Importance of the Conquest of Granada

Alsina González
Specialist journalist and researcher

It was the episode that completed the so-called "Reconquista", and that together with the discovery of America, formed the great milestones of the reign of the Catholic Monarchs in the territories that currently make up Spain.

In addition, the capture or conquest of the Kingdom of Granada is also one of the milestones contemplated by the nationalismSpanish, within the framework of a dynastic union that is also considered by said nationalism as a territorial union.

The conquest of the Kingdom of Granada begins after centuries of decomposition of the Islamic kingdoms in the Iberian Peninsula, which had invested a situation of almost Islamic monopoly in the Iberian Peninsula, to some Christian kingdoms in formation that were snatching territories from the kingdoms of the half Moon.

That of Granada, established in 1238, was in 1481 the last Muslim kingdom in floor Iberian, after the internal divisions in the Muslim world had especially affected the peninsula, and the Holy Land, where the crusades.

The dynastic union between the crowns of Castile and Catalonia-Aragon had resulted in a colossus that could put aside the conflicts between both territories, to focus on the enemy common.

The war that would culminate the Reconquista process began in 1482 in an almost "accidental" way.

Although there was theoretically peace between the Kingdom of Granada and the Christian kingdoms, border skirmishes were not uncommon, provoked by local warlords. From a certain moment on, these simply increased in intensity to such an extent that they involved the respective crowns.

Until 1485, the war consisted of taking and exchanging a few places, with occasional raids and without large troop movements.

The Catholic Monarchs took advantage of the existing internal dissensions on the Muslim side; when they took the warlord Boabdil prisoner, they later released him to fight for the interests of the Christian kingdoms.

As of 1485, the war intensifies, leading to it the crown of Castile (main architect of the conquest) more human resources.

The Catalan-Aragonese crown (held by Ferdinand II) participated only with financing and specialized troops (such as artillerymen), as well as part of its powerful fleet.

While the Christians were conquering towns located around the capital of Granada, in the interior of the kingdom, one of the pretenders to the throne (El Zagal) conquered Granada, while Boabdil led a Christian-Muslim army that led him to conquer the city at his shift.

Boabdil became a vassal of Castile, while El Zagal held the rest of the territory.

Between 1488 and 1490, it was being conquered by Christian troops, leaving the capital in the hands of Boabdil, who subsequently refused to satisfy the conditions of his vassalage to the Kings Catholics.

Surrendered El Zagal, in 1490 only the capital, Granada, and its surrounding territories remained, so the effort was focused on it.

The final assault on Granada was more of a siege, with little military activity, lasting almost two years.

While Boabdil negotiated a way out of the situation, he contained as best he could an internal situation that was a true powder keg, to the point that, once the agreement was signed, in which two months were given for Boabdil and his followers to leave the city, it was not necessary to exhaust the term due to the riots that occurred when the terms of the agreement were known. agreement.

Thus ended the period of the Reconquest and began the path of Castilla to become a global power, that would receive an important boost from the discovery of America on October 12 of this same 1492.