Muhammad I of Granada

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Muhammad ibn Yusuf ibn Nasr, (11951273), also known

as Muammad ibn al-Amar (Arabic: ) Muhammad I
was the first ruler of the Emirate of Granada, the last
independent Muslim state on the Iberian Peninsula, and the
founder of its ruling Nasrid dynasty. He lived during a time
when Iberia's Christian kingdomsespecially Portugal,
Castile and Aragonwere expanding at the expense of the
Islamic territory in Iberia called Al-Andalus. Ibn al-Ahmar
took power in his native Arjona in 1232 when he rebelled
against the leader of Al-Andalus, Ibn Hud. During this
rebellion, Ibn al-Ahmar was only able to take control of
Crdoba and Seville briefly, before he lost both cities to Ibn
Hud. Forced to acknowledge Ibn Hud's suzerainty, Ibn al-
Ahmar was able to retain Arjona and Jan. In 1236, he
betrayed Ibn Hud by helping Ferdinand III of Castile take
Crdoba. In the years that followed, Ibn al-Ahmar was able
to gain control over the southern cities, including Granada
(1237), Almera (1238) and Malaga (1239). The emirate that
Ibn al-Ahmar established during the period was to be Spain's Muhammad I embracing his Castilian ally during a
last Muslim state. In 1244, he lost Arjona to Castile. Two siege of a castle. Contemporary depiction from
years later, in 1246, he agreed to surrender Jan and accept Cantigas de Santa Maria.
Ferdinand's overlordship in exchange for a twenty-year Sultan of Granada
peace.
Reign 1232 (as ruler of Arjona) 1273
In the 18 years that followed Ibn al-Ahmar consolidated his Successor Muhammad II
domain by maintaining relatively peaceful relations with the
Crown of Castile; in 1248 he even helped the Christian Born Muhammad ibn Yusuf
kingdom take Seville from the Muslims. In 1264, however, 1195
he turned against Castile and assisted the unsuccessful Died 22 January 1273
rebellion of Castile's newly conquered Muslim subjects. In
Granada
1266 his allies in Mlaga, the Banu Ashqilula, rebelled
against the Emirate. When his former allies sought assistance Issue Muhammad II; others
from Alfonso X of Castile, Ibn al-Ahmar was able to House Nasrid dynasty
convince the leader of the Castilian troops, Nuo Gonzlez
de Lara, to turn against Alfonso. By 1272 Nuo Gonzlez Religion Islam
was actively fighting Castile. The Emirate's conflict with
Castille and Banu Ashqilula was still unresolved in 1273, when Ibn al-Ahmar died after falling off his horse.
He was succeeded by his son, Muhammad II.

Contents
1 Origin and early life
2 Rise to power
3 Ruler of Granada
3.1 Initial conflict with Castile
3.2 Peace
3.3 Revolt of the Mudjars
3.4 Conflict with Banu Ashqilula
4 Succession
 5 References
5.1 Citations
5.2 Bibliography

Origin and early life

Muhammad ibn Yusuf was born in 1195 in the town of Arjona, now in
Spain's Province of Jan.[1] According to Castilian sources, he came
from humble background and initially had "no other occupation than
following the oxen and the plough". According to later Granadan
historian and vizier Ibn al-Khatib, his family was descended from a
prominent companion of the Islamic prophet Muhammad known as Sa'd
ibn Ubadah of the Banu Khazraj tribe; Ubadah's descendants migrated
to Spain and settled in Arjona as farmers.[2] Muhammad was also
known as Ibn al-Ahmar.[3]
Arjona, today in the Province of Jan,
Spain, Muhammad I's hometown and
Rise to power where he first established his rule.

Before Ibn al-Ahmar's rise to prominence, Ibn Hud was the de facto
ruler of Al-Andalus. Ibn Hud had revolted against the Almohads and proclaimed the authority of the Abbasid
caliphate. Despite his popularity and his success in Al-Andalus, Ibn Hud had suffered defeats against the
Christians, including at Alanje in 1230 and at Jerez in 1231.[4] These defeats eroded Ibn Hud's authority; on
April 18, 1232 a mosque assembly in Arjona decided to declare independence. The assembly sided with Ibn al-
Ahmar, who was known for his piety and his martial reputation in the war against the Christians. Ibn al-Ahmar
also had the support of his clan, the Banu Nasr (also known as Banu al-Ahmar)[5] and an allied Arjonan clan
known as the Banu Ashqilula.[6][7][3]

In that same year, Ibn al-Ahmar took Janan important city close to Arjona. With help from Ibn Hud's rivals,
the Banu al-Mawl, Ibn al-Ahmar briefly seized control of the former caliphal seat of Crdoba. He also took
Seville in 1234 with help from the Banu al-Bajji family, but he was only able to hold it for one month. Both
Crdoba and Seville, unsatisfied by Ibn al-Ahmar's ruling style, returned to Ibn Hud's rule shortly after being
taken by the Nasrids. After these failures, Ibn al-Ahmar once again declared his allegiance to Ibn Hud and kept
his rule over Arjona, Jan and Porcuna.[8][9]

