Abu al-Walid Ismail II ibn Yusuf (, 4 October 1339 – 24 June or 13 July 1360) was the ninth
Nasrid ruler of the
Emirate of Granada
The Emirate of Granada ( ar, إمارة غرﻧﺎﻃﺔ, Imārat Ġarnāṭah), also known as the Nasrid Kingdom of Granada ( es, Reino Nazarí de Granada), was an Emirate, Islamic realm in southern Iberia during the Late Middle Ages. It was the ...
on the
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula (),
**
* Aragonese and Occitan: ''Peninsula Iberica''
**
**
* french: Péninsule Ibérique
* mwl, Península Eibérica
* eu, Iberiar penintsula also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in southwestern Europe, defi ...
. He reigned from 23 August 1359 until his death.
The second son of
Yusuf I
Abu al-Hajjaj Yusuf ibn Ismail ( ar, أبو الحجاج يوسف بن إسماعيل; 29 June 131819 October 1354), known by the regnal name al-Muayyad billah (, "He who is aided by God"), was the seventh Nasrid ruler of the Emirate of Gran ...
, he was initially the favourite of his father due to the influence of his mother Maryam, of whom he was the first son. His half-brother
Muhammad V succeeded in 1354 after their father's assassination, and Ismail lived in a palace provided by the new Sultan. He dethroned his half-brother on 23 August 1359 in a coup that was masterminded by his mother Maryam and his brother-in-law
Muhammad el Bermejo. With Muhammad V exiled in
North Africa
North Africa, or Northern Africa is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region, and it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of Mauritania in ...
, Ismail's rule came to be dominated by el Bermejo. They had a falling out, which resulted in the violent overthrow of Ismail by his brother-in-law after less than a year as sultan. Ismail was executed along with his brother Qays and his ministers.
Geopolitical background
![Spain and Western North Africa 1360](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6e/Spain_and_Western_North_Africa_1360.jpg)
The
Emirate of Granada
The Emirate of Granada ( ar, إمارة غرﻧﺎﻃﺔ, Imārat Ġarnāṭah), also known as the Nasrid Kingdom of Granada ( es, Reino Nazarí de Granada), was an Emirate, Islamic realm in southern Iberia during the Late Middle Ages. It was the ...
was the last Muslim state on the
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula (),
**
* Aragonese and Occitan: ''Peninsula Iberica''
**
**
* french: Péninsule Ibérique
* mwl, Península Eibérica
* eu, Iberiar penintsula also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in southwestern Europe, defi ...
, founded by
Muhammad I in the 1230s. Through a combination of diplomatic and military manoeuvres, the emirate succeeded in maintaining its independence, despite being located between two larger neighbours: the Christian
Crown of Castile
The Crown of Castile was a medieval polity in the Iberian Peninsula that formed in 1230 as a result of the third and definitive union of the crowns and, some decades later, the parliaments of the kingdoms of Castile and León upon the accessi ...
to the north and the Muslim
Marinid Sultanate
The Marinid Sultanate was a Berber Muslim empire from the mid-13th to the 15th century which controlled present-day Morocco and, intermittently, other parts of North Africa (Algeria and Tunisia) and of the southern Iberian Peninsula (Spain) ...
in Morocco. Granada intermittently entered into alliance or went to war with both of these powers, or encouraged them to fight one another, in order to avoid being dominated by either. From time to time, the sultans of Granada swore
fealty
An oath of fealty, from the Latin ''fidelitas'' (faithfulness), is a pledge of allegiance of one person to another.
Definition
In medieval Europe, the swearing of fealty took the form of an oath made by a vassal, or subordinate, to his lord. "Fea ...
and paid
tribute
A tribute (; from Latin ''tributum'', "contribution") is wealth, often in kind, that a party gives to another as a sign of submission, allegiance or respect. Various ancient states exacted tribute from the rulers of land which the state conqu ...
to the kings of Castile, an important source of income for Castile. From Castile's point of view, Granada was a royal
vassal
A vassal or liege subject is a person regarded as having a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch, in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. While the subordinate party is called a vassal, the dominant party is called a suzerain. W ...
, while Muslim sources never described the relationship as such.
Muhammad IV allied himself with the Marinid Sultanate against Castile, and Ismail's father,
Yusuf I
Abu al-Hajjaj Yusuf ibn Ismail ( ar, أبو الحجاج يوسف بن إسماعيل; 29 June 131819 October 1354), known by the regnal name al-Muayyad billah (, "He who is aided by God"), was the seventh Nasrid ruler of the Emirate of Gran ...
