Muḥammad I, the founder of the Naṣrid Sultanate in629/1232, originated the first dynasty,al–dawla al–ghālibiyyaal-nasriyya, as it has been called inmodern times from his laqab, al-ghālibbi-llāh (= “the victor through Allāh”).He was succeeded by his son Muḥammad II al-Faqīh andgrandsons Muḥammad III al-Makhlū‘ (= “theDethroned”) and Abū I-Juyūsh Naṣr, with whom thedirect masculine line of the al-Aḥmares (= “theReds”) ended. Naṣr was dethroned by his nephewIsmā‘īl I, the son of their paternal sister Fāṭimaand her husband the ra‘īs ofMálaga, Abū Sa‘īd Faraj, who was also a member ofthe royal family.
I shall deal here with the sultans of the seconddynasty up to the death of Muḥammad V, and willconcentrate on its three main figures: Ismā‘īl I,his second son YūsufI and grandson Muḥammad V, anddeal only briefly with Muḥammad IV - the firstbornson of Ismā‘īl I – and Muḥammad VI el Bermejo (theRedhead), a relative and brother-in-law of Ismā‘īlII. However, we should first establish the identityand origins of Ismā‘īl I‘s father, to understand whyhe did not become the first sultan of the newdynasty.