Ibn al-Ahmar turned against Ibn Hud again in 1236. He helped Ferdinand III of Castile take Crdoba and end
centuries of Muslim rule in the city. In the following years, Ibn al-Ahmar took control of important cities in the
south: in 1237 he took Granada, Almera in 1238 and Malaga in 1239. He did not take these cities by force, but
through political maneuvering and the consent of the inhabitants.[10][9]

Ruler of Granada
Initial conflict with Castile

By the end of the 1230s, Ibn al-Ahmar had become the most powerful Muslim ruler in Iberia. He controlled the
major cities of the south, including Granada, Almera, Malaga and Jan. In early 1240s, Ibn al-Ahmar came
into conflict with his former allies, the Castilians, who were invading Muslim territories. Contemporary sources
disagree about the cause of this hostility: The Christian First General Chronicle blamed it on Muslim raiding,
while Muslim historian Ibn Khaldun blamed it on Christian invasions of Muslim territories. In 1242, Muslim
forces successfully raided Andjar and Martos near Jan. In 1244, Castile besieged and captured Ibn al-
Ahmar's homeland of Arjona.[10]
In 1245, Ferdinand III of Castile then proceeded to besiege the heavily fortified
Jan. Ferdinand did not want to risk assaulting the city, so his tactic was to cut it
off from the rest of the Muslim territory and starve it into submission. Ibn al-
Ahmar tried to send supplies to the important city, but these efforts were
thwarted by the besiegers. Due to the difficulty Ibn al-Ahmar encountered in his
attempts to defend and relieve Jan, he agreed to terms with Ferdinand. In
exchange for a twenty-year peace, Ibn al-Ahmar surrendered the city and agreed
to pay Ferdinand an annual tribute of 150,000 maravedies.[11] This agreement
was made in March 1246, seven month into the siege of Jan. The Castilians
then entered the city and expelled its Muslim inhabitants.[12][13]

Peace

The peace agreement with Castile largely held for almost twenty years. In 1248, Ferdinand III of Castile (r.
Ibn al-Ahmar demonstrated his commitment to Ferdinand by sending a 1217 1252), Ibn al-Ahmar's
contingent to help the Castilian conquest of the Muslim-held Seville. In 1252, contemporary, and at
Ferdinand III died and was succeeded by Alfonso X, who was more interested different times his enemy, his
other enterprisesincluding a series of unsuccessful campaigns in Muslim ally and his overlord.
North Africarather than renewing conflict with Granada. Ibn al-Ahmar used
the ensuing peace to consolidate his new emirate. Though small in size, the
Emirate of Granada was relatively wealthy and densely populated. Its economy was focused on agriculture,
especially silk and dried fruit; it traded with Italy and Northern Europe. Islamic literature, art and architecture
continued to flourish. The mountains and desert that separate the kingdom from Castile provided natural
defenses, but its western ports and the northwestern route to Granada were less defensible.[14][15]

During his rulership, Ibn al-Ahmar placed loyal men in castles and cities.[16] His brother Isma'il was governor
of Mlaga until 1257.[16] Following Isma'il's death in 1257, Ibn al-Ahmar appointed his nephew, Abu
Muhammad ibn Ashqilula, as governor of Mlaga.[16]

Revolt of the Mudjars

The relative peace was broken in 1264 when Muslims in the territories recently conquered by Castile and
Aragon ("Mudjars") rebelled, with support from Ibn al-Ahmar I as well as volunteers from North Africa who
crossed over through Ibn al-Ahmar's territories. Initially the rebellion went well: Murcia, Jerez, Utrera, Lebrija,
Arcos and Medina Sidonia were taken into Muslim control. However, counter-attacks by James I of Aragon
and Alfonso X retook these territories, and Alfonso even invaded Granada's territory in 1265. Ibn al-Ahmar
soon sued for peace, and the resulting settlement was devastating for the rebelling Muslims: Muslims of
Andalusia suffered mass expulsions and their home towns settled by the Christians.[17][18]

Conflict with Banu Ashqilula

Banu Ashqilula was a clan wholike the Nasridswere also from Arjona. They had been the Nasrids' most
important allies during their rise to power. They supported Ibn al-Ahmar's appointment as leader of Arjona in
1232, and helped with acquisition of cities like Seville and Granada. Both families were intermarried and Ibn
al-Ahmar appointed members of the Ashqilula as governors in his territories. The Ashqilula's center of power
was in Malaga, where Ibn al-Ahmar's nephew Abu Muhammad ibn Ashqilula was governor. Their military
strength was the backbone of Granada's power.[19]

By 1266, however, Malaga and the ruling Ashqilula clan were in rebellion against Granada.[20][21] Sources are
scarce about the beginning of the rebellion and historians disagree about the cause of the rift between the two
families. Rachel Ari suggested that contributing factors may have been the 1257 declaration of Ibn al-Ahmar's
son as heir and his 1266 decision to marry one of his daughters to a Nasrid cousin instead of to one of Banu
Ashqilula. According to Ari, these decisions alarmed the Banu Ashqilula because Ibn al-Ahmar had
previously promised to share power with them and these decisions excluded them from the the Nasrid dynasty's
inner circle. In contrast, Mara Jess Rubiera Mata rejected these explanations; she argued that Banu Ashqilula
were worried about Ibn al-Ahmar's decision to invite North African forces during the 1246 Revolt of the
Mudjars because the new military power threatened Banu Ashqilula's position as the strongest military power
in the Emirate.[22]