, continued this diplomatic policy early in his reign. However, after the disastrous
Battle of Río Salado
The Battle of Río Salado also known as the Battle of Tarifa (30 October 1340) was a battle of the armies of King Afonso IV of Portugal and King Alfonso XI of Castile against those of Sultan Abu al-Hasan 'Ali of the Marinid dynasty and Yusuf I ...
in 1340, he cautiously avoided confrontation and focused on the independent defense of his realm. Castile, Granada, and the Marinids agreed to a peace treaty between the three kingdoms in 1350.
Early life
![Granada Spain Alhambra-Palacio-de-Comares-01](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e9/Granada_Spain_Alhambra-Palacio-de-Comares-01.jpg)
Abu al-Walid Ismail ibn Yusuf was born on 4 October 1339 (28 Rabi al-Awwal 740
AH). His father was Sultan Yusuf I and his mother was the Sultan's concubine Maryam. He was the second son of his father, born nine months after
Muhammad
Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد; 570 – 8 June 632 Common Era, CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Muhammad in Islam, Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet Divine inspiration, di ...
, the first son of another concubine, Buthayna. Ismail had at least three younger full siblings: his brother Qays and sisters Shams and Zaynab. Other than Muhammad, he had a half-sister Aisha, also a child of Buthayna. Maryam seems to have had more influence over the Sultan than Buthayna, and Ismail was also his favourite son. Yusuf's ''
hajib
A ''hajib'' or ''hadjib'' ( ar, الحاجب, al-ḥājib, to block, the prevent someone from entering somewhere; It is a word "hajb" meaning to cover, to hide. It means "the person who prevents a person from entering a place, the doorman". The ...
'' (chamberlain),
Abu Nu'aym Ridwan, was responsible for the education of Ismail and the other princes. Ismail learned some Greek from the Ridwan, who was a former Christian. The Nasrid dynasty did not have a predetermined order of succession; initially, Yusuf designated Ismail as his heir, but, a few days before his death, he named Muhammad instead.
Yusuf I was assassinated during prayer in the Great Mosque of Granada on
Eid al-Fitr
, nickname = Festival of Breaking the Fast, Lesser Eid, Sweet Eid, Sugar Feast
, observedby = Muslims
, type = Islamic
, longtype = Islamic
, significance = Commemoration to mark the end of fasting in Ramadan
, dat ...
, 19 October 1354. To Maryam's and Ismail's disappointment, the
vizier
A vizier (; ar, وزير, wazīr; fa, وزیر, vazīr), or wazir, is a high-ranking political advisor or minister in the near east. The Abbasid caliphs gave the title ''wazir'' to a minister formerly called ''katib'' (secretary), who was a ...
Ibn al-Khatib
Lisan ad-Din Ibn al-Khatib ( ar, لسان الدين ابن الخطيب, Lisān ad-Dīn Ibn al-Khaṭīb) (Born 16 November 1313, Loja– died 1374, Fes; full name in ar, محمد بن عبد الله بن سعيد بن عبد الله بن س ...
immediately declared Muhammad (now Muhammad V) as the next Sultan. Due to Muhammad's young age, the government and the army were controlled by Ridwan, who still held the guardianship of Muhammad, Ismail, and their siblings. Ismail, Maryam, and his full siblings lived in a palace assigned to them by Muhammad and located in the
Alhambra
The Alhambra (, ; ar, الْحَمْرَاء, Al-Ḥamrāʾ, , ) is a palace and fortress complex located in Granada, Andalusia, Spain. It is one of the most famous monuments of Islamic architecture and one of the best-preserved palaces of the ...
, the Nasrid royal compound, near the Sultan's own palace. Their movements were restricted but they lived comfortably and were treated with dignity and generosity.
Muhammad continued the policy of peace with all neighbours, and had good relations with both
Abu Salim of the Marinids (r. 1359–1361) and
Peter I Peter I may refer to:
Religious hierarchs
* Saint Peter (c. 1 AD – c. 64–88 AD), a.k.a. Simon Peter, Simeon, or Simon, apostle of Jesus
* Pope Peter I of Alexandria (died 311), revered as a saint
* Peter I of Armenia (died 1058), Catholico ...
of Castile. However, in 1358, he was embroiled in the
War of the Two Peters
The War of the Two Peters ( es, La Guerra de los Dos Pedros, ca, Guerra dels dos Peres) was fought from 1356 to 1375 between the kingdoms of Castile and Aragon. Its name refers to the rulers of the countries, Peter of Castile and Peter IV of ...
between Peter I and
Peter IV of Aragon
Peter IV, ; an, Pero, ; es, Pedro, . In Catalan, he may also be nicknamed ''el del punyalet'': "he of the little dagger". (Catalan: ''Pere IV''; 5 September 1319 – 6 January 1387), called the Ceremonious (Catalan: ''el Cerimoniós''), w ...
