Women of Abencerrajes (Ibn al-Sarrāj): Kinship Strategies in Fifteenth Century Granada

Abstract

This article deepens our understanding of kinship strategies in Fifteenth-century Granada in general and, in particular, among its ruling elite families. The newly accessible notarial documents from the hitherto ignored collection of the Archives of the Marquis of Santa Cruz contain a parchment with a donation and a sale contract produced by three generations of women from the legendary Banū al-Sarrāj (Abencerrajes) family. Through the analysis of this document, and of the context in which the Banū al-Sarrāj women lived and operated, the article argues that the ruling elite family in Granada at that time was a multi-generational household comprising relatives of consanguineal male and female descent and relatives by marriage. By studying the case of the Banū al-Sarrāj women from the perspective of this new document, it is possible to explore the reality of the ruling elite family, to distinguish between its branches and its head, and to deepen our understanding of family ties between various generations through the transfer of property and an understanding of the cohesion that existed between its women. An edition and a translation of the document are appended to the article.