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98-503: According to the 2004 census, the town has a population of 16,262. It is located on Sebou River (Oued Sebu). Mehdya was previously called Al-Ma'mura ("the well-populated") or La Mamora in Europe, and was a harbour on the coast of Morocco. Per an ancient account, a colony was founded at the site in the 5th century BCE by the Carthaginians , who called it Thymiaterium . It was captured by

196-427: A battle on the plain of Angad (near Oujda). Moulay Ismail chose to support Rashid and was rewarded by being appointed governor of Meknes . There, Moulay Ismail devoted himself to the region's agriculture and commerce, to increase his wealth, while Moulay Rashid reigned as Sultan of Tafilalt and then as Sultan of Morocco after his conquest of Fez on 27 May 1664. Rashid further entrusted Ismail with military control of

294-474: A difference between us. It is, therefore, as a brother and in obedience to the commandments of my law that I charitably advise you that the true religion is that of Muhammad, which is the only one in which one can find salvation. I give you this advice for the sake of my conscience and to be justified in charging you on the day of judgment. Moulay Ismail chose Meknes as Morocco's capital city in 1672 and carried out an extensive building program there that resulted in

392-545: A harem of over 500 women with more than 800 confirmed biological children, making him one of the most prodigious fathers in recorded history. The reign of Moulay Ismail marked a high watermark for Moroccan power. His military successes are explained by the creation of a strong army, originally relying on the ' Guichs ' (especially the Udaya) and on the Black Guard (or Abid al-Bukhari), black slaves who were totally devoted to him. As

490-664: A large army of Sanhaja tribes from the mountains, crossed the Moulouya River and was raiding the Arab tribes of Tadla and Saïss , forcing them to flee to the cities of Fez, Meknes, and Sale. Ahmed was attempting to revive the defunct Zawiya Dila'iya and was supported by the Ottomans in Algiers, who had previously given him refuge. Since Ismail was busy with Ahmed ben Mehrez at Souss, he sent an autonomous force of 3,000 cavalries. They were defeated by

588-416: A pardon to the inhabitants of Fez. He reorganised the city and appointed governors in charge of the suburbs of Fez el Bali and Fez Jdid. On returning to Meknes, Moulay Ismail continued construction work and built several palaces. He was disturbed once more by his nephew Ahmed ben Mehrez, who seized Marrakesh sometime after May 1673. When Ismail learned of it in 1674, he first launched a campaign against

686-449: A place to sell their plunder, but also for ship maintenance (including careening ). Around 1610, Mehdya was the site of a three-day battle between Dutch and English pirates. The Spanish blockaded Mehdya in 1611, sinking ships and blocking the harbor entrance. In the summer of 1614, the harbor housed at least 30 ships weighing at or above 100 tons, though the bar prevented the passage of ships of above ~300 tons burden . In order to secure

784-534: A ransom from the Spanish for the return of the statue and the Spaniards, which was taken to Madrid where it is nowadays venerated under the name of Cristo de Medinaceli . The new Sultan Mulay Ismail took the city by storm in 1681, and renamed the city al-Mahdiya. ( conquest of Mehdya ). During this period, the former spanish fortress of La Mamora was restored resulting in the iconic Kasbah Mahdiyya . From 1694 to 1696,

882-557: A result, the central power could be less reliant on tribes that often rebelled. Moulay Ismail failed against the Ottoman Regency of Algiers during the Battle of Moulouya in 1692, as he tried to expand his territory towards Tlemcen . Moulay Ismail once again attempted to capture Oran , which was under Spanish rule, he had some success in pushing back the tribes of the Regency of Algiers until

980-507: A sickness. After his death, his supporters became so powerful that they controlled the country, enthroning and dethroning the sultans at will. Born in 1645 at Sijilmassa , Moulay Ismail ben Sharif was the son of Sharif ibn Ali , Emir of Tafilalt and first sovereign of the 'Alawi dynasty . His clan claimed descent from Hassan Ad-Dakhil , a 21st generation descendant of the Islamic prophet Muhammad . According to Al-Istiqsa , his mother

1078-507: A sign of his humanity – on the contrary, he is very cruel... "A faithful and pious follower of his religion", he attempted to convert King James II of England to Islam , sending him letters whose sincerity and religious feeling are inarguable. Dominique Busnot , who was generally critical of Ismail, asserted that "he had a great attachment to his Law and publicly practiced all the ceremonies, ablutions, prayers, fasts, and feasts with scrupulous precision." He enjoyed debating theology with

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1176-461: A twenty-year period of his reign. He was described by many authors, including Dominique Busnot, as a "bloodthirsty monster". However, researcher such as Richard Bordeaux Parker opined that frequently-told stories about the ten of thousands of Christian slaves' forced labours and the large dungeons where they were kept were exaggerated from the accounts of European ambassadors who visited Isma'il's court. Bordeaux Parker and Jonathan M. Bloom found

