Ismail IV of Granada dating history

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Ismail IV (r. 1462–1463) was the twentieth Nasrid ruler of the Emirate of Granada on the Iberian Peninsula. He was a little-known emir who briefly ruled in 1462–1463 during a period of intense instability and factional conflict within the emirate. Of uncertain lineage but identified in Castilian sources as a Nasrid prince who had long resided at the Castilian court, he emerged as a claimant with the backing of the powerful Banu al-Sarraj family and the support of King Enrique IV of Castile. His rise followed the weakening of the reigning emir Abu Nasr Sa'd, whose policies had alienated key factions and provoked widespread unrest. Proclaimed emir by the people of Granada, his position was undermined by continued Castilian military aggression and the heavy political and financial costs of his dependence on Castile. Unable to consolidate his authority, he was deposed within months, after which Sa'd regained the throne. Ismail continued to resist briefly from a regional stronghold before disappearing from the historical record, likely dying in 1463. His short and troubled reign exemplifies the internal divisions and external pressures that characterized the final phase of Nasrid rule in Granada.