Abu Abdallah Muhammad V(Arabic:أبو عبد الله محمد الخامس) (4 January 1339 – 16 January 1391), known by theregnal nameal-Ghani bi'llah(Arabic:الغني بالله,romanized:al-Ghanī bi-ʾllāh,lit. 'He who is contented with God'),[1]was the eighthNasridruler of theEmirate of GranadainAl-Andaluson theIberian Peninsula.
| Muhammad V | |
|---|---|
| Al-Ghani bi'llah | |
 Dinarminted in Muhammad V's name during his second reign | |
| Sultan of Granada (1st reign) | |
| Reign | 1354–1359 |
| Predecessor | Yusuf I of Granada |
| Successor | Ismail II of Granada |
| Sultan of Granada (2nd reign) | |
| Reign | 1362–1391 |
| Predecessor | Muhammad VI of Granada |
| Successor | Yusuf II of Granada |
| Born | 4 January 1339 |
| Died | 16 January 1391 |
| Dynasty | Nasrids |
| Father | Yusuf I |
| Religion | Islam |
He ruled between 1354–1359 and 1362–1391. His reign was part of the golden age of Nasrid rule. His architectural patronage also contributed some of the most famous elements of theAlhambrain Granada, including thePalace of the Lions.
Early life
editMuhammad V was the eldest son and heir ofYusuf I(r. 1333–1354) by his slave Butayna, born on Sunday, 4 January 1339.[2]He also had a younger full-blood sister, A'isha, two half brothers and five half-sisters.[2]
Reign
editMuhammad V's father and predecessor, Yusuf I, was murdered suddenly in 1354 while at prayer in thecongregational mosqueof Granada, by a civilian described as a "madman".[3]Muhammad V was 16 years old at the time and still a minor. Accordingly, state affairs were managed by thehajib(chamberlain) Ridwan (who had also served his father), the vizierIbn al-Khatib,and the commander of theGhazis,Yahya ibn Umar ibn Raḥḥu.[3]Together, they maintained a policy of peace withCastile,paying tribute and providing military assistance against Castile's enemies when requested, such as againstAragonin 1359.[4]
Muhammad V's reign was interrupted by a palace coup in August 1359 that placed his half-brother,Isma'il II(r. 1359–1360), on the throne.[5]Muhammad V escaped toGuadix,where he had support from the local garrison, but was unable to rally further support from Almeria or fromPeter I,the Castilian king. He moved on and took refuge at the court of theMarinidrulerAbu SaliminFez(present-day Morocco).[6]Isma'il II was soon assassinated in June 1360 by one of his former co-conspirators, a cousin named Abu 'Abd Allah Muhammad, who took the throne asMuhammad VI(r. 1360–1362).[5]
While in Fez, Muhammad V was accompanied by Ibn al-Khatib, who remained loyal to him. Both men also metIbn Khaldun,who supported their cause.[7]Eventually, Muhammad V secured the support he needed fromPeter of Castile.With the support of Peter, of Uthman ibn Yahya ibn Raḥḥu (the son of Yahya ibn Umar ibn Raḥḥu), and of another figure named Ali ibn Kumasha, he returned to the Iberian Peninsula in 1362.[5]Peter and Muhammad V's forces marched on Granada, capturing various towns and the important city ofMálaga.With his fortunes turning for the worse, Muhammad VI, reportedly on the advice of his allies, surrendered himself to Peter of Castile and asked for mercy. Peter executed him instead, leaving his ally Muhammad V to reclaim the throne in 1362.[8]
After his return to power, Muhammad V continued his policy of peace with Castile and remained pragmatic. Under his rule, Nasrid diplomacy was exceptionally effective, even amidst the convoluted politics of the Iberian Peninsula in this era.[9][10]The ongoingCastilian Civil Warmeant that Castile was not in a position to threaten Granada. Muhammad V initially supported Peter, his former ally, against his rival,Henry of Trastámara.He sent troops to help Peter, which provoked Henry's Aragonese allies into attacking Granadan ships at sea.[10]Muhammad V, in turn, used these Christian attacks to solicit materials and funds fromMusa II,theZayyanid sultaninTlemcen.[10]When Henry capturedSevillein 1366, forcing Peter to flee north, Muhammad V adapted by negotiating a new peace with him. When Peter returned to Seville in 1367, Muhammad V again renewed his loyalty to him.[10]When Peter was assassinated in 1369, leaving Castile in further chaos, Muhammad V took advantage of the situation torecapture Algecirasthat year.[11]He destroyed the city and from then on its former territory became attached toGibraltarinstead.[12]
Muhammad V's reign, along with that of his father, Yusuf I, is considered a golden age of the Nasrid emirate.[13][14]The emirate was relatively free of internal conflict during his second reign.[15]Among his domestic reforms, Muhammad V eliminated the office of theshaykh al-ghuzat,the chief of theGhazis, in 1370, placing the Zenata troops under the direct command of the Nasrid family for the first time.[5]
Culture and patronage
edit
Muhammad V's reign also period marked the pinnacle of Nasrid culture. The vizier Ibn al-Khatib (d. 1375) was a major figure of literature, as was his successor,Ibn Zamrak(d. 1392).[15]After meeting him in Fez, Muhammad V welcomed Ibn Khaldun to his court in Granada and used him as an ambassador to Seville in 1363.[17]His reign was also a high point of cultural exchange with the Castilian court of Peter in Seville, who built his palace in theAlcazarin the style of Granada's art and architecture.[5]
Within the Nasrid citadel and palace complex in Granada, theAlhambra,Muhammad V undertook major construction projects and renovations, most notably thePalace of the Lions.[18]He also rebuilt theMexuarsection and refurbished theComares Palace,including the creation of the ornate entrance façade in thePatio del Cuarto Dorado('Courtyard of the Gilded Room').[19]For the general population in the city, Muhammad V sponsored the construction of a hospital (maristan), theMaristan of Granada,between 1365 and 1367.[20]It was one of the earliest European hospitals that also included care for the mentally ill.[21]
Death
editMuhammad V died on 16 January 1391.[22]He had at least four sons;Yusuf II,Nasr, Muhammad and Sa'd.[citation needed]He was succeeded by his son, Yusuf II. Muhammad V's death marked an end to the Nasrid dynasty's golden years. Untilits fallin the late 15th century, the dynasty became embroiled in succession disputes, rivalries, and assassinations.[23]
References
editCitations
edit- ^Latham & Fernández-Puertas 1993,p. 1020.
