Stories from Islamic History (10 page)

In 897 AH (1492 CE) Ferdinand set out for the
end game. His nobles however did not share his exuberance, for they
knew Fort Granada was very difficult to take and could be subdued
only with great loss of life and expenditure.

As Ferdinand’s troops reached the broad and
fertile vega (plain) surrounding Granada, he gave the order
“Destroy it”.

It was a cold-blooded and cruel strategy
adopted by the Spanish monarch. The region, marvelously productive
in grain and fruits and rich in cattle and sheep was thoroughly
destroyed. The Moors gave stiff resistance, but the Spaniards
persisted day after day until at last the fruitful paradise became
a hopeless desert. They then marched away, leaving the citizens to
a winter of despair.

The winter of desolation gave way to bright
summer, and crops grew again.

Ferdinand came again, camped near the city
and employing the same tactics destroyed what little verdure
remained near the city walls.

The crowded city held out desperately while
the summer passed and autumn moved on to winter's verge, and then,
with famine stalking through their streets and invading their
homes, only one resource remained to the citizens—surrender.

On 4 Safar 898 AH (25 November, 1492 CE)
articles of capitulation were signed. The Moors of Granada become
subjects of the Spanish monarch, but retained all their
possessions, were to be governed by their own laws, and had freedom
to practice their religion. Boabdil secured all his rich estates
and the patrimony of the crown in addition thirty thousand gold
coins. Excellent terms, one would say, in view of the fact that
Granada was at the mercy of Ferdinand, and might soon have been
obliged to surrender unconditionally.

After handing over the keys of the city,
Boabdil and his retinue reached a summit two leagues distant which
commanded the last view of Granada. Here they paused for a look of
farewell at the beautiful and beloved city, whose towers and
minarets gleamed brightly before them in the sunshine. While they
still gazed a peal of artillery, faint with distance, told them
that the city was taken possession of and was lost to the Moorish
kings forever. Boabdil could no longer contain himself.

"Allahu Akbar! God is great!" he murmured,
tears accompanying his words of resignation. His mother, a woman of
intrepid soul, was indignant at this display of weakness. "You do
well," she cried, "to weep like a woman for what you failed to
defend like a man."

Others strove to console the king, but his
tears were not to be restrained. "Allahu Akbar!" he exclaimed
again; "When did misfortunes ever equal mine?" The hill where this
took place afterwards became known as “Feg Allah Achbar;” but the
point of view where Boabdil obtained the last prospect of Granada
is called by the Spaniards "El ultimo suspiro del Moro," or "The
last sigh of the Moor."

***

There was no treaty with the Jews. On 11
Jumadhul Akhir 898 AH (30 March 1492 CE) Ferdinand and Isabella
decreed at Granada that all non-baptized Jews, without regard to
sex, age or condition, should leave Spain before the end of next
July, and never return under penalty of death and confiscation of
property. Every Spaniard was forbidden to give aid in any form to a
Jew after the date. The Jews might sell their property and carry
the proceeds with them in bills of exchange or merchandise, but not
in gold or silver.

At a tyrant's word they were to go forth as
exiles from the land in which they and their forefathers had dwelt
with peace and honor for eight centuries, break all old ties of
habit and association, and be cast out helpless and defenseless,
marked with a brand of infamy.

Under the unjust terms of the edict they were
forced to abandon most of the property which they had spent their
lives gaining. It was a hopeless situation. With the marketplace
glutted with property of the Jews, a house was exchanged for an ass
and a vineyard for a suit of clothes.

***

Eight years is sufficient time for promises
to be forgotten – so says Cardinal Ximenes who, in 905 AH (1500 CE)
began to blatantly violate the terms of capitulation of Granada. A
series of edicts were issued against the Moors. They were forbidden
to employ African slaves, forbidden to possess arms except under
license, forbidden to use the Arabic language or wear the Moorish
dress, and even forbidden to bathe themselves except under direct
supervision of Spanish maids! Women were required to go about with
faces unveiled, weddings were to be conducted in public following
the Christian rites, all Muslims prayers were made illegal, and on
Fridays, they were to keep the doors of their houses open so that
Spanish soldiers could enter any house at will to check if any
subterfuge (read prayers) were going on!

