CAPITULATION OF GRANADA.
The old governor Abul Casim was received with great courtesy by
Ferdinand and Isabella, who, being informed of the purport of his
embassy, granted the besieged a truce of sixty days from the 5th of
October, and appointed Gonsalvo of Cordova and Hernando de Zafra, the
secretary of the king, to treat about the terms of surrender with such
commissioners as might be named by Boabdil. The latter on his part named
Abul Casim, Aben Comixa the vizier, and the grand cadi. As a pledge of
good faith Boabdil gave his son in hostage, who was taken to Moclin,
where he was treated with the greatest respect and attention by the good
count de Tendilla as general of the frontier.
The commissioners on both parts held repeated conferences in secret
in the dead of the night at the village of Churriana, those who
first arrived at the place of meeting giving notice to the others
by signal-fires or by means of spies. After many debates and much
difficulty the capitulation was signed on the 25th of November.
According to this, the city was to be delivered up, with all its gates,
towers and fortresses, within sixty days.
All Christian captives should be liberated without ransom.
Boabdil and his principal cavaliers should perform the act of homage and
take an oath of fealty to the Castilian Crown.
The Moors of Granada should become subjects of the Spanish sovereigns,
retaining their possessions, their arms and horses, and yielding up
nothing but their artillery. They should be protected in the exercise of
their religion, and governed by their own laws, administered by cadis of
their own faith under governors appointed by the sovereigns. They should
be exempted from tribute for three years, after which term they should
pay the same that they had been accustomed to render to their native
monarchs.
Those who chose to depart for Africa within three years should be
provided with a passage for themselves and their effects, free of
charge, from whatever port they should prefer.
For the fulfilment of these articles five hundred hostages from the
principal families were required previous to the surrender, who should
be treated with great respect and distinction by the Christians, and
subsequently restored. The son of the king of Granada and all other
hostages in possession of the Castilian sovereigns were to be restored
at the same time.
Such are the main articles affecting the public weal which were agreed
upon, after much discussion, by the mixed commission. There were other
articles, however, secretly arranged, which concerned the royal family.
These secured to Boabdil, to his wife Morayma, his mother Ayza, his
brothers, and to Zoraya, the widow of Muley Abul Hassan, all the landed
possessions, houses, mills, baths, and other hereditaments which formed
the royal patrimony, with the power of selling them, personally or
by agent, at any and all times. To Boabdil was secured, moreover,
his wealthy estates both in and out of Granada, and to him and his
descendants in perpetuity the lordships of various town and lands and
fertile valleys in the Alpuxarras, forming a petty sovereignty. In
addition to all which it was stipulated that on the day of surrender he
should receive thirty thousand castelanos of gold.*
* Alcantara, t. 4, c. 18.
The conditions of surrender being finally agreed upon by the
commissioners, Abul Casim proceeded to the royal camp at Santa Fe, where
they were signed by Ferdinand and Isabella; he then returned to Granada,
accompanied by Hernando de Zafra, the royal secretary, to have the same
ratified also by the Moorish king. Boabdil assembled his council, and
with a dejected countenance laid before it the articles of capitulation
as the best that could be obtained from the besieging foe.
When the members of the council found the awful moment arrived when they
were to sign and seal the perdition of their empire and blot themselves
out as a nation, all firmness deserted them, and many gave way to tears.
Muza alone retained an unaltered mien. “Leave, seniors,” cried he, “this
idle lamentation to helpless women and children: we are men--we have
hearts, not to shed tender tears, but drops of blood. I see the spirit
of the people so cast down that it is impossible to save the kingdom.
Yet there still remains an alternative for noble minds--a glorious
death! Let us die defending our liberty and avenging the woes of
Granada. Our mother earth will receive her children into her bosom, safe
from the chains and oppressions of the conqueror, or, should any fail
a sepulchre to hide his remains, he will not want a sky to cover him.
Allah forbid it should be said the nobles of Granada feared to die in
her defence!”
Muza ceased to speak, and a dead silence reigned in the assembly.
Boabdil looked anxiously round and scanned every face, but he read in
all the anxiety of careworn men, in whose hearts enthusiasm was dead
and who had grown callous to every chivalrous appeal. “Allah Akbar!”
exclaimed he; “there is no God but God, and Mahomet is his prophet! We
have no longer forces in the city and the kingdom to resist our powerful
enemies. It is in vain to struggle against the will of Heaven. Too
surely was it written in the book of fate that I should be unfortunate
and the kingdom expire under my rule.”
“Allah Akbar!” echoed the viziers and alfaquis; “the will of God
be done!” So they all agreed with the king that these evils were
preordained, that it was hopeless to contend with them, and that the
terms offered by the Castilian monarchs were as favorable as could be
expected.
When Muza heard them assent to the treaty of surrender he rose in
violent indignation. “Do not deceive yourselves,” cried he, “nor think
the Christians will be faithful to their promises, or their king as
magnanimous in conquest as he has been victorious in war. Death is the
least we have to fear. It is the plundering and sacking of our city, the
profanation of our mosques, the ruin of our homes, the violation of our
wives and daughters, cruel oppression, bigoted intolerance, whips and
chains, the dungeon, the fagot, and the stake: such are the miseries
and indignities we shall see and suffer; at least those grovelling souls
will see and suffer them who now shrink from an honorable death. For my
part, by Allah, I will never witness them!”
With these words he left the council-chamber, and passed gloomily
through the Court of Lions and the outer halls of the Alhambra without
deigning to speak to the obsequious courtiers who attended in them.
He repaired to his dwelling, armed himself at all points, mounted his
favorite warhorse, and, issuing from the city by the gate of Elvira, was
never seen or heard of more.*
* Conde, part 4.