. Castile demanded Granada's financial and military contributions as its vassal. Muhammad's decision to enter the war angered many at court and was one factor that facilitated Ismail's rise to the throne.
Rule
![Emirate of Granada](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/34/Emirate_of_Granada.svg)
Ismail came to the throne on 23 August 1359 (28 Ramadan 760) in a coup masterminded and financed by his mother Maryam and supported by his father's cousin Abu Abdullah Muhammad—called ''el Bermejo'', "the Red-haired"—who was also his brother-in-law, as he had married one of his full sisters several years before. Under cover of the night in the holy month of
Ramadan
, type = islam
, longtype = Religious
, image = Ramadan montage.jpg
, caption=From top, left to right: A crescent moon over Sarıçam, Turkey, marking the beginning of the Islamic month of Ramadan. Ramadan Quran reading in Bandar Torkaman, Iran. ...
, one hundred men scaled the Alhambra's walls and overwhelmed the guards. They killed the ''hajib'' Ridwan, demolished his house, and took his rich possessions. Muhammad V happened to be outside the Alhambra, and fled to the eastern city of
Guadix
Guadix (; Local pronunciation: aˈðih is a city and municipality in southern Spain, in the province of Granada.
The city lies at an altitude of 913 metres, on the centre of the Hoya of Guadix, a high plain at the northern foothills of the Sie ...
after failing to retake the palace compound. The conspirators found Ismail in his assigned palace and declared him as the new Sultan. However, soon much actual power was held by his brother-in-law el Bermejo, who as high-ranking royalty was customarily titled ''al-rais'' (''arráez'').
Muhammad V's authority was recognised in Guadix, and he was supported by the commander of the
Volunteers of the Faith garrisoned there, Ali ibn Badr ibn Rahhu. However, the dethroned sultan failed to gain the loyalty of the eastern port of
Almería
Almería (, , ) is a city and municipality of Spain, located in Andalusia. It is the capital of the province of the same name. It lies on southeastern Iberia on the Mediterranean Sea. Caliph Abd al-Rahman III founded the city in 955. The city gr ...
or to secure help from his ally Peter I of Castile. He then left the
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula (),
**
* Aragonese and Occitan: ''Peninsula Iberica''
**
**
* french: Péninsule Ibérique
* mwl, Península Eibérica
* eu, Iberiar penintsula also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in southwestern Europe, defi ...
for North Africa after he was offered asylum by the
Marinid
The Marinid Sultanate was a Berber Muslim empire from the mid-13th to the 15th century which controlled present-day Morocco and, intermittently, other parts of North Africa (Algeria and Tunisia) and of the southern Iberian Peninsula (Spain) a ...
Sultan Abu Salim. He sailed from the western port of
Marbella
Marbella ( , , ) is a city and municipality in southern Spain, belonging to the province of Málaga in the autonomous community of Andalusia. It is part of the Costa del Sol and is the headquarters of the Association of Municipalities of the r ...
to
Ceuta
Ceuta (, , ; ar, سَبْتَة, Sabtah) is a Spanish autonomous city on the north coast of Africa.
Bordered by Morocco, it lies along the boundary between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. It is one of several Spanish territorie ...
, and thence to the Marinid capital of
Fez
Fez most often refers to:
* Fez (hat), a type of felt hat commonly worn in the Ottoman Empire
* Fez, Morocco (or Fes), the second largest city of Morocco
Fez or FEZ may also refer to:
Media
* ''Fez'' (Frank Stella), a 1964 painting by the moder ...
on either 28 October 1359 or 4 November 1359 along with his retinue, his vizier Ibn al-Khatib—whom Ismail agreed to release—and his ''
katib
A katib ( ar, كَاتِب, ''kātib'') is a writer, scribe, or secretary in the Arabic-speaking world, Persian World, and other Islamic areas as far as India. In North Africa, the local pronunciation of the term also causes it to be written ketib ...
'' (secretary)
Ibn Zamrak
Ibn Zamrak () (also Zumruk) or Abu Abduallah Muhammad ibn Yusuf ibn Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Yusuf al-Surayhi, (1333–1393) was an Arab Andalusian poet and statesman from Granada, Al-Andalus. Some his poems still decorate the foun ...