Ibn al-Ahmar besieged Malaga but failed to overpower the Ashqilula military strength. The Banu Ashqilula
sought assistance from Alfonso X of Castile, who was happy to support the rebellion because it undermined Ibn
al-Ahmar's authority. Alfonso X sent 1,000 soldiers under Nuo Gonzlez de Lara and Ibn al-Ahmar was
forced to break the siege of Malaga. At a disadvantage, Ibn al-Ahmar entered into negotiations with Alfonso X.
In the resulting agreement of Alcal de Benzaide, Ibn al-Ahmar renounced his claims over Jerez and Murcia
territories not under his controland promised to pay an annual tribute of 2,500,000 maravedies. In exchange,
Alfonso abandoned his alliance with the Banu Ashqilula and acknowledged Ibn al-Ahmar's authority over
them.[21]

Alfonso X was reluctant to enforce the last point and did not move against the Banu Ashqilula. Ibn al-Ahmar
countered by convincing Nuo Gonzlez, the commander of the Castilian forces sent to support Banu
Ashqilula, to rebel against Alfonso X. Nuo Gonzlez, who had grievances against his king, agreed; in 1272 he
and his Castilian noble allies began operations against Castile from Granada. Ibn al-Ahmar had successfully
deprived Castile of Nuo Gonzlez's forces and gained allies in his conflict against the Banu Ashqilula. The
Banu Ashqilula agreed to negotiate under the mediation of Al-Tahurti from Morocco. Before these efforts bore
fruit, Ibn al-Ahmar suffered fatal injuries after falling from a horse in 22 January 1273.[23][20] He was
succeeded by his son Muhammad II.[11]

Succession
By the time of his death, Ibn al-Ahmar had already secured the succession for his son Muhammad, known by
the epithet al-Faqih (the canon-lawyer). On his deathbed, Ibn al-Ahmar advised his heir to seek protection from
the Marinid dynasty against the Christian kingdoms.[11] The son, now Muhammad II, was already 38 years old
and experienced in the matters of state and war. He was able to continue Ibn al-Ahmar's policies and would rule
until his death in 1302.[24][20]

References
Citations
1. Vidal Castro 2000, p. 798.
2. Harvey 1992, pp. 2829.
3. Kennedy 2014, p. 274.
4. Kennedy 2014, pp. 265268.
5. Harvey 1992, p. 21.
6. Harvey 1992, pp. 2021.
7. Kennedy 2014, p. 267.
8. Harvey 1992, p. 22.
9. Kennedy 2014, pp. 275276.
10. Harvey 1992, pp. 2223.
11. Miranda 1970, p. 429.
12. Harvey 1992, pp. 2324.
13. Kennedy 2014, p. 276.
14. Kennedy 2014, p. 277278.
15. Harvey 1992, p. 25.
16. Fernndez-Puertas 1997, p. 1.
17. Kennedy 2014, p. 278279.
18. Harvey 1992, pp. 5354.
 19. Harvey 1992, pp. 3133.
20. Kennedy 2014, p. 279.
21. Harvey 1992, p. 38.
22. Harvey 1992, p. 33.
23. Harvey 1992, p. 3839.
24. Harvey 1992, p. 39.

Bibliography
Fernndez-Puertas, Antonio (April 1997). "The Three Great Sultans of al-Dawla al-Ism'liyya al-
Nariyya Who Built the Fourteenth-Century Alhambra: Ism'l I, Ysuf I, Muammad V (713-
793/1314-1391)". Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society. Third Series. Vol. 7 (No. 1). JSTOR 25183293.
Harvey, L. P. (1992). "The Rise of Banu'l-Ahmar". Islamic Spain, 1250 to 1500. Chicago: University of
Chicago Press. ISBN 978-0-226-31962-9.
Kennedy, Hugh (2014-06-11). Muslim Spain and Portugal: A Political History of Al-Andalus. Routledge.
ISBN 978-1-317-87041-8.
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.
Montgomery Watt, W. (1965). "The Last of Islamic Spain 1. The Nasrids of Granada". A History of
Islamic Spain. Edinburgh University Press.
Vidal Castro, Francisco (2000). "Frontera, genealoga y religin en la gestacin y nacimiento del Reino
Nazar de Granada: En torno a Ibn al-Amar" (PDF) . III Estudios de Frontera: Convivencia, defensa y
comunicacin en la Frontera (in Spanish). pp. 794810.
This article incorporates text from The University of Adelaide Library Electronic Texts Collection.

Muhammad I of Granada
Nasrid dynasty
Cadet branch of the Banu Khazraj
Born: 1191 Died: 22 January 1273

Regnal titles
Sultan of Granada Succeeded by
New title
12321273 Muhammed II al-Faqih

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Categories: Sultans of Granada 13th-century monarchs in Europe 1195 births 1273 deaths

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