinand looks smaller,is dressed in muted red clothes and wears no crown.

**It was in 1492 that the Jews were giventhe ultimatum of choosing between baptismor exile. Culturally, 1492 saw the publicationof the first Spanish (Castilian) Grammar book

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The conquest of Granada was spearheaded by Castile, but Castile alone had neither the manpower nor the wealth to fund the crusade. When the final stage of the conquest finally got under way, it did so backed by financial aid from a variety of sources and by crusading soldiers from beyond Castile. Help from Aragón, of course, was a matter of course given Ferdinand’s role in the venture. Significant funds also came from the papacy in the forms of a special tax, thecruzada, levied on the church, from Jewish sources, and from Genoese financiers living in Seville; volunteers came from France, Germany, Italy, England, Flanders, Portugal, not to mention Catalonia, Valencia, Galicia, Asturias etc. What it amounts to is that the Conquest of Granada was in fact a collaborative venture. 

El estilo Título 2 se utiliza para agregar títulos de imágenes. Los títulos se encuentran en cuadros de texto que facilitan su colocación junto a las imágenes.

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Of course, there were certainly practical benefits that were undoubtedly also on the Monarchs’ minds as they undertook the Holy War: it would rally the people behind them in a common undertaking; it would direct the energies of the nobles away from their internecine feuds, which had weakened Castile in the 15th century; it would increase the territory under the Monarchs’ rule, despite Ferdinand’s pious claim to the contrary ("we have not been moved to this war by any desire to enlarge our realms" Kamen Empire 16);finally, the gallantry and heroism associated with such a cause would add lustre abroad to the names of both rulers and their country.

The Christian conquest began in earnest in 1482, following a successful attack by Muslim forces on the Christian frontier town of Zahara (de la Sierra). It was an ill-considered move which prompted an immediate response with the taking of Alhama, a fortified town deep in Muslim territory and

almost mid way between Granada and Malaga.  

The mountainous terrain made rapid movement of troops difficult and decisive infantry confrontations almost impossible.  Swift light cavalry incursions were useful for surprise attacks, but the numerous fortified hill towns meant that sieges -frequently ending with a negotiated surrender- were the preferred means of conquest.  Here the Christians had an advantage in that it was they who carried the wars into Muslim territory and they who mastered the art of cannonry as a necessary means of weakening the defences of their enemies. 

Christian success was also enhanced by fierce factional fighting within Granada itself, caused by family rivalry between King Abu’l-Hasan Ali (often called Muley Hacén/Hassan), his brother, Muhammad al-Zagal, and a son, Muhammad XII (better known as Boabdil).  Boabdil rebelled against his father, splitting the kingdom in two. Then in a foolish invasion of Christian territory in 1483 he was

captured.  The kingdom was again reunited under Muley Hacén but in 1485 he was unseated by al-Zagal and died in the same year.  

By the end of 1489 only the city of Granada was left in Muslim hands. Nominally ruled by Boabdil, it was a city riven by internal feuds. Still, the inhabitants refused to surrender, but the establishment of a permanent camp site (Santa Fe - Holy Faith) within view of Granada left no doubt of Christian intentions... a protracted siege. Facing the inevitable, the Muslims negotiated surrender, and the long campaign finally came to an end on January 2, 1492, when Ferdinand and Isabel entered the city. 

Boabdil received them in the Comares tower of the Alhambra, handed them the keys to the city, and kissed Ferdinand’s hand.  There was a lot of dazzling pageantry in all this, because in fact the keys had already been delivered to a representative of the Monarchs a day earlier in the same room.

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