The severity drove people to insurrection.
This was suppressed and punishment began. All the people of Granada
were marked to be condemned as guilty, and in mortal dread many of
them made peace by embracing Christianity, while others sold their
estates and migrated to Barbary. The name ‘Moors,’ which had
superseded that of Arabs, changed to ‘Moriscos,’ by which these
unfortunate people were afterwards known.

But a million Muslims still remained
elsewhere in Spain. They too were encouraged to join the
“mainstream” and most of them promptly did. Many still managed to
stay put in Granada remaining Muslims in heart and outwardly
professing Christianity. The few true Muslims who remained fled to
the mountains and started their
jihad
.

The rebellion started in Granada, but
attempts to regain the city failed. The leader of rebellion, a
descent from the Umayyad line – Ibn Humeya, known in Castle as Don
Fernando de Valor was under hot pursuit. He cut the hamstrings of
the animal to render it useless to his pursuers, and sought refuge
in the depths of the Sierra Nevada, where the rebels henceforth
based themselves.

Ferdinand deployed Don John of Austria, the
victor at Lepanto, but he had a difficult task, for the opposition
he encountered here were those pushed to the wall - it was all or
nothing for them now. Very soon the rebels established their
autonomous principality in the mountains, making frequent raids to
Granada.

The life in this word is but goods and
chattels of deception – mainly women, wine and wealth, and people
attracted to such vices were many among those in the hills. One
fine night, one of them led a Spanish expedition straight into a
house in the skirts of the sierras, where Ibn Humeya and two of his
most trusted companions were asleep.

The Spanish captain led his men with the
greatest secrecy towards the house, and in a minute more the house
would be surrounded and its inmates secured; but at this critical
moment the gun of one of the Spaniards accidentally discharged, the
report echoing loudly among the hills, warning the lightly sleeping
inmates.

El Zagal was one of those asleep. He at once
sprang up, leaped from the window of his room and made way with all
haste to the mountains. His nephew was not so fortunate. Running to
his window, in the front of the house, he saw the ground occupied
by troops. He hastily sought another window, but his foes were
there before him. Bewildered and distressed, he knew not where to
turn. The house was surrounded; the Spaniards were thundering on
the door for admittance; he was like a wolf caught in its lair,
with little mercy to hope from his captors.

By good fortune the door was well secured.
Hastening downstairs, the prince stood behind the portal and
noiselessly drew its bolts. The Spaniards, finding the door give
way, and supposing it had yielded to their blows, hastily rushed
in. The prince slipped out concealed by the darkness outside. He
hastened away, seeking refuge in the mountains.

The third inmate was not lucky. He remained
in the hands of the assailants, who vainly questioned him as to the
haunts of his kinsmen. On his refusal to answer they employed
torture, but with no better effect. "I may die," he courageously
said, "but my friends will live." He then quoted the
ayah
of
Sura Al Imran: “Those who have left their homes, or been driven out
there from – Verily I will blot out from them all their iniquities,
and admit them to gardens, with rivers flowing beneath, A reward
from the presence of Allah, and from his presence is the best of
rewards!”

So severe and cruel was their treatment, that
in the end they left him for dead. Aben Aboo, however did not die.
He lived on to play a leading part in the war.

The Spanish soldiers raged through the
mountains, committing the foulest acts of outrage and rape. In
Granada a large number of Moors - men, women and children had been
imprisoned, held as hostage for the good behavior of their friends
in the mountains. One fine night a body of Spaniards entered the
prison, arms in hand, and began an indiscriminate massacre. The
prisoners fought desperately for their lives, and for two hours the
unequal combat continued, not ending while a single Moor remained
alive.

Hitherto the rebellion was by and large
peaceful. Ibn Humeya was reconciled to them leading their own life
in the mountains. Now, he started taking terrible reprisals by
treating with atrocious cruelty the Spaniards captured by him.

