Ridwan, Commander of the Catalan Company at Granada
رضوان قائد قمص برشلونة بغرناطة
Ridwan, mawla of Granada's sultan Abu al-Hajjaj and commander of his Christian Catalan troops; he held the reins after his master's death and dominated Sultan Muhammad ibn Yusuf, allying with the Castilian tyrant Pedro against his own — until Granada's affair turned, Ibn al-Ahmar was deposed, and Ridwan was killed, his torso crucified on the city wall by the Bab al-Mahruq gate as an example.
At a glance
- Roles
- military-commander
- Counted among
- Sunni
- Era
- The Mongol and Post-Mongol Era
- Region
- al-Andalus & Europe
- Review
- Draft Completeness 1/5 · Help complete it
Overview
Ridwan was the client of Abu al-Hajjaj, sultan of al-Andalus, and commander of his troops from among the Christian counts in Granada, according to Ibn Khaldun 1.
In Granada
Ibn Khaldun reports that after his master died he kept himself hidden within the state and became domineering over Sultan Muhammad ibn Yusuf. He became related by marriage to a Jewish dhimmi, and the sultan disapproved, and relations between him and the state soured 1.
His death
Then the affairs of Granada were overturned: Ibn al-Ahmar was deposed, Ridwan was killed, and his body was crucified on the wall of the city at the Burnt Gate 1.
The dates of these events do not appear in the data; an additional source is needed.
Sources
- Kitab al-Ibar of Ibn Khaldun
Cite this page
islam.museum contributors. “Ridwan, Commander of the Catalan Company at Granada”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/person/ridwan-granada-commander/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Accessed 2026-10-16.