- ^ab"Muhammad V".Real Academia de la Historia.Retrieved3 October2023.
- ^abKennedy 1996,p. 289.
- ^Kennedy 1996,pp. 289–290.
- ^abcdeKennedy 1996,p. 290.
- ^Harvey 1990,p. 210.
- ^Mahdi, Muhsin (2015).Ibn Khaldûn's Philosophy of History: A Study in the Philosophic Foundation of the Science of Culture.Routledge. p. 40.ISBN978-1-317-36635-5.
- ^Harvey 1990,pp. 211–214.
- ^Harvey 1990,pp. 214–218.
- ^abcdKennedy 1996,pp. 291–292.
- ^Harvey 1990,p. 215.
- ^Huici Miranda, Ambrosio (1965)."al-D̲j̲azīra al-K̲h̲aḍrāʾ".InLewis, B.;Pellat, Ch.&Schacht, J.(eds.).The Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition.Volume II:C–G.Leiden: E. J. Brill. p. 525.OCLC495469475.
- ^Kennedy 1996,p. 288.
- ^Boloix Gallardo 2021,pp. 52–53.
- ^abKennedy 1996,p. 291.
- ^Dickie 1992,p. 142.
- ^Boloix Gallardo 2021,p. 54.
- ^Arnold 2017,pp. 236, 265, 269, 273.
- ^Arnold 2017,pp. 236, 269.
- ^"Maristan of Granada/ Foundation Stone/ Fountain heads in the shape of lions".Qantara-med.org.Retrieved27 July2023.
- ^El maristán de Granada, un hospital musulmán de locos del siglo XIV
- ^Harvey 1990,p. 219.
- ^Kennedy 1996,pp. 292–295.
Sources
edit- Arnold, Felix (2017).Islamic Palace Architecture in the Western Mediterranean: A History.Oxford University Press.ISBN9780190624552.
- Boloix Gallardo, Bárbara (2021). "The Banū Naṣr: The Founders of the Nasrid Kingdom of Granada (Thirteenth–Fifteenth Centuries)". In Fábregas, Adela (ed.).The Nasrid Kingdom of Granada between East and West: Thirteenth to Fifteenth Centuries.Handbook of Oriental studies. Leiden: Brill. pp. 39–72.ISBN978-90-04-44234-4.
- Dickie, James (1992). "The Palaces of the Alhambra". In Dodds, Jerrilynn D. (ed.).Al-Andalus: The Art of Islamic Spain.New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art. pp. 135–151.ISBN0870996371.
- Harvey, Leonard Patrick (1990).Islamic Spain, 1250 to 1500.University of Chigaco Press.ISBN0226319628.
- Kennedy, Hugh (1996).Muslim Spain and Portugal: A Political History of al-Andalus.Routledge.ISBN978-1317870418.
- Latham, J.D. & Fernández-Puertas, A. (1993)."Naṣrids".InBosworth, C. E.;van Donzel, E.;Heinrichs, W. P.&Pellat, Ch.(eds.).The Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition.Volume VII:Mif–Naz.Leiden: E. J. Brill. pp. 1020–1029.doi:10.1163/1573-3912_islam_COM_0855.ISBN978-90-04-09419-2.
Further reading
edit- The Alhambra From the Ninth Century to Yusuf I (1354).vol. 1. Saqi Books, 1997.
- Pedro the Cruel of Castile 1350-1359(The Medieval Mediterranean: Peoples, Economies and Cultures, 400–1453, Vol 6) by Clara Esto; Brill Academic Publishers, 1995
- The Three Great Sultans of al-Dawla al-Ismā'īliyya al-Naṣriyya Who Built the Fourteenth-Century Alhambra: Ismā'īl I, Yūsuf I, Muḥammad V (713-793/1314-1391)Antonio Fernández-Puertas, Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, Third Series, Vol. 7, No. 1 (Apr. 1997), pp. 1–25