All the Arab learning, art, industry, and fortune grad- ually centred in Granada, which succeeded in maintain- ing its political autonomy until about the end of the 15th century. A small sea-coast province of not over 430 square miles, it arrived— partly owing to its situa- tion, and more particularly to the zeal and industry of its inhabitants— at a degree of prosperity which other and larger countries might well have envied. But its principal glory was the city of Granada, its capital, which in the l-lth century counted 200,000 inhabitants. It contained the world-renowned palace of the Alhambra a sort of fortress in which 40,000 people might find ref- uge. (See a popular and accurate account in Prime, .4 ^- hambra and Kremlin, 1874, r2mo.) Its principal feature is the so-called Lions' Court, built in 1213-38, which is considered as the finest specimen of Moorish architect- ure. It was the residence of the kings of Granada, which vied in splendor with those of the most favored European monarchs, and where many a Christian prince was entertained with bountiful hospitality. Next in rank to Granada were the sea -towns of Almeria and Malaga, distinguished for their manufacturing and com- mercial importance as well as for the beauty and rich- ness of their palaces. There the finest kinds of silken fabrics and steel-work were produced as far back as the 12th century, and from thence exported to Italy and to the East. But its very prosperity only increased the greed of the neighboring Christian princes, and espe- cially of Ferdinand and Isabella ; and, unfortunately for the Moors, one of their own rulers— the reigning king of Granada, Muley-Abul-IIakem ^ — himself voluntarily broke the peace with Castile by refusing to pay the tribute. At first he haughtily declared that the mint of Granada no longer coined gold, but only steel. A few years afterwards he went so far as to seize on the frontier fortress of Zahara by treacher}^ and took the whole population as slaves to Granada. In reprisal, a Spanish knight, with a determined band of warriors, stormed the city of Alhama, the summer residence of the king of Granada. The king of Granada himself left for Fez, and died soon after in battle in the service of another prince, showing a courage which he had not exhibited in the defence of his own country. In the mean time a revolution broke out in Granada, occa- sioned by the jealousy of the queen against a rival, and resulted in Muley's oldest son being called to the throne, while Muley himself was obliged to retire to Malaga. A younger brother of his. El Zagal (the cour- ageous), having surprised the Christian arm}' in a nar- row pass and destroyed it entirely, king Ferdinand now determined to wage war for the extermination of both. He improved this opportune moment of their dissen- sions, and first marched against Granada with all his forces, and in 1487 besieged IMalaga, which was com- pelled by famine to surrender on the 18th of August. El Zagal, looking upon the fall of Malaga as an omen, surrendered Almeria, and left for Africa. The young king, Abdallah (generally named Boabdil), had prom- ised to submit when Almeria was taken, but the inhab- itants of Granada would not hear of submitting ; they trusted to the strength of their fortifications, consist- ing of strong walls and 1030 towers. Tlie summer of 14'J1 was spent by both armies in single combats, which have been the subject of numerous romances and tales. But Granada was destined to fall — the more after the
Christians had erected opposite Granada a rival fortified city, Santa Fe. The king, certain of being unable to resist, began secretly to negotiate with the Spaniards, and the terms of surrender were settled Nov. 25, 1491. The conditions were such as might have satisfied the in- habitants of Granada had they been observed. They were to retain possession of their mosques, and to be allowed to follow their own religious worship; their own laws were to be administered by their own cadis, under the oversight of the Spanish governor ; they were to retain their own customs, language, and dress, and to have the free and unlimited use of all their property ; those who preferred leaving the country were to be fur- nished ships to take them to Africa. The taxes to which they would be subjected should not exceed those which they paid under their own government. King Abdallah was to retain his estates, and to administer them under the supervision of the Spanish authorities. The city was on these terms surrendered (Jan. 2, 1492) to the Spaniards, who made a triumphal entry ; but shortly after the capitulation the Moors found that they had surrendered their rights to the conquerors, and were in danger of losing much more than they had granted. The finest houses in Granada were occupied by the Spanish noblemen ; a converted Moor (such, ac- cording to the terms of surrender, were not to hold any official situation) was made chief alguazil, and the larg- est mosque was changed into a church. The most zeal- ous members of the Koraish Church were advising that the Moors should be made to choose between baptism and banishment. But this unwise counsel did not at first prevail. Count de Tendilla and the archbishop Fer- nando de Talavera, who were at the time governors of the province, sought by mild treatment to unite the Moors with the Spaniards; the archbishop especially was so successful with them by his kindness that large numbers consented to be baptized by him.