The history of Boabdil’s rule and his legacy in both Christian and Muslim cultures across five centuries.

Muhammad XI of Granada (c. 1460–1533), better known as Boabdil, was the last ruler of Muslim Granada and one of the most consequential figures in the history of medieval Iberia. This biography traces his turbulent life, following his struggles for power, family rivalries, the fall of Granada in 1492, and his final years in exile. At the same time, it places his life within a world transformed by religious conflict, political consolidation, and the emergence of Spain as a global power. Drawing on sources in multiple languages, the book separates history from centuries of legend while examining how Muhammad XI’s memory has been reimagined across Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia. More than the story of a defeated king, it is an account of how history is remembered, reshaped, and contested across generations.