Border of Granada

Several modern place names survive that relate to the frontier between Granada and Christian Andalusia and the communities established on the Castilian side of the border. Thus, in the province of Cadiz there are the municipalities of Arcos de la Frontera, Castellar de la Frontera, Chiclana de la Frontera, Conil de la Frontera, Jerez de la Frontera, Jimena de la Frontera and Vejer de la Frontera; in the province of Malaga, Cortes de la Frontera; in the province of Cordoba, Aguilar de la Frontera and in the province of Sevilla, Morón de la Frontera. There are other municipalities in the Huelva province, which include "de la Frontera" in their names. However, these do not refer to the Border of Granada border, but to the border with Portugal. This is the case with Rosal de la Frontera and Palos de la Frontera. == Delineation ==

The first frontier was defined by the Pact of Jaén in 1246 between Muhammad I "ibn al-Ahmar", first king of Granada, and King Fernando III 'El Santo', following extensive conquests by the latter in the valley of the Guadalquivir. The border then went through modifications during the reigns of Sancho IV, Fernando IV and Alfonso XI. However, following the death of Alfonso XI in 1350, the border of Granada underwent a process of stabilization and delineation, which lasted until the War of Granada at the end of the 15th century. where, in the districts of Caravaca and Lorca, a thick forest acted as a buffer zone. All the territory of Alicante and Orihuela, including the southern portion of the Kingdom of Valencia, from Alcoy and Cocentaina to the sea, formed a border area as well. == Implications ==

During its existence, the border had a great territorial, political, economical, religious and cultural importance. The primary economic activity was ranching, due to the lack of population and, therefore, a scarcity of farmhands, in addition to the insecurity of the entire terrain. Therefore, the basic economic wealth of the frontier populations was through the activity of ranching, as livestock, especially sheep and goats that could be transported and secured behind the walls of fortresses and cities in case of a Moorish attack. Among the main involvements, the creation of the military appointment of Adelantado Mayor de la Frontera (Major Governor of the Border) stands out, which kept the spirit of Christian crusades and Islamic Jihad alive in both territories, as well as the chivalrous ideal, already anachronistic in other European territories, with a true irredentism growing from the 15th century which had as its final objective, the finalisation of the Reconquista and the recuperation of the territory which used to constitute the Visigothic Kingdom of Toledo. == Border romances ==

In the artistic and cultural field, the border romances, moniker from Ramón Menéndez Pidal, may be one of the most brilliant aspects produced by this contact between civilizations. Those ballads poeticize some historical events, like the capture of significant cities of the kingdom (Antequera, Álora, Alhama, etc.) which constitute the prelude to the Capture of Granada. At the same time, the frontier ballads tell of other armed events that produced the frontier, like the flight and sorrows of the knights. Its origin seems to be found in the medieval chanson de geste, popularized since the 14th century by minstrels, who helped its spreading in the cities and villages of Spain. That way, the frontier was a key element in the formation of the vision of Islam in all of Spain. == The border after the Reconquista ==

After its conquest, the Kingdom of Granada kept its specificity, even in financial matters. For instance, the customs of the tax and partial tax on the old frontier with Andalucia and with Murcia were maintained, at least in that they took the Granadan silk. == See also ==