1274-652: Is a river in northern Morocco . At its source in the Middle Atlas mountains it is known as the Guigou River (Berber: Asif n Gigu ). The river is 496 kilometers long and has an average water flow of 137 m /s, which makes it the largest North African river by volume. It passes near Fes , the second largest city in Morocco, and discharges to the Atlantic Ocean at Mehdya . Sebou is navigable for only 16 km as far as

1372-584: Is reported that Moulay Ismail provided 10,000 horsemen to Ali ben Ichchou, the caid of the Zemmour and Bni Hakem tribes and told him "I do not want you to return until you have fallen upon the Gerrouans and unless you bring back to me a heads for each man here." So they left to kill as many of the Guerouans as possible and to pillage their encampments. He offered 10 mithqals to anyone who brought back an additional head. In

1470-575: The Jbel Saghro in the eastern Anti-Atlas . With a large army, Ismail fought a difficult battle in the Jbel Saghro on 3 February 1679. The heavy casualties included Moussa ben Ahmed ben Youssef, commander of the Moroccan army, and 400 soldiers from Fez. It was a partial failure. The battle was ended by an agreement in which the rebel tribes granted the people of Tafilalt free passage back to Marrakesh through

1568-546: The Jebala territory) with the help of the Ottoman Regency of Algiers . With a force of 12,000 men, Ismail suppressed the rebellion and pacified the northern provinces, killing Ghaïlan on 2 September 1673 at Ksar el-Kebir He returned again to Fez, which was still under siege by his forces. The heart of the city, Fez Jdid , finally opened its gates on 28 October 1673, after a siege of fourteen months and eight days. Ismail granted

1666-716: The Kingdom of France , Great Britain , and Spain . Often compared to his contemporary, Louis XIV , due to his charisma and authority, Moulay Ismail was nicknamed the 'bloody king' by the Europeans due to his extreme cruelty and exaction of summary justice upon his Christian slaves. He is also known in his native country as the "Warrior King". He also made Meknes his capital and undertook the construction of an enormous citadel and palace complex next to its old city which included several grand residences, gardens, monumental gates, mosques, and more than forty kilometers of walls. He died following

1764-661: The Marquess of Lede to raise the siege of Ceuta which had been ongoing since 1694 and to force the Moroccans to give up on retaking the city. The Spanish fleet managed to raise the siege, but Moulay Ismail resumed it in 1721, after the Marquess of Lede had returned to Spain. The Sultan further planned a large armada for an invasion of Spain, but it was destroyed by a storm in 1722. The siege of Ceuta continued until Ismail's death in 1727. Moulay Ismail ibn Sharif finally died on 22 March 1727 at

1862-527: The Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera . The Moroccans razed the Spanish fortress, but failed to retain la Isleta. Meanwhile, the English admiral, George Rooke joined in the siege of Ceuta, blockading the port in 1704. Between 1699 and 1700, Moulay Ismail divided the provinces of Morocco between his children. Moulay Ahmed was given responsibility for the province of Tadla and a force of 3,000 Black Guards. Moulay Abdalmalik

1960-1226: The Portuguese blockaded this port in order to counter piracy. In 1795, Mulay Slimane closed the harbour of Mehdya to avoid foreign incursions into Kenitra , and Mehdya was abandoned. During the french conquest of Morocco , the French occupied Mehdya in 1911. About 9,000 Allied troops, carried by 19 warships, were landed in Mehdya during Operation Torch in 1942. 15th century 16th century 15th century 16th century 17th century 18th century 19th century 16th century 17th century 15th century 16th century Portuguese India 17th century Portuguese India 18th century Portuguese India 16th century 17th century 19th century Portuguese Macau 20th century Portuguese Macau 15th century [Atlantic islands] 16th century [Canada] 16th century 17th century 18th century 19th century Sebou River The Sebou ( Berber : Asif en Sbu , Arabic : سبو )

2058-535: The Spanish treasure fleet route Mehdya, known as La Mamora, was under Spanish rule between 1614 and 1681. After occupying Larache in 1610, a Spanish fleet under Admiral Luis Fajardo captured Al-Ma'mura during the reign of Mulay Zidan in August 1614, due to the period of anarchy that followed the death of Mulay al-Mansur in 1603. After negotiations with Mulay Zidan, they left a strong garrison of 1,500 men, and called

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2156-458: The Trinitarians in Morocco on points of controversy. On many occasions when returning from the mosque on Fridays, he asked for Trinitarians to be brought into his court. During a debate with the fathers of Mercy, he said this: I have said enough for a man who uses reason; if you are stubborn, that is too bad. We are all children of Adam and therefore brothers; it is the only religion that creates

2254-506: The first Anglo-Spanish War , pirates (including English former privateers ) had sold captured prizes in Ireland and at the Barbary Coast , where governments struggled to prevent this trade. When peace came in 1604, pirates soon established a pirate haven at Mehdya, a location with the advantage of being near Spain and major trade routes. The Moroccan sultanate tolerated these pirates due to

