Cisneros accompanies the court of the Spanish Inquisition in 1499 to Granada, and here interferes with the Archbishop of Talavera's efforts to peacefully convert its Muslim inhabitants to Christianity.

Talavera favors slow conversion by explaining to the Moors, in their language, the truths of the Catholic religion, but Cisneros says that this is "giving pearls to pigs," and proceeds with forced mass conversion.

He orders the public burning of all Arabic manuscripts that can be found in Granada—five thousand is the lowest figure the contemporary sources give—except those dealing with medicine.

The indignation of the unconverted Mudéjares (i.e., Iberian Muslims living in Christian territories) over this gross violation of the Alhambra treaty swells into the open revolt known as the First Rebellion of the Alpujarras.

The revolt is violently suppressed and they are given a choice—contrary to the terms of Granada's surrender—of baptism or exile.

The majority accept baptism.