Yusuf Ier de Grenade

Abû Al-Hajjâj year-Nyyar Al-mu' wîd Bi-llah Yûsuf Ier Ben Ismâ `it is the seventh emir nasride of Grenade. He is called Year-Niyar ( dazzling it ). He was born in 1318. He is the son of Abû Al-Walîd Ismâ `it. He succeeds his older brother Mohammed IV in 1333. He is assassinated in October 1354 and his/her son Mohammed V Al-Ghanî succeeds to him.

Biography

The sultan mérinide of Fès is Abû Al-Hassan `Alî since 1331. The interior situation of its kingdom is stabilized and that enables him to consider external interventions again. The king Alphonse XI of Castille having reached the age of the majority in 1327, undertakes the resumption of the Reconquista. The threatened Castilians feeling, are combined with the Aragonese to fight Mérinides.

Yûsuf Ier, succeeds his/her older brother Mohammed IV in 1333. The kingdom of Grenade reached its apogee in the fields commercial and arts. Alliance with Mérinides, as well as the good relationships with the Republic of Genoa and with the Royaume of Aragon encouraged the trade. In spite of the permanent threat, independence with regard to the Castilians continued. Yusûf Ier is only fifteen years old with its accession with the throne. According to the portrait that in made its vizier Ibn Al-Khâtib, it imposed some by its dignity and its princely imposing presence, by its intelligence and its perspicacity which enabled him to solve the most difficult problems.

During its reign, Grenade seldom was in peace with its Christian neighbors. As from 1337, the Castille and the Mérinides prepare with the war for Gibraltar. Yûsuf Ier calls upon supports of Mérinides to contain the Castilians. The sultan mérinide Abû Al-Hassan “Ali is not inclined to let himself handle by Nasrides who reversed their alliances on several occasions. Nevertheless it passes the Straits of Gibraltar to seize Algésiras. The naval battle precedes the combat with ground. The Mérinide squadron is reinforced by sixteen ships sent by the Hafsides since the Tunisia. April 5th, 1340, it enters bay of Algésiras and overcomes the fleet Castilian of the admiral Jofre Tenorio.

Defeat of Río Salado

In connection with the Nasrides armies, Abû Al-Hassan `Alî puts the seat in front of Tarifa. The well defended city, can await the reinforcement of an army of 35000 men, raised by the Christian kings. The battle takes place on the edges of the Río Salado on October 30th 1340. It is the greatest victory of the Christian kings since Las Navas de Tolosa. Mérinides are folded up with difficulty towards the Morocco.

In 1343, the Castilians start the seat of Algeciras with the support of English and French knights. The seat lasts twenty month and is concluded by the catch from Algésira on March 26th 1344.

The Black Death saves Gibraltar

In August 1349, Alphonse XI of Castille makes the head office of Gibraltar. But the epidemic of Black Death arrived at Spain in 1348 fact of the devastations in the Christian rows and causes the death of Alphonse XI in March 1350. This death leads the Castilians to raise the seat: Gibraltar will remain within Islam during a hundred and twelve years. Alphonse XI did not complete the reconquest but succeeded in driving out Mérinides definitively, leaving with his successors the task remove Nasrides. Yûsuf Ier agrees to sign with the Castilians a 10 years truce.

The day of the festival of the Rupture of the Fast 755 A.H. Yûsuf Ier are assassinated in the large mosque of Grenade by one of its bodyguards. His/her son Mohammed V Al-Ghanî succeeds to him like emir de Grenade.

The heritage

On the internal plan, the monuments of Grenade still carry the trace of the splendor of the reign of Yusûf Ist. In spring 1347, Yusûf Ier undertook a round of inspection of the Eastern borders of its kingdom. Ibn Al-Khâtib which accompanies it described the crossed cities Guadix, Baza, Purchena and Vera. Then the escort goes in Almeria and, while passing by Pechina, Marchena and Finaña, turns over to Grenade. In 1348, Yusûf Ier makes build the monumental door of Alhambra called Porte of Justice and most of the royal palace. He undertakes work of civil engineering in the urban area. In 1349, it begins the construction of the Madrasa Yûsufiyya which bears its name.

Yusûf Ier fails in its attempt to implement Moslem solidarity. For example when he addresses himself to the sultan Mamelouk Bahrite Have-Sâlih `Imâd AD-DIN Ismâ `it to beseech its support in the fight against the Castilians, its efforts are not crowned success. Under pretext of the need for defending his own borders threatened by the Christians, whereas there is no proof of this threat, the Mameluke refuses to send a forwarding of reinforcements and is satisfied to express some wishes in favor of the victory with Grenade.

The testimony of Ibn Battuta

In 1351, at the time of died of the sultan mérinide Abû Al-Hassan `Ali, Ibn Battuta undertakes one of its last voyages. It crosses the Straits of Gibraltar on the basis of Ceuta for Al-Andalus. It leaves only some notes: I left Gibraltar to return to me to Ronda, one of the Moslem citadels best strengthened and located. I remained five days there, then, I gained Marbella by taking a difficult and very escarpée road, Marbella is a small town, beautiful and rich. On the way Ibn Battuta escapes a removal. Four Christian ships approach the shore close to Suhayl and the sailors remove several riders which should have travelled with Ibn Battuta which takes refuge in Suhayl. The following day it leaves for Malaga escorted the commander the fortress Suhayl. One manufactures, in Malaga, of the gilded potteries, superb which one exports towards the most remote regions. The mosque is very vast and is famous for its blessing. It has a court whose beauty is without similar and where very high Bigaradier S push. I left Malaga for Ballîsh, at a distance from twenty-four miles. It is a beautiful city with a superb mosque. It produces grape, fruits and figs like Malaga. We moved towards Al-Hamma, small town with the mosque located well and superbly built. It is an hot source there on a bank of the river, at a distance from one thousand of the city where two establishments of baths are built, for the men and for the women.
I parties then for Grenade, capital of Andalusia and its more beautiful city. Its surroundings are without similar in the world. The city is surrounded by gardens, orchards, floors, palate and vineyards. One of the most beautiful localities is the Fountain-of-Tears, mountain with floors and orchards such as one does not see any nowhere elsewhere.

Ibn Battuta cannot meet the emir Yûsuf Ben Ismâ `it: When I arrived at Grenade, there exerted the power the sultan Abû Al-Hajjâj Yûsuf wire of sultan Al-Walîd Ismâîl `Ben Farj, Ben Ismaâ `it Ben Yûsuf Ben Nasr. I pus to meet it because it was sick. His/her mother, noble, pious and virtuous, sent to me dinar-but who were quite useful for me.

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