Muhammed III was a son of Muhammed II al-Faqih

Muhammed II al-Faqih, Sultan of Granada

Muhammed II al-Faqih was the son and heir of Mohammed ibn Alhamar and the second Nasrid ruler of the Moorish Emirate of Granada in Al-Andalus on the Iberian Peninsula....

 and the third Nasrid ruler of the Moorish

Moors

The description Moors has referred to several historic and modern populations of the Maghreb region who are predominately of Berber and Arab descent. They came to conquer and rule the Iberian Peninsula for nearly 800 years. At that time they were Muslim, although earlier the people had followed...

 Emirate of Granada

Emirate of Granada

The Emirate of Granada , also known as the Nasrid Kingdom of Granada , was an emirate established in 1238 following the defeat of Muhammad an-Nasir of the Almohad dynasty by an alliance of Christian kingdoms at the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa in 1212...

 in Al-Andalus

Al-Andalus

Al-Andalus was the Arabic name given to a nation and territorial region also commonly referred to as Moorish Iberia. The name describes parts of the Iberian Peninsula and Septimania governed by Muslims , at various times in the period between 711 and 1492, although the territorial boundaries...

 on the Iberian Peninsula

Iberian Peninsula

The Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar...

.

Muhammad III was born in 1256 CE. On April 8, 1302 he ascended the Granadine Sultan's throne at the death of his father Muhammed II al-Faqih

Muhammed II al-Faqih, Sultan of Granada

Muhammed II al-Faqih was the son and heir of Mohammed ibn Alhamar and the second Nasrid ruler of the Moorish Emirate of Granada in Al-Andalus on the Iberian Peninsula....

, whom, it is believed, he poisoned. During the first few weeks of his reign, Muhammed III negotiated peace treaties with the kingdoms of Castile and Aragon. The treaty, negotiated in April 1304, required the Nasrids to acknowledge their state as a vassal of Castile. Muhammed III was an unpopular figure and many of his own supporters eventually began to resent him.

Personality

Muhammad III had a complex personality; incredible cruelty combined with a refined culture and upbringing. His erratic, disturbing behavior soon destroyed peace with Castile and Aragon. He allegedly jailed his father's guards in the underground dungeons of the Alhambra and kept the key, threatening anyone with death who helped them. When they cried out for food and water, a remorseful guard threw them some bread. Muhammed III had the guard's throat cut over the mouth of the prison cells, allowing the blood to seep down through the bars onto the prisoners. By contrast, he had a profound interest in learning and art. He wrote poetry, read and studied all hours of the night and was very interested in architecture. He is credited with the construction of the Alhambra known as the Palacio del Partal and for his alterations of the Torre de los Picos.

Revolt

A revolt occurred on March 14, 1309 CE, forcing Muhammed III from Granada. He became an exile in the city of Almunecar, succeeded by his brother Abu'l-Juyush Nasr, who reigned as Nasr, Sultan of Granada

Nasr, Sultan of Granada

Nasr , full name Abu'l-Juyush Nasr, was a son of Muhammed II al-Faqih and the fourth Nasrid ruler of the Moorish Emirate of Granada in Al-Andalus on the Iberian Peninsula. Nasr was a child of a Christian concubine....

. Muhammed III died a year later in March 1310 after an abortive attempt to restore him to power failed; he was blinded and allegedly found drowned in a pool. He was buried on the southern slope of the Alhambra palace's hillside.