2352-713: The Algerian Bey Mustapha cooperated with the Spaniards in pushing back Moulay Ismail's army. Moulay Ismail engaged in the Maghrebi War against the Regency of Algiers, he was successful in conquering the Western Beylik , he even looted the palace of the Bey. His army was subsequently pushed back in the Battle of Chelif in 1701. He participated in other minor battles such as Laghouat in 1708 which ended successfully. He expelled

2450-557: The Algerian army in Chediouïa. With a force of 10,000–12,000 men, the Algerian army managed to defeat the 60,000 soldiers of the Moroccan army. The Moroccan army suffered a heavy defeat and fell into disarray. Moulay Ismail himself was wounded and barely escaped. The heads of 3,000 Moroccan soldiers and 50 Moroccan leaders were brought to Algiers. In 1702, Moulay Ismail gave his son Moulay Zeydan an army of 12,000 men and instructed him to capture

2548-557: The Arab tribes of the Angad region who were engaging in banditry. He severely defeated the Sgoûna tribe and then put in place the preparations for a major campaign against his nephew. Ismail marched at the head of his army into the Tadla region and encountered Ahmed ben Mehrez's army at Bou Agba, near Oued El Abid . Ismail was victorious over his nephew's army and killed its commander, Hida Ettouïri. Ahmed

2646-598: The Berber army of Ahmed ben Abdellah and the force's commander, Caid Ikhlef, was killed. Ismail then sent two further armies, numbering 4,000 men each, which were also beaten – the first near Meknes and the second at Kasba Tadla , which was then seized and destroyed by the Sanhaja. Meanwhile, Ismail also learned that three of his brothers, Moulay Harran, Moulay Hammada, and Moulay Murad Mehrez (the father of Ahmed ben Mehrez) had revolted and attacked Tafilalt. The sultan decided to deal with

2744-531: The Berber rebels. A terrible battle followed, the Berbers were dispersed and fled into the ravines and valleys. After pursuing them for three days, 12,000 Berbers had been captured by the Sultan, and 10,000 horses and 30,000 guns as booty. Moulay Ismail had now conquered the whole of Morocco and forced all the tribes of the country to recognise his authority. He was the first 'Alawi sultan to achieve this. He quickly organised

2842-656: The Beylik of Algiers at the Moulouya River . In 1693, Moulay Ismail raided the Oran region and attempted to pillage the Beni Amer which was successful. The city of Oran resisted two attacks, leading to the sultan's retreat. This time, it was the Turks who sent envoys to make peace, at the initiative of the Ottoman Sultan, Ahmed II . In 1699, Moulay Ismail participated in the Maghrebi War and

2940-601: The Ennaqsîs family that governed the city. These events sparked serious unrest in the country. Moulay Ismail marched on Taza, which surrendered to him after a siege of several months, and forced Ahmed ben Mehrez to flee into the Sahara. While the siege of Fez continued, Ismail turned northwest to face Khadir Ghaïlan, who had taken control of the Habt region (the Gharb and Khlout plains and part of

3038-584: The Europeans from the ports they had occupied: Larache , Asilah , Mehdya , and Tangier . He took thousands of Christians prisoner and nearly took Ceuta . Ismail controlled a fleet of corsairs based at Salé-le-Vieux and Salé-le-Neuf (now Rabat), which supplied him with European Christian slaves and weapons through their raids in the Mediterranean and all the way to the Black Sea . He established significant diplomatic relations with foreign powers, especially

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3136-586: The North of Morocco and made him Khalifa ( viceroy ) of Fez in 1667, while he fought in the south of Morocco. Rashid conquered the Dila'iya in 1668 and then took two years to overcome rebels at Marrakesh before he broke into the city in 1669. On 6 April 1670, in the presence of his brother Sultan Moulay Rashid, Moulay Ismail celebrated his first marriage at Fez to the daughter of a Sa'adi prince. On 25 July, he put to death sixty brigands from Oulad Djama, by crucifying them on

3234-681: The Oudaias, the Ait Imour (a guich tribe), and the Rifans, while the Fezzans began a holy war against Ceuta The Guerouans learned this the hard way. Some men of this tribe who carried out raids in the upper course of the Ziz River , on the road to Sijilmassa, drew the attention of Moulay Ismail. He ordered the caid Idrassen Ali ben Ichchou El-Qebli to massacre them. In Ahmad ibn Khalid al-Nasiri's Al-Istiqsa , it

3332-876: The Portuguese in 1515, and renamed São João da Mamora . Altogether, the Portuguese are documented to have seized 6 Moroccan towns, and built 6 stand-alone fortresses on the Moroccan Atlantic coast, between the river Loukos in the north and the river of Sous in the south. Four of the stand-alone fortresses only had a short duration: Graciosa (1489), Forte de São João de Mamora ( pt ) (1515), Castelo Real of Mogador (1506–10) and Aguz (1520–25). Two of them were to become permanent urban settlements: Santa Cruz do Cabo de Gué ( Agadir , founded in 1505-06), and Mazagan founded in 1514-17. The Portuguese had to abandon most of their settlements between 1541 and 1550, although they were able to keep Ceuta , Tangier and Mazagan. During

