Granada War By: Ta'yanna Harvey

1. Sultan Muhammad granada

2. Granada was enclosed between unfriendly Christian nations and was constantly at risk for being exterminates. This continued into 1469 when Ferdinand and Isabella married uniting the two most powerful, Christian Kingdoms (Aragon and Castile)

2.1. With these two in charge, the Christians had one goal, to remove the Muslims all together

3. Despite having a weaker army, they put up a good fight.

3.1. During the war, the Christians were able to stay unified, as opposed to the Muslims that Experienced huge political upheaval. Many of them were at odds and sometimes even worked with the Christian secretly in exchange fore wealth and power. Granada even suffered from rebellions ,i.e. in 1483, one year into the war, the sultan’s son, Muhammad, rebelled against his father and sparked a civil war in Granada, just as Spanish forces began to attack from outside.

4. The Spanish was able to use this division against them in their favor, to help them win the war. He used the father son rebellion to his advantage and claimed to support Muhammad in his rebellion.

4.1. Right after sticking his rule over Granada, Muhammad was sent a letter by King Ferdinand that demanded he immediately surrender the city. Muhammad was very surprised by this demand as Ferdinand had given him the impression that he would be allowed to rule over Granada with Ferdinand’s support. Clearly, Muhammad realized too late that he had been just a pawn used by Ferdinand to weaken Granada.

4.1.1. Muhammad XII confronting Isabella and Ferdinand

5. Muhammad decided to resist the Christians militarily and sought help from other Muslim kingdoms throughout North Africa and the Middle East. No help came besides a small Ottoman navy that raided the Spanish coast and did not cause much damage. By the end of 1491, the city of Granada was surrounded by Ferdinand and Isabella’s army. From the towers of his palace, Alhambra, Muhammad could see the huge Christian armies assembling and preparing to conquer the city. With this depressing future in sight, Muhammad was forced to sign a treaty which gave over control of the city in November 1491.

5.1. Although the victorious Christians promised religious freedom and generally favorable terms to the people of Granada, these promises were soon broken. In 1502, Islam was officially outlawed in Granada and hundreds of thousands of Muslims had to either immigrate to North Africa or hide their beliefs. By the early 1600s, not a single Muslim was left in all of Spain.

6. In 711 Islam made its way into the Iberian Peninsula and within 7 years, the area ended the rule of King Roderick and controlled most of the Iberian Peninsula (Which is modern day Spain and Portugal)

6.1. By the Mid 900s Muslims mad up over 80% of the population. A strong Umayyad Caliphate ruled the land and became the most advanced and stable societies in the Muslim world and EUrope, but this golden Age wouldn't last forever.

7. In the 100s the Caliphate broke up and divided in small states, or taifas. The Muslim taifas were invaded by northern Christian Kingdoms and by 1240, only one kingdom remained, Granada

7.1. Maps of Taifas

8. After escaping conquest, Granada was able to sign a special agreement with the kingdom of Castile in 1236 as a tributary state to Castile, one of the most powerful kingdoms. (Being a trubutary state they paid a yearly sum to avoid invasion)

8.1. With this, the Muslims paid to strengthen their enemies, and for 250 years, this continued