From Barbary a considerable body of Moors who
had earlier fled Spain crossed over to help Ibn Humeya carry on
guerilla warfare. They made forays from the mountains into the
plains, penetrating into the Vega and boldly venturing even into
the walls of Granada.

The Moors could have taken back Granada had
they continued in the same spirit. However Ibn Humeya started
displaying traits of character which lost him support. He started
leading a voluptuous life and struck down without mercy those whom
he feared, no less than three hundred and fifty persons falling
victims to his jealousy or revenge. His cruelty and injustice at
length led to a plot for his death, and his brief reign ended in
assassination.

Aben Aboo, had by now fully recovered from
his injuries, and the mantle of leadership fell on him. He lacked
the dash and love of adventure of Ibn Humeya, but had superior
judgment in military affairs and full courage in carrying out his
plans.

Aben Aboo started off by importing a large
quantity of arms and ammunition from Barbary and reinforcements
from Algiers. Orgiba, a fortified place on the road to Granada was
besieged and this soon fell to him.

The capture of Orgiba roused the enthusiasm
of the Moors to the highest pitch, and from all sides the
peasantry, even Christians flocked to the standard of their able
chief, and the war began resembling that of the century before,
when the forces of Ferdinand and Isabella invaded Granada. From
peak to peak of the sierras beacon-fires flashed their signals,
calling the bold mountaineers to forays on the lands of the enemy.
Pouring suddenly down on the lower levels, the daring marauders
swept away in triumph to the mountains the flocks and herds of
their foes. The fortunes of war fluctuated, and for a brief period
Aben Aboo even managed to wrest back Granada.

Like this, life went on for many years, until
one day, one of the few insurgent prisoners who escaped death from
their Spanish executioners named the two persons on whom Aben Aboo
most relied - Abu Amer and El Senix. The Spaniards first made an
effort to win over Abu Amer. On hearing of this, Abu Amer however
rose to intense indignation. El Senix, however had a private grudge
against his master. He sent word by the messenger that he would
undertake, for a suitable recompense, to betray Aben Aboo to the
Spaniards.

An interview soon after took place between El
Senix and Barredo, the Spanish agent, some intimation of which came
to the ears of Aben Aboo. The king reached the cavern where El
Senix was based, and entered alone, to confront his trusted deputy.
He found El Senix surrounded by several friends, and sternly
demanded the purpose of his interview with Barredo. Senix, confused
by the accusation, faltered out that he only sought an amnesty for
him. Aben Aboo listened with a face of scorn, and, turning on his
heel with the word "treachery," walked back to the mouth of the
cave. Unluckily, Aben Aboo’s men, with the exception of two guards
stationed at the entrance had left the spot to visit some near by
friends.

El Senix, perceiving that his own life in
danger fell with his followers on the guards, one of whom was
killed and the other put to flight. They then attacked Aben Aboo
himself. Aben Aboo defended desperately, but the odds were too
great, and El Senix soon felled the Moor’s only hope with the
but-end of his musket.

The corpse, suspended on a wooden flame
hidden by flowering robes, and set atop a mule entered Granada
triumphantly. On one side rode Barredo; on the other side the
murderer El Senix, spotting the arquebuse and the scimitar of the
dead king. The kinsmen of the dead king rode in train, and after
them came a regiment of infantry and a troop of horse.

As the procession moved along the street of
Zacatin salvos of musketry saluted it, peals of artillery roared
from the towers of the Alhambra, and the multitude thronged to gaze
with silent curiosity. The cavalcade proceeded to the square of
Vivarambla, where the principal cavaliers and magistrates of the
city had assembled. El Senix dismounted and delivered the corpse to
Deza, the president of the tribunal.

The semblance of mock-respect to a brave
enemy was followed by a scene of barbarity worthy of Spain of the
day. After the ceremony of public execution, when the dead corpse
had his head severed from the body, the body was given to the boys
of Granada, who dragged it through the streets and exposed it to
every indignity, finally committing it to the flames. The head,
enclosed in a cage, was set over the gate that faced towards the
Alpujarras, where it stood for many years.