3430-734: The Saharan rebel tribes' territory and promised future aid against the Christians. On their return journey, a blizzard struck the force as it crossed the Atlas at Telwet or Elglâoui on the Jbel Ben Deren, destroying nearly three thousand tents, part of the army, and the booty. In a fury, Moulay Ismail executed his vizier to avenge those who had been traveling with him, even though the vizier had had nothing to do with this catastrophe. A plague struck around this time that killed several thousand people, mainly in

3528-644: The Sebou was renowned for its Twait shad which was highly prized by the people of Fez , but due to pollution the shad became extinct on the Sebou. In the first years of the French protectorate an expedition successfully navigated the Sebou from Sidi Ali Ben Sliman to the city of Fez on a small steam boat Le Dantec. A number of water pollutants enter the Sebou River, notably including pesticides and fertilisers from agricultural runoff and untreated sewage from towns along

3626-664: The Senegal river. The people who live there, from the north to the south, are Moors who pay the Gharama to the Sultan. At its height, the Moroccan army contained 100,000 to 150,000 black soldiers in the Black Guard, as well as thousands more in the Guich of the Udaya, European renegades and vassal tribes which received land and slaves in exchange for providing soldiers. The rest of Moulay Ismail's reign

3724-405: The Spaniards to fortify the city heavily, with 200 cannons and 1500–2000 men. The campaign began on 15 July 1689 and the siege began in August. The Moroccan army eventually took the city on 11 November 1689, at an estimated cost of 10,000 dead. The Moroccans captured 1,600 Spanish soldiers including 100 officers and 44 cannons. The Spanish army lost 400 soldiers in the battle. A prisoner exchange

3822-959: The Turks in Algiers. He also learned that the Turkish army was approaching Tafna and had already reached the territory of the Beni Snassen  [ fr ] . Ismail immediately sent a large force to the south of the country to face Ahmed and prepared an expedition against the Ottomans, which did not end up taking place because the Turkish army withdrew. He then marched south to confront his nephew at Souss in 1683. A battle took place there in April. After twenty-five days of fighting, Ahmed fled to Taroudant and entrenched himself there. Another battle on 11 June 1683 cost more than 2,000 lives. Ahmed and Ismail were themselves wounded. The clashes continued until Ramadan. Moulay Ismail undertook two expeditions that succeeded in pacifying several Berber regions. While Moulay Ismail

3920-586: The Zirâra attacked him, sparking a short battle, which ended with the death of Ahmed. The sultan's soldiers only realised who he was after his death around the middle of October 1685. Ismail ordered that he be given a funeral and buried. Moulay Harran continued the resistance until April 1687, when he fled into the Sahara. The population of Taroudant was massacred and the city was repopulated with Rifans from Fez. Many of Ismail's military commanders had lost their lives in this war, but after this date, no one else challenged

4018-562: The age of 81, from an abscess in his lower abdomen. His reign lasted 55 years, making him the longest-reigning Moroccan monarch. He was succeeded by Moulay Ahmed. Both he and Ahmed were buried in the same mausoleum in Meknes . The empire immediately fell into civil war, as a result of a rebellion of the Black Guards. More than seven claimants to the throne succeeded to power between 1727 and 1757, some of them repeatedly, like Moulay Abdallah who

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4116-426: The age of twenty-six. This proclamation occurred around 2 pm and a grand ceremony followed. The whole population of Fez, including the nobles, intellectuals, and sharifs swore to be loyal to the new sovereign, as did the tribes and cities of the kingdom of Fez, who sent embassies and presents to him. Only Marrakesh and the region around it did not send an embassy. Ismail fixed his capital at Meknes, on account of

4214-446: The border between the Regency of Algiers and Morocco at Tafna . Moulay Ismail restored and reorganised Oujda on his return. He reorganised the south of the empire following an expedition in 1678, from Souss and the oasis of Touat to the provinces of Chinguetti on the border of the Sudan region in modern Mauritania . During his journey, Ismail appointed caids and pashas and ordered

4312-614: The city by the sea and the Moroccan army occupied the town in 1691. In 1692–3, Moulay Ismail organised a very large expedition against the last unconquered tribes. These were the Sanhaja Brâbér tribes, Berbers in Fêzzâz, a region in the western part of the Middle Atlas. These tribes formed the last pocket of the Bled es-Siba (the area that did not accept the authority of the sultan). Ismail's army

4410-508: The city of Kenitra , which has the only river port in Morocco. Its most important tributaries are the Ouergha River , Baht River and Inaouen River . The river supports irrigation in Morocco's most fertile region: the Gharb . Sebou was known in antiquity as Sububus. Pliny the Elder states that it was "magnificus et navigabilis" (grand and navigable), flowing near the towns of Banasa (near

