Sixth siege of Gibraltar facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sixth siege of Gibraltar |
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| Part of Moorish Gibraltar | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Emirate of Granada |
 Marinid Sultanate |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Yusuf III of Granada |
Abu Said Uthman III |
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The Sixth Siege of Gibraltar in 1411 was a unique event. It was the only time two Islamic powers fought each other for control of Gibraltar.
Contents
The Sixth Siege of Gibraltar
Why the Siege Happened
After the fifth siege of Gibraltar in 1349–50, the Kingdom of Castile faced its own problems. Their king, Alfonso XI of Castile, died from the bubonic plague. This led to the Castilian Civil War, a fight for the throne.
While Castile was busy, Muhammed V of Granada took advantage. In 1369, he captured Algeciras, a city near Gibraltar. Alfonso XI had taken Algeciras in 1344. Muhammed V then destroyed Algeciras and made peace with Henry II, who won the civil war.
Later, control of Gibraltar moved from the Marinid dynasty of Morocco to the Granadans. The Marinids had held Gibraltar since 1333. It is not fully clear why this change happened. It might have been a deal for Granada to help the Marinids against rebels in Morocco.
Tensions Rise
In 1407, a peace agreement between the Christian and Islamic kingdoms ended. This happened during the rule of the young king, John II. A small fight led to a Castilian fleet attacking and defeating the Moors in the Strait of Gibraltar.
The leaders of Granada and Morocco met in Gibraltar. They agreed to try for a new peace deal. However, their relationship soon worsened due to disagreements between them.
The Rebellion in Gibraltar
In 1410, the soldiers guarding Gibraltar rebelled. They turned against their Granadan ruler, Yusuf III. Instead, they declared their loyalty to Abu Said Uthman III of Morocco.
Abu Said Uthman III sent his brother, Abu Said, to take control. Abu Said arrived with a large army. It included about 1,000 cavalry (soldiers on horseback) and 2,000 infantry (soldiers on foot). They took over several castles nearby. They also captured the ports of Estepona and Marbella.
Granadan Counter-Attack
In 1411, Granada fought back. Their forces pushed Abu Said's army all the way back to Gibraltar. Abu Said had to hide inside the fortress.
Yusuf III's son, Ahmad, then began to besiege Gibraltar. This means he surrounded the fortress to cut off supplies and force a surrender. The Moroccan forces tried several times to break out, but Ahmad's army stopped them.
Finally, someone inside the garrison who supported Granada helped the attackers. They opened a way for the Granadan forces to get in. The Granadans stormed the Moorish Castle, a strong part of the fortress. This forced Abu Said to surrender.
After the surrender, Granadan control over Gibraltar was restored. Back in Morocco, Abu Said Uthman III was angry. He wrote to Yusuf III, asking him to execute Abu Said for being disloyal. However, the Granadan sultan did not do this. Instead, Yusuf III gave Abu Said an army. He sent Abu Said back to Morocco to start a rebellion against Abu Said Uthman III. This rebellion was not successful.
See also
In Spanish: Toma de Gibraltar (1411) para niños
