16 GRANADA 



sovereigns of Spain, Ferdinand and Isabel, when 

 they were engaged in war with the partisans of 

 " La Beltraneja," nor did he make any attempt 

 to effect an alliance with their numerous enemies. 

 State-craft does not appear to have been possessed 

 to any great extent by the descendants of Al 

 Ahmar. In 1476, Abu-1-Hassan condescended 

 to sue for a renewal of the alliance with the Queen 

 of Castile ; but when Ferdinand of Aragon made 

 the payment of the tribute stipulated by Ibn 

 Ismail a condition of the treaty, the Moor's 

 proud nature revolted. " Return to your sove- 

 reigns," he said to the Spanish ambassadors, 

 " and tell them that the sultans who paid tribute 

 to the Christians are dead ; that here we manu- 

 facture only iron spear-heads for our enemies." 

 These words sealed the fate of the Moors in Spain, 

 though the ruler who uttered them probably 

 thought them merely the prelude to just such a 

 frontier war as had raged intermittently for so 

 many years. 



The first act in the long-drawn-out drama was 

 the capture of Zahara by the troops of Granada, 

 in 1481 provoked by the predatory incursions 

 of the Marquis of Cadiz. The Christian garrison 

 was surprised during a furious tempest, and put 

 to the sword. The rest of the inhabitants were 

 carried off in captivity to Granada. Abu-1- 

 Hassan, inflated with pride, returned to his 