4508-415: The city of Mechra Bel Ksiri ) and Thamusida . There is scant historical reference to the Sebou being used for navigation after the Islamic conquest ; nevertheless, its river mouth was an important harbor and shipyard in the Almohad period. In 1669–1670, the Alaouite sultan Moulay Rashid built a bridge over the river near Fes which has been preserved today. During the precolonial period,

4606-402: The city of Ceuta with an army of 40,000 soldiers, but the strength of Spanish resistance meant that the siege dragged on. Part of Ismail's army also besieged Melilla from 1694 to 1696, but the city's fortifications were too much for them. In spring 1701, Moulay Ismail launched another expedition against Algeria. The Moroccan forces advanced to the Chelif River before they were intercepted by

4704-400: The city on 5 February 1684. In 1681, while the siege of Tangiers was still ongoing, Moulay Ismail sent part of his army under the command of Omar ben Haddou El-Bottoui to conquer the city of La Mamora . This city had been occupied by the Spanish in the period of chaos in Morocco after 1614. Ismail besieged the city, which had no water source, and captured it, along with all the Spaniards in

4802-626: The city, who numbered 309. Caid Omar had told the Spaniards that they would not be sold into slavery if they surrendered unconditionally "Although they would be captives they would spend their days without working, until the first redemption." However Moulay Ismaïl saw no reason to honor Kaid Omar's promises and had no intention of allowing the captives from al-Mamurah to be redeemed so they, including fifty "poor girls and women", were forced to walk to Meknes as booty along with their possessions, arms and artillery (88 bronze cannons, 15 iron cannons, fire-pots, muskets, and gunpowder) which Germain Mousette wrote

4900-450: The city, with exceptional violence. Moulay al-Alim committed suicide at Meknes on 18 July, despite precautions that his father had put in place to prevent this. On learning of the atrocities which Moulay Zeydan had committed at Taroudant, especially the massacre of the city's inhabitants, Moulay Ismail organised for him to be murdered in 1708, having his wives smother him when he was black-out drunk. Moulay Nasser also revolted in Souss, but

4998-408: The colour of his clothes was linked to his mood, Green is the sweetest colour; white is a good sign for those appealing to him; but when he is dressed in yellow, all the world trembles and flees his presence because it is the colour that he chooses on the days of his bloodiest executions. According to contemporary Europeans, Moulay Ismail was considered cruel, greedy, merciless, and duplicitous. It

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5096-405: The colour of his face from his mother, who had been a black slave. According to Germain Moüette , a French captive who lived in Morocco until 1682: He is a vigorous man, well-built, quite tall but rather slender... his face is a clear brown colour, rather long, and its features are all quite well-formed. He has a long beard that is slightly forked. His expression, which seems quite soft, is not

5194-423: The construction of forts and ribats to demonstrate his control to the makhzen in these regions. During this expedition, the Sultan received embassies from all the Banu Maqil (Maqil tribes) in the Saharan provinces of the country, which stretched all the way to the Senegal river . Moroccan control over the Pashalik of Timbuktu was established in 1670 and continued throughout Moulay Ismail's reign. Around

5292-443: The construction of numerous gates, mosques, gardens, and madrasas . On account of the rate of construction, Ismail is often compared to his contemporary Louis XIV. The Saadian El Badi Palace in Marrakesh was stripped of almost all its fittings, so that they could be transported to Meknes. Marble blocks and pillars were also taken from the ancient Roman ruins at Volubilis . At least 25,000 workers, mostly paid labourers along with

5390-414: The country was parcelled up by the different military leaders and religious authorities. From the beginning of the reign of Zidan Abu Maali in 1613, the Saadi sultanate was very weak. The Zawiya Dila'iya (or Zawiya of Dila) controlled central Morocco, the Zaouia of Illigh  [ fr ] established its influence from Souss to the Draa River , the marabout Sidi al-Ayachi took possession of

5488-404: The defense of the captured regions through the construction of several dozen fortresses throughout the country, which helped the central power to reach distant regions like Fêzzâz. With this victory, the conquest of Morocco was over. In 1693, according to Ahmad ibn Khalid al-Nasiri : The sultan had not left a single tribe of the Moroccan Maghreb with either horses or weapons. Only the Black Guard,

5586-411: The end of Ramadan 1678–1679, Ismail's three brothers, Harran, Hashem, and Ahmed, and three of his cousins revolted with the help of the Sanhaja confederation of Aït Atta and the tribes of the Toudra  [ fr ] and Dadès valleys. Moulay Ismail launched a massive expedition and seized Ferkla, Gueria, Toudra, and Dadès in quick succession. The rebel tribes abandoned their oases and fled into

5684-404: The end of 1677 and ended his brothers' rebellion. He captured Moulay Harran but chose to spare him. Between 1678 and 1679, Moulay Ismail attempted an expedition over the Amour mountain range into the region of Cherg, accompanied by a large contingent of Arab tribes, including the Beni Amer. The Turkish artillery put all the Arab tribes in the expedition to flight and the Sultan was forced to set

