Ismail I of Granada
Abu’l-Walid Ismail I ibn Faraj was the fifth Nasrid ruler of the Emirate of Granada on the Iberian Peninsula from 1314 to 1325. He claimed the throne during the reign of his maternal uncle, Sultan Nasr, after a rebellion started by his father Abu Said Faraj. Ismail was the first of the lineage of sultans now known as the al-dawla al-isma’iliyya al-nasriyya. He was murdered by his relative, Muhammad ibn Ismail, on 8 July 1325, for personal reasons.
About Ismail I of Granada in brief
Abu’l-Walid Ismail I ibn Faraj was the fifth Nasrid ruler of the Emirate of Granada on the Iberian Peninsula from 1314 to 1325. He claimed the throne during the reign of his maternal uncle, Sultan Nasr, after a rebellion started by his father Abu Said Faraj. Ismail was the first of the lineage of sultans now known as the al-dawla al-isma’iliyya al-nasriyya. Historians characterise him as an effective ruler who improved the emirate’s position with military victories during his reign. He was murdered by his relative, Muhammad ibn Ismail, on 8 July 1325, for personal reasons. He is buried in the Alhambra palace complex, its Generalife palace, and the Alcázar Genil palace. His mother Fatima bint al-Ahmar was the daughter of Sultan Muhammad II and the sister of the sultanans Muhammad III and Nasr. Through his father he was a great-nephew of Muhammad I. His father, Abu Said, was also a member of the royal family, the son of Ismail ibn Nasr who was a brother of the dynasty founder Muhammad I. He spent the early years of his reign fighting Nasr,. who attempted to regain the throne from his base in Guadix, where he was initially allowed to rule as governor. Nasr enlisted the help of Castile, which then secured a papal authorisation for a crusade against Ismail.
The war continued with intermittent truces and reached its climax in the Battle of the Vega on 25 June 1319, which resulted in a complete victory for Ismail’s forces, led by Uthman ibn Abi al-Ula, over Castile. This campaign included the first use of cannons in a siege, and atrocities during the assault of Martos which became infamous in Muslim chronicles. Through a combination of diplomatic and military manoeuvres, theEmirate succeeded in maintaining its independence, despite being located between two larger neighbours: the Christian Crown of Castiles to the north and the Muslim Marinid Sultanate in Morocco. From time to time, the sultan of Granada swore fealty and paid tributes to the kings of Castile, an important source of income for the Castile kings. He died in 1325 and was succeeded by his son, Muhammad I, who ruled until his death in 1328. His daughter, Fatima, was married to Abu Said’s son-in-law, Abu Said Faraj, who was also governor of Málaga. She died in 1279 and was buried in Granada in 1280. He also had a son, Ismail I ibn Nasr, who served as governor of the Granada Emirate from 1257 to 1279. He was the grandson of Muhammad I and great-grandson of Muhammad I.
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This page is based on the article Ismail I of Granada published in Wikipedia (as of Nov. 06, 2020) and was automatically summarized using artificial intelligence.
