Abu Abdallah Muhammad XII (Arabic: أبو عبد الله محمد الثاني عشر, romanized: Abū ʿAbdi-llāh Muḥammad ath-thānī ʿashar; c. 1460–1533), known in Europe as Boabdil,[b] was the 22nd and last Nasrid ruler of the Emirate of Granada in Iberia.
Muhammad XII was the son of Abu l-Hasan Ali, Sultan of the Emirate of Granada whom he succeeded in 1482,[4] as a result of both court intrigue and unrest amongst the population at large.
The indomitable mother of Muhammad XII insisted on sparing her son this final humiliation of kissing the hand of Isabella.Christopher Columbus seems to have been present; he refers to the surrender:[6] After your Highnesses ended the war of the Moors who reigned in Europe, and finished the war of the great city of Granada, where this present year 1492 on the 2nd January I saw the royal banners of Your Highnesses planted by force of arms on the towers of the Alhambra.Legend has it that as Muhammad XII went into exile, he reached a rocky prominence which gave a last view of the city.
Large numbers of the Muslim population of Granada had already fled to North Africa, taking advantage of a clause in the articles of surrender that permitted free passage.
The entire text was reported by al-Maqqari:[10] ...The lord of Castile has proposed for us a respectable residence and has given us assurances of safety to which he pledged by his own handwriting, enough to convince the souls.
So we traversed the vast lands and sailed the tumultuous sea and we hope that we would not be returned and that our eyes will be satisfied and our hurt and grievous souls will be healed from this great pain... — Muhamad Abu Abdallah[10]The 17th-century historian Al-Maqqari wrote that Muhammad XII crossed the Mediterranean to Melilla then went to Fes where he built a palace.
The conflict between places and dates of death may arise from confusion between Muhammad XII and his uncle El Zagal, who also died in North African exile.
[12] Spanish chronicler Luis del Mármol Carvajal wrote "Muhammad XII died near the Oued el Assouad (Black River) at ford told Waqûba during the war between the Marinids and the Saadians",[13] placing his death in 1536.