5782-400: The end, they collected 12,000. The Sultan was very happy with this and extended Ali ben Ichchou's command to include the Aït Oumalou and Aït Yafelmâl territories, which had just been conquered. Jean-Baptiste Estelle , the French consul in Salé wrote to his minister, the Marquis de Torcy in 1698: ... that the vast extent of the Sharifan Empire is a single unit from the Mediterranean to

5880-457: The first expedition and attempted to dislodge them from the mountain strongholds where they had entrenched themselves. The sultan's troops were repulsed by a force of 8,000 Berber infantry and 5,000 Berber cavalries. A second expedition followed, and this time the Sultan's forces inflicted a heavy defeat on the rebels, seizing substantial booty. In 1675, with the help of the inhabitants of Taroudant , Ahmed secretly returned to Marrakesh, expelled

5978-475: The first sovereign of the 'Alawi dynasty from 1631, Moulay Sharif succeeded in keeping Tafilalt outside the authority of the Dila'iya. He abdicated in 1636 and his eldest son, Sidi Muhammad ibn Sharif succeeded him. Under the latter's reign, the 'Alawi realm expanded into the north of the country, to Tafna and the Draa river and managed to capture the city of Oujda . His half-brother, Moulay Rashid rebelled against him and managed to kill him on 3 August 1664, in

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6076-420: The harbour San Miguel de Ultramar . The works to build the Fortress of La Mamora along with the San Felipe bastion fort started inmediately. The warlord Sidi al-Ayachi led a counter-offensive against Spain , privateering against its shipping, and obtaining the help of the Moriscos and the English . About 1627, he managed to temporarily capture Al-Ma'mura, and add it to his Republic of Salé . La Marora

6174-421: The news of Rashid's death reached Sijilmassa, Ahmed ben Mehrez rushed to Marrakesh, to have himself proclaimed sultan . The tribes of Al Haouz , the Arabs of Souss, and the inhabitants of Marrakesh joined him and he was able to assume control of the area. He rallied the southern tribes and was proclaimed sultan at Marrakesh. In response, Moulay Ismail launched a campaign against his nephew on 27 April 1672. Ismail

6272-553: The northwestern plains, the Atlantic coast as far as Taza , the Republic of Salé became an independent state at the mouth of the Bou Regreg , and the city of Tétouan became a city-state under the control of the Naqsis family. At Tafilalt, the Alaouites were appointed by the local people in order to check the influence of the Zaouias of Illigh and Dila. They were an independent emirate from 1631. Three rulers preceded Ismail ben Sharif: his father, Moulay Sharif, then his two half-brothers respectively Sidi Mohammed and Moulay Rachid. As

6370-519: The number of Christian slaves was likely closer to a few thousand at most and the chambers which suspected as slave prisons were actually storage rooms for grain and food supplies. The urban legends about Qara Prison holding thousands of them are disputed by Marianne Barrucand as she opined it is largely for food silos. Moulay Ismail was also a very good horseman, with great physical strength, agility, and extraordinary cleverness, which he maintained even in his old age. "One of his normal entertainments

6468-416: The order of succession – this was aided by the fact that Abdelmalek's mother was no longer close to him. Abdelmalek belatedly apologized, but Ismail remained hostile to his son. As a result, Moulay Ismail chose Moulay Ahmed as his successor. In 1720, Philip V of Spain , who wanted to get revenge on Morocco for having aided the Grand Alliance in the War of the Spanish Succession , sent a fleet commanded by

6566-427: The organisation of the empire and distributed goods to the soldiers of his army in preparation for an expedition into the Sahara . The project was abandoned however after a revolt broke out in the city of Fez, during which the Caid Zidan ben Abid Elamri, the intended head of the expedition, was killed and the sultan's forces were expelled from the city, on the night of 26 August 1672. Moulay Ismail immediately arrived and

6664-432: The place and captured it on 25 June 1704, and took him to Oued Beht on 7 July. Mohammed al-Alim was harshly punished by his father, who amputated one hand and one arm, executing both the butcher who refused to spill Mohammed al-Alim's blood on the grounds that he was a Sharif , and the one who agreed to do it. He subsequently eliminated a caid of Marrakesh who had been responsible for Moulay Mohammed al-Alim's acquisition of

6762-403: The plain of Rharb and Rif . After he had achieved the unification of Morocco, Moulay Ismail decided to end the Christian presence in the country. He first launched a campaign to recapture the city of Tangiers , which had been under English control since 1471 – initially Portuguese, the city had passed into English hands after the marriage of Catherine of Braganza to Charles II . The city

6860-403: The power of the Sultan. The war between Ahmed and Ismail had come to an end after thirteen years of fighting. Moulay Ismail now prepared a strong army, estimated at 30,000–50,000 men, under the command of Ali ben Abdallah Er-Riffi and Ahmed ben Haddou El-Bottoui, to seize the city of Larache , which had been under Spanish control since 1610. The Sultan, who announced his plan in 1688, forced

