Seventh siege of Gibraltar facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Seventh siege of Gibraltar |
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 Kingdom of Castile |
 Emirate of Granada |
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Juan de Niebla |
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The Seventh Siege of Gibraltar happened in 1436. It was when a Spanish noble, Enrique Pérez de Guzmán, 2nd Count de Niebla, tried to take control of Gibraltar from its Muslim rulers, known as the Moors. His attempt failed, and he sadly drowned during the fight.
Contents
Why They Fought for Gibraltar
Gibraltar's History
Gibraltar was once controlled by the Spanish kingdom of Castile. But after a battle called the third siege of Gibraltar, it went back to the Muslim Emirate of Granada.
Later, in 1411, the King of Fez (from Morocco) briefly took over Gibraltar. However, the ruler of Granada, Yusuf III, Sultan of Granada, quickly sent troops. He started a short siege and got Gibraltar back. This failure even caused the King of Fez to lose his position.
Why Enrique de Guzmán Attacked
The Moors used Gibraltar as a safe place. From there, they would raid the nearby lands. These lands included large areas owned by Enrique de Guzmán. They even forced valuable tuna fishing businesses to close down.
Enrique de Guzmán wanted to stop these attacks. He also wanted to become famous. He hoped to recapture Gibraltar, just like his ancestor, Alonso Pérez de Guzmán, had done in 1309.
Getting Ready for Battle
In 1436, Enrique de Guzmán gathered a strong army. He had knights from Córdoba, Écija, and Xeres. He also got boats, food, and many soldiers.
His son, Juan de Niebla, was put in charge of the land army. This force included 2,000 horsemen and many foot soldiers.
They planned a two-part attack. The land army would come from the north. They would try to capture the castle and the high ground. At the same time, the sea army would land on the Red Sands. This area was below the west side of the Rock. Their goal was to take the town.
The Siege Begins
Moorish Preparations
The Moors had learned about the planned attack. They were ready for it. They had brought in more supplies and soldiers from Granada and Morocco. They also made their defenses much stronger, especially in the Red Sands area.
The Sea Attack
Enrique de Guzmán did not know how prepared the Moors were. He personally led the boat party that attacked the Red Sands. The Moors did not stop the boats from landing. After dropping off the soldiers, the boats returned to the main fleet.
The attackers found themselves trapped on a beach. The sea was on one side, and a tall stone wall was on the other. The tide was coming in, making the beach smaller. The Moors were throwing rocks and shooting arrows down on them from above.
A Tragic End
De Guzmán was on his ship, watching the cannons. He was warned that his men were being killed on the shore. He went with one of the boats to try and rescue the Spanish soldiers. The boat became overloaded with men. As more tried to get on, the boat flipped over and sank. De Guzmán and forty knights drowned.
Juan de Guzmán, leading the land army, found that the castle could not be taken from the north. He was getting ready to take his men to help his father when he heard about the disaster. With his army losing hope and no way to help, Juan de Guzmán stopped the siege.
What Happened Next
The Moors found Enrique de Guzmán's body. They put it in a basket and hung it from one of the castle's towers.
In 1445, King Juan II of Castile made Juan de Guzmán the Duke of Medina Sidonia. The duke finally captured Gibraltar in the eighth siege of Gibraltar in 1462. Only then, after many offers from the Spanish to get the body back, could his father's remains be recovered. They were placed in a chapel in the castle. One of Gibraltar's gates is named after the barcina, or wicker basket, where Niebla's body was displayed.
See also
In Spanish: Sitio de Gibraltar (1436) para niños
