Fall of Granada and the Alhambra Decree
- When
- 1492
- Where
- Granada; Alhambra
- Episodes
- 2
In January 1492, Muhammad XI surrendered Granada to the Catholic Monarchs, ending the Granada War. In March, Ferdinand and Isabella issued the Alhambra Decree, ordering the expulsion of unconverted Jews from their realms.
Episodes
- Surrender of Granada
Muhammad XI surrendered the Emirate, city, and Alhambra to Castilian forces on 2 January 1492.
- Alhambra Decree
The Catholic Monarchs issued the decree expelling unconverted Jews on 31 March 1492.
Background and detail
Background. The Granada War (1482–1492) was a joint campaign by Castile and Aragon against the Nasrid Emirate. The Emirate had been a tributary state since 1238. The war concluded with the defeat of Granada and its annexation by Castile, ending the last remnant of Islamic rule on the Iberian peninsula.
Surrender of Granada. On 2 January 1492, Muhammad XI (Boabdil) surrendered the Emirate, the city of Granada, and the Alhambra palace to Castilian forces. The treaty terms were considered generous to the Muslims. This event marked the end of the Granada War and the final phase of the Reconquista.
Alhambra Decree. Issued on 31 March 1492, the Alhambra Decree ordered the expulsion of unconverted Jews from the Crowns of Castile and Aragon by 31 July 1492. The decree cited persistent interaction between Jews and Christians despite segregation efforts and the Inquisition. It was issued less than three months after the surrender of Granada.
People involved
- Ferdinand II of Aragon · Catholic Monarch and co-issuer of the Alhambra Decree
- Isabella I of Castile · Catholic Monarch and co-issuer of the Alhambra Decree
Sources
- Granada War Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-14
- Alhambra Decree Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-02
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.