Nasrid raid on Murcia (1392)

Muhammad VII succeeded to the Nasrid throne in October 1392. At the time, there was a truce with Castile in effect. Since truces were considered personal undertakings by the sovereigns that needed to be confirmed at the start of a reign, the succession of a new ruler often created a situation of increased tension along the border. Muhammad intended to maintain the truce with Castile, while at the same time adopting a more belligerent attitude.^[1] With this policy, he sought to take advantage of the minority of Henry III and the divisions it created at the court to strengthen his hand.^[1][2][3]

In December 1392,^[1] while the truce was still operative,^[4] Muhammad launched an algazúa (raid) into Murcia in the vicinity of Lorca.^[2][3][5] He gave as a pretext that certain Castilian almogávares had violated his border.^[1] According to the Chronicle of Henry III and Gil González Dávila, the raiding party consisted of 700 cavalry and 3,000 infantry.^[3]

The Nasrid raiders cut down the fields and burned the town of Caravaca while the townsfolk took refuge in the fortress of the Order of Santiago.^[2][3] The adelantado of Murcia, Alfonso Yáñez Fajardo, caught up with the raiders at Nogalte [es] (Nogalete) as they were returning to Granada. He defeated them, put them to flight and recovered their booty.^[1][2][5] According to the Chronicle, Fajardo had 170 knights and 400 foot soldiers. Gil González calls this "un mediano número de caballeros" ('a modest number of knights') and says that foot soldiers came from the cities of Murcia and Lorca.^[3]