Background
He was descended from the collateral female branch of the Nasrid Dynasty through his great-grandmother Fatima, daughter of Muhammed II al-Faqih. Her second son Muhammad sired a son Ismail, who was father of Muhammed VI.
He was descended from the collateral female branch of the Nasrid Dynasty through his great-grandmother Fatima, daughter of Muhammed II al-Faqih. Her second son Muhammad sired a son Ismail, who was father of Muhammed VI.
He was a second cousin of Muhammed V and Ismail II, whom he conspired against. He was known in Spanish as El Bermejo for his red hair. Moorish chroniclers described him as a coarse man in dress and manners.
He aligned himself with the Christian kingdom of Aragon and discarded the usual tribute of his ancestors to Castile.
In January 1362 at Gaudix, he took many Castilians captives after their incursion. Muhammed V had returned to Andalusia in 1361.
He captured Malaga, Loja, Antequera, Velez and Alhama. Muhammed VI fled Granada in March 1362.
He was murdered at Tablada, a town near Seville on April 25, 1362, by the order of King Peter I of Castile, who had helped restore Muhammed V to his throne.