Boabdil: The Last Nasrid King of Granada

Boabdil (full name: Muhammad XII, also known as Boabdil el Chico or El Zogo) was the last Nasrid king of Granada, ruling from 1482 to 1483. He was the son of Muhammad XI, who had been deposed by the Catholic Monarchs Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile in 1472.

Boabdil was born in 1459 and was only a child when his father was overthrown. He spent his early years in exile in the court of the Nasrid kingdom of the Emirate of Granada, where he received an education and grew up with his mother, Princess Eleni. After his father's death, Boabdil returned to Granada and claimed the throne, but he was too young and inexperienced to rule effectively.

In 1482, Boabdil married Isabella I of Castile's daughter, Joanna, in an attempt to secure her support for his claim to the throne. However, this marriage did not last long, as Joanna soon returned to Castile and married another man.

Boabdil's reign was marked by internal conflicts and power struggles within the Nasrid court, as well as external threats from the Catholic Monarchs. In 1483, he was forced to surrender Granada to Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile after a long siege. He was granted a pardon and allowed to retain his title as king, but he had to renounce Islam and convert to Christianity.

After his conversion, Boabdil took the name Pedro de Granada and became a vassal of the Catholic Monarchs. He died in 1505, and his descendants continued to live in Spain as Christians. Despite his short reign and tragic fate, Boabdil is remembered as a symbol of the last days of Muslim rule in Spain and the end of the Nasrid dynasty.