6958-408: The province of Fez and the north of Morocco from 1667 until the death of his half-brother, Sultan Moulay Rashid in 1672. He was proclaimed sultan at Fez , but spent several years in conflict with his nephew Moulay Ahmed ben Mehrez , who also claimed the throne, until the latter's death in 1687. Moulay Ismail's 55-year reign is the longest of any sultan of Morocco. During his lifetime, Isma’il amassed

7056-774: The realm provoked jealousy and rivalry between Ismail's sons, which sometimes degenerated into open clashes. In one of these, Moulay Abdelmalek was defeated by his brother, Moulay Nasser, who took control of the whole of Draâ. Moulay Sharif was appointed governor of Draâ by his father in place of Abdelmalek and succeeded in retaking the region from Nasser. In response to the intrigues, slanders, and opposition of Lalla Aisha Mubarka , who wanted her son Moulay Mohammed Zeydan to succeed his father as Sultan, Ismail's eldest son Moulay Mohammed al-Alim revolted in Souss and took control of Marrakesh on 9 March 1703. When Moulay Zeydan arrived with an army, Mohammed al-Alim fled to Taroudant. His brother besieged

7154-409: The river. This article related to a river in Morocco is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Moulay Isma%C3%AFl Moulay Ismail Ibn Sharif ( Arabic : مولاي إسماعيل بن الشريف , c.  1645 – 22 March 1727) was a Sultan of Morocco from 1672 to 1727, as the second ruler of the 'Alawi dynasty . He was the seventh son of Moulay Sharif and was governor of

7252-532: The royal army, and reoccupied the city. Ismail placed Marrakesh under siege once more. The fighting was bloody, with very high casualties on both sides, especially in June 1676. Ahmed eventually had to flee the city on 26 June 1677, heading for Souss. This time, Ismail violently sacked the city as punishment for supporting Ahmed. While still at Marrakesh, Ismail learned that Ahmed ben Abdellah ad-Dila'i, grandson of Mohammed al-Hajj ibn Abu Bakr al-Dila'i , had gathered

7350-499: The unrest at Tadla first. He personally intervened and routed the Berbers in a battle in which say 3,000 Berbers dead and several hundred soldiers of the imperial army. He retook Tadla, stabilised the Middle Atlas region with his artillery and an enveloping maneuver carried out by the guich of Oudaya. The heads of nearly 700 rebels were nailed to the walls of Fez by the Caid Abdellah Errousi. Moulay Ismail returned to Meknes at

7448-546: The wall of the Borj el-Jadid in Fez. While Rashid continued his campaigns against the independent tribes of the High Atlas , he was killed on 9 April 1672 at Marrakesh, after falling off his horse. On 13 April, after he had learned of Rashid's death, Moulay Ismail rushed to Fez, where he took possession of his brother's treasury and then proclaimed himself Sultan of Morocco on 14 April 1672, at

7546-439: The water supply and climate of the town. After seizing power, Moulay Ismail faced several rebellions: most significant was the revolt of his nephew Moulay Ahmed ben Mehrez , son of Moulay Murad Mehrez, then the rebellions of his brothers, including Harran ibn Sharif , who assumed the title of King of Tafilalt. The Tetouan warlord Khadir Ghaïlan also resisted Sultan Ismail, along with several tribes and religious groups. When

7644-488: The wealth they brought to the country. However, during summers, Mehdya became less safe as the calmer waters favored the galleys used to suppress piracy; therefore, the coast of Munster was used as a complementary base for piracy. The only port on the Moroccan coast in the hands of neither the Spanish nor the Moors, Mehdya became the main retreat of Atlantic pirates under the command of Henry Mainwaring , important not only as

7742-483: Was "more than he had in the rest of his kingdom". The city was renamed al-Mahdiya. Omar ben Haddou died of the plague on his return journey and was replaced by his brother Ahmed ben Haddou. While his generals were undertaking these operations, Moulay Ismail was focused on stabilising the country. After an expedition to the Cherg region against the Beni Amer, he learned that Ahmed ben Mehrez had made yet another agreement with

7840-509: Was M'barka bint Yarg (d. 1668), a Hartania slave from the Saharan Mghrafa tribe (direct cousins of the Oudaya tribe as a cadet branch of it). She was reportedly given as a concubine to Sharif ibn Ali by Sidi Ali Bou Dmia  [ fr ] , when he was holding him in captivity under ransom. This remains contested, as it would have made his birthdate in 1637 around the time his father

7938-446: Was Sultan six times. The main character traits of Moulay Ismail, according to the chronicles and legends of his period, were his "tendency to order and authority, as well as his iron will." He put his strength and power at the service of this unyielding will, "If God gave me the kingship, man cannot take it from me," he is reported to have said. This will was always apparent in his actions and decisions. According to Dominique Busnot ,

8036-474: Was arranged at a rate of one officer for ten Moroccans, one hundred officers were exchanged for a thousand Moroccan prisoners. The rest of the Spanish garrison remained in captivity, as slaves in Meknes, except for those who converted to Islam . To celebrate the triumph Moulay Ismaïl issued an edict banning the wearing of black shoes because the Spanish were said to have introduced the custom into Morocco when they first acquired Larache in 1610. The mufti of Fez

