CHAPTER IX

Chronicle of the Conquest of Granada

by Washington Irving

CHAPTER IX, CHRONICLE OF THE CONQUEST OF GRANADA by Washington Irving

EVENTS AT GRANADA, AND RISE OF THE MOORISH KING, BOABDIL
EL CHICO.


The Moorish king, Abul Hassan, returned, baffled and disappointed,
from before the walls of Alhama, and was received with groans and
smothered execrations by the people of Granada. The prediction of
the santon was in every mouth, and appeared to be rapidly
fulfilling, for the enemy was already strongly fortified in Alhama,
in the very heart of the kingdom. At the same time, the nobles who
had secretly conspired to depose the old king and elevate his son
Boabdil to the throne had matured their plans in concert with the
prince, who had been joined in Guadix by hosts of adherents. An
opportunity soon presented to carry their plans into operation.

Muley Abul Hassan had a royal country palace, with gardens and
fountains, called the Alixares, situated on the Cerro del Sol, or
Mountain of the Sun, a height the ascent to which leads up from the
Alhambra, but which towers far above that fortress, and looks down
as from the clouds upon it and upon the subjacent city of Granada.
It was a favorite retreat of the Moorish kings to inhale the pure
mountain-breezes and leave far below the din and turmoil of the
city; Muley Abul Hassan had passed a day among its bowers, in
company with his favorite wife Zoraya, when toward evening he
heard a strange sound rising from the city, like the gathering of a
storm or the sullen roar of the ocean. Apprehensive of evil, he
ordered the officers of his guard to descend with all speed to the
city and reconnoitre. The intelligence brought back was astounding.
A civil war was raging in the city. Boabdil had been brought from
Guadix by the conspirators, the foremost of whom were the gallant
race of the Abencerrages. He had entered the Albaycin in triumph,
and been hailed with rapture and proclaimed king in that populous
quarter of the city. Abul Cacim Vanegas, the vizier, at the head of
the royal guards had attacked the rebels, and the noise which had
alarmed the king was the din of fighting in the streets and squares.

Muley Abul Hassan hastened to descend to the Alhambra, confident
that, ensconced in that formidable fortress, he could soon put an
end to the rash commotion. To his surprise and dismay, he found
the battlements lined with hostile troops: Aben Comixa, the alcayde,
had declared in favor of Boabdil and elevated his standard on the
towers: thus cut off from his stronghold, the old monarch was fain
to return to the Alixares.

The conflict lasted throughout the night with carnage on both sides.
In the morning Abul Cacim, driven out of the city, appeared before
the old king with his broken squadrons, and told him there was no
safety but in flight. "Allah Akbar!" (God is great!) exclaimed old
Muley; "it is in vain to contend against what is written in the book
of fate. It was predestined that my son should sit upon the throne
--Allah forfend the rest of the prediction." So saying, he made a
hasty retreat, escorted by Abul Cacim Vanegas and his troops,
who conducted him to the castle of Mondujar in the valley of Locrin.
Here he was joined by many powerful cavaliers, relatives of Abul
Cacim and partisans of Zoraya, among whom were Cid Hiaya, Aben
Jamy, and Reduan Vanegas, men who had alcaydes, vassals, at their
command, and possessed great influence in Almeria and Baza. He
was joined also by his brother Abdallah, commonly called El Zagal,
or the Valiant, who was popular in many parts of the kingdom.
All these offered to aid him with their swords in suppressing the
rebellion.

Thus reinforced, Muley Abul Hassan determined on a sudden blow
for the recovery of his throne and the punishment of the rebels.
He took his measures with that combination of dexterity and daring
which formed his character, and arrived one night under the walls of
Granada with five hundred chosen followers. Scaling the walls of
the Alhambra, he threw himself with sanguinary fury into its silent
courts. The sleeping inmates were roused from their repose only to
fall by the exterminating scimetar. The rage of Abul Hassan spared
neither age nor rank nor sex; the halls resounded with shrieks and
yells, and the fountains ran red with blood. The alcayde, Aben
Comixa, retreated to a strong tower with a few of the garrison and
inhabitants. The furious Abul Hassan did not lose time in pursuing
him; he was anxious to secure the city and to wreak his vengeance
on its rebellious inhabitants. Descending with his bloody band into
the streets, he cut down the defenceless inhabitants as, startled
from their sleep, they rushed forth to learn the cause of the alarm.
The city was soon completely roused; the people flew to arms; lights
blazed in every street, revealing the scanty number of this band
that had been dealing such fatal vengeance in the dark. Muley Abul
Hassan had been mistaken in his conjectures: the great mass of the
people, incensed by his tyranny, were zealous in favor of his son.
A violent but transient conflict took place in the streets and squares:
many of the followers of Abul Hassan were slain, the rest driven out
of the city, and the old monarch, with the remnant of his band,
retreated to his loyal city of Malaga.

Such was the commencement of those great internal feuds and
divisions which hastened the downfall of Granada. The Moors became
separated into two hostile factions, headed by the father and the
son, the latter of whom was called by the Spaniards "El Rey Chico,"
or the Young King; but, though bloody encounters took place between
them, they never failed to act with all their separate force against
the Christians as a common enemy whenever an opportunity occurred.