Nasrids: 13th to 15th centuries
On the northern borders of present-day Granada province numerous battles for property and land took place from the beginning of the 13th century as Christian armies fought to wrest control of the Iberian Peninsula from the Moors. But it was the battle at Las Navas de Tolosa in 1212 that became one of the turning points in the Christian reconquista. Alfonso VIII and his troops had sneaked through the Despeñaperros Pass in the rugged Sierra Morena and taken the Moors by surprise. The Almohads suffered fatalities of some 100,000 men, the Christians 2,000 only. This marked the end of the Almohad era and left the way clear for the next, and longest lasting, Muslim dynasty in Al-Andalús – the Nasrids who and ruled as a vassal state for the next 250 years.
Fernando III who had already become King of Castile back in 1217 became King of León in 1230. In the Guadalquivir Valley, where Islamic rule was in disarray following the decline of the Almohads he led the most extensive campaign of territorial expansion southwards to date, conquering Córdoba in 1236. At some point the Nasrids in Al-Andaluz allied themselves with Fernando III, probably around the time of his accession to the Castilian throne. It was a strategic move born out of necessity and a desire to survive in a rapidly changing political landscape. The exact terms of the alliance are not fully documented, but it is believed that the Nasrid agreed to pay tribute to Castile and to recognize Castilian sovereignty over certain territories. In return, Castile promised to protect the Nasrid kingdom from external threats.
The leader of the Nasrid kingdom was Al-Ahmar ibn Nasr who was was took power of his native Arjona in 1231 after rebelling against the defacto leader of al-Andalus; Ibn Hud (of the Banu Hud dynasty that ruled the Taifa of Zaragosa) briefly took control of Cordoba and Seville but was pushed back and agreed to Ibn Hud's supremacy and retaining Jaén and Guadix.
Al-Ahmar ibn Nasr's clan was known as the Banu Nasr and was descended from a prominent companion of the Islamic prophet Muhammad known as Sa'd ibn Ubadah whose descendants left Medina and migrated to Spain settling in Arjona as farmers. (Source: Harvey, Leonard Patrick (1992). Islamic Spain 1250 to 1500 and Hitti, Philip K. (2002). History of The Arabs.)
In 1236 Al-Ahmar ibn Nasr's betrayed Ibn Hud by helping Fernando III take Cordoba. He was then able to gain control of the area to the south, including Granada (1237), Almeria (1238) and Málaga (1239), but in 1244 he lost Arjona to Castile. In 1246 he surrendered Jaén and accepted Christian rule in exchange for a 20-year truce, during which he consolidated his territory. In 1266 he turned against Castile and supported unsuccessful rebellions in Christian-controlled areas. The outcome of this was never resolved when in 1273, aged 73, Al-Ahmar ibn Nasr fell from his horse and died.
In the end the Nasrids aligned themselves with Fernando III of Castile and ruled as a vassal state based in for the next 250 years. In this way the Mediterranean coast of today's Andalucía remained under Moorish occupation for the next 250 years. This region approximately comprised the present-day Almeria, Granada and Malaga provinces. Muslims fled to the Taifa of Granada (essentially a Muslim principality) after their towns and cities were recaptured by Christian forces.
Under his son, Muhammad II of Granada, trade links with the rest of the Muslim world were strengthened. This was particularly true of the gold trade with sub-Saharan Africa, and the Nasrids also provided mercenary troops for Castile. But they are best known for the elegance and splendour of their architecture, including Granada's complex network of fountains, wells and baths, unique in Europe, to supply the many great hammans, or public baths, which were an integral part of their culture.
During the Nasrid dynasty ruling over the Taifa of Granada the centre of power was the city of Granada. Their style was highly decorative. They covered walls and floors with an abundance of beautifully designed ceramic tiles, used stucco or elaborately carved plaster, and painted artistic decorations on many surfaces. Their usual ornamental motifs were geometric, or in the form of plants, and they also included scriptures from the Koran. Although the Nasrids continued to follow the architectural models of their Almohad predecessors, they introduced the innovative use of marble in many of their more important buildings.
The pièce de resistance of Granada is the Alhambra, considered the epitome of Nasrid architecture. Originally a complete government town built for the Moorish rulers, it included mosques and mansions, schools and army barracks, as well as large areas of formal gardens such as the incomparable Generalife. The Alcazaba, or fortress, and the Nasrid palaces, where Arabic inscriptions feature prominently and decorative ceramics abound, remain intact almost 700 years later as testimony to their constructive artistry. Many of Granada's Moorish buildings were destroyed or rebuilt during the subsequent Christian era, but those that remain form the most complete group of Muslim domestic architecture in Europe.
What is the Nasrid's greatest legacy?
The Alhambra and Generalife Gardens in Granada.
Principal Dynasties, invasions, Battles and rulers Moorish history of present day Andalucia:
Tariq’s Invasion 712
Battle of Guadalete 712
Umayyads 756 - 1031
Almoravids and Almohads 1085 - 1212
Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa 1212
Nasrids 1232 - 1492
Boabdil 1482 - 1492
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