.
Ismail replaced many of the Granadan high officials known or suspected to be loyal to his predecessor. He appointed Ibn al-Hasan al-Nubahi as the chief judge (''qadi al-jama'a''), replacing
Ibn Juzayy
Abu al-Qasim, Muhammad b. Ahmad b. Muhammad b. 'Abd Allah, Ibn Juzayy al-Kalbi al-Gharnati () was an Andalusian Maliki-Ash'ari scholar and poet of Arab origin.
Works
He wrote many religious works such as his ''al-Qawanin al-Fiqhiyyah'' or "T ...
, one of the most celebrated men in the city, whom Ismail suspected of supporting Muhammad V. Ismail appointed Idris ibn Uthman ibn al-Ula as the Chief of the Volunteers in Granada. His predecessor, Yahya ibn Umar ibn Rahhu, remained loyal to Muhammad V and fled to Castile, along with 200 of his cavalry. Yahya was given asylum in Cordoba until he joined the Sultan-in-exile in 1361.
Downfall
With a civil war averted, Ismail renewed his predecessor's alliance with Castile against Aragon. In response, Peter IV of Aragon sent Granadan knights in his service to Granada in an attempt to destabilise Ismail's reign. Ibn al-Khatib, one of the main historical sources on Granada in this period, wrote in his ''al-Lamha al-Badriyya'' that Ismail—whom he nicknamed al-Mutawattib ("the Usurper")—was a weak, lazy, and effeminate ruler, who braided his hair with silk to below his waist and lacked any personal quality. Historian
L. P. Harvey
Leonard Patrick Harvey (often credited L. P. Harvey, 25 February 1929-4 August 2018) held lectureships in Spanish at Oxford University (1956–58), Southampton (1958–60), and Queen Mary College, London (1960–63), was Head of the Spanish Depar ...
commented that this negative portrayal might have been biased by Ibn al-Khatib's allegiance to Muhammad V. In any event, el Bermejo increasingly held the real power, to the extent that Ismail began to oppose his brother-in-law.
![Grenade Albaicin Mirador san Nicolas](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/45/Grenade_Albaicin_Mirador_san_Nicolas.JPG)
Before Ismail could act, el Bermejo mounted a second coup, which resulted in his own accession and the dethronement of Ismail, either on 24 June 1360 (8 Shaban 761) or the night of 13 July (27 Shaban). Ismail was surrounded by el Bermejo's men and barricaded himself in a tower overlooking the capital, likely one of the towers in the
Alcazaba
A kasbah (, also ; ar, قَـصَـبَـة, qaṣaba, lit=fortress, , Maghrebi Arabic: ), also spelled qasba, qasaba, or casbah, is a fortress, most commonly the citadel or fortified quarter of a city. It is also equivalent to the term ''alca ...
of the Alhambra. Forced to surrender, he offered to live in seclusion, but el Bermejo took him to a dungeon, where he was executed. Next, el Bermejo found Ismail's brother Qays, who was still a child, and executed him, too. Both their bodies were dumped in public covered only with rags. Ismail's ministers were also executed. According to historian
Francisco Vidal Castro
Francisco is the Spanish and Portuguese form of the masculine given name ''Franciscus''.
Nicknames
In Spanish, people with the name Francisco are sometimes nicknamed "Paco (name), Paco". Francis of Assisi, San Francisco de Asís was known as '' ...
, el Bermejo's actions were motivated by fear that either royal could be used in a future court intrigue against him, as Ismail had been used to dethrone Muhammad V. Thus, el Bermejo took the throne as Muhammad VI. The next day, the bodies of Ismail and Qays were recovered and they were buried in the ''rawda'' (royal cemetery) of the Alhambra, next to their father Yusuf I.
Aftermath
The reign of Muhammad VI (el Bermejo) did not last long: Muhammad V returned from North Africa on August 1361, set up a rival government in Ronda, and deposed his brother-in-law in March 1362. Muhammad VI threw himself at the mercy of Peter I, an ally of Muhammad V. Peter refused to give asylum to the dethroned Sultan and instead personally executed him in Seville on 25 April 1362. Muhammad V went on to rule until his natural death on 16 January 1391. His relatively long reign is considered one of the highest points of the Nasrid dynasty, together with the reign of Yusuf I before him.
References
Citations
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{{Sultans of Granada
Sultans of Granada
14th-century monarchs in Europe
1338 births
1360 deaths
14th century in Al-Andalus
14th-century Al-Andalus people
14th-century Arabs