8134-562: Was captive, while he was born in 1645. Enslaved people do not have ascendance from their tribe, here the Mghrafa , and according to Moulay Ismail's own words the Oudayas are his maternal uncles. Without further explanation on this degree of kinship. After the death of the Saadi sultan Ahmad al-Mansur , Morocco entered a period of unrest, during which his sons fought with one another for the throne, while

8232-572: Was chased by his uncle all the way to Marrakesh, where he entrenched himself. Ismail besieged the city and took it by force in 1674, forcing Ahmed to flee to the province of Drâa. The sultan then led a number of operations against the Chaouia tribes. In this same year, the Sanhaja of the High and Middle Atlas revolted and massacred the envoys of the Sultan, after having refused to pay tribute. Moulay Ismail launched

8330-413: Was encamped outside the walls of the city. After several days of conflict, the noble clans of Fez appealed to Ahmed ben Mehrez in despair. He responded favorably to their appeal and traveled through Debdou to Taza, where he was proclaimed Sultan again. In the meanwhile, Khadir Ghaïlan sent a messenger to Fez and notified the inhabitants of his arrival by sea from Algiers to Tetouan, where he was welcomed by

8428-438: Was entrusted with Draâ province, with a kasbah and 1,000 cavalry. Moulay Mohammed al-Alim received Souss and 3,000 cavalries. Moulay El-Mâmoun commanded Sijilmasa and received 500 cavalry. When he died, he was replaced two years later by Moulay Youssef. Moulay Zeydan received command of Cherg (East), but he lost it after the Ottomans attacked and Ismail made peace with them. He was then replaced by Moulay Hafid. This division of

8526-481: Was eventually killed by the Oulad Delim , who remained loyal to Moulay Ismail. To prevent further trouble, Moulay Ismail rescinded the governorships that he had conferred on his sons, except for Moulay Ahmed, who retained his post as governor of Tadla and Moulay Abdelmalek who became governor of Souss. Since Abdelmalek behaved like an independent and absolute monarch and refused to pay tribute, Ismail decided to change

8624-409: Was his cruelty and viciousness that particularly attracted their attention. Legends of the ease with which Ismail could behead or torture laborers or servants he thought to be lazy are numerous. According to a Christian slave, Moulay Ismail had more than 36,000 people killed over a 26-year period of his reign. According to François Pidou de Saint Olon , Moulay Ismail had 20,000 people assassinated over

8722-653: Was led by Caid Ali Ou Barka and consisted of Aït Imour and Aït Idrassen, who had to occupy Tinteghalin. The third and final group was commanded by Ali ben Ichchou El-Qebli, caid of Zemmours  [ fr ] and Beni Hakim, and was concentrated in the High Moulouya. The unconquered tribes comprised the Aït Oumalou, the Ait Yafelman and the Aït Isri. They were surrounded by Mulay Ismail who used all his artillery to break up

8820-452: Was marked by military setbacks and family problems relating to the succession. In May 1692, Moulay Ismail sent his son Moulay Zeydan with a large army to attack Ottoman Algeria. He was defeated by the Algerians who counter-attacked and advanced as far as Fez. Ismail offered his submission to the dey of Algiers and had to send an embassy to Algiers to make peace. He thus fixed his borders with

8918-466: Was occupied with these tribes in the Atlas, Ahmed ben Mehrez forged an alliance with Moulay Harran to destabilise Ismail's empire. When Moulay Ismail learned, in 1684/5, that the two rebels had taken control of Taroudant and its hinterland, he immediately set out to besiege the city. Ahmed went out with a group of slaves to visit a sanctuary and was confronted by some members of the Zirâra tribe, who were soldiers of Ismail. Although they did not recognise him,

9016-423: Was so elated by the victory he wrote, How many infidels at dusk have had their heads severed from their bodies! How many were dragged away with the death rattle in their throats?! For how many throats have our Lance's been as necklaces? How many lance tips were thrust into their breasts! Shortly after Larache was conquered, Ismail sent Ahmed ben Haddou to besiege Assilah. Exhausted, the Spanish garrison evacuated

9114-420: Was strongly fortified and had a large garrison of 4,000 men. Moulay Ismail assigned one of his best generals, Ali ben Abdallah Er-Riffi  [ fr ] , to besiege Tangier in 1680. At Tangiers, the English resisted, but, as a result of the high cost of maintaining the garrison, they decided to abandon the city, demolishing their fortifications and harbor over the winter of 1683. The Moroccan army entered

9212-600: Was successful in capturing the Beylik of Mascara and advanced with about 50,000 men as far as the Chelif River but his army was routed by the Algerians at the Battle of Chelif in 1701. Ismail, wounded in the fighting, had to escape on horseback and narrowly escaped capture. Moulay Ismail fought other minor conflicts with the Ottoman Algeria such as Laghouat in 1708 which turned out successful. Ismail attempted to besiege

9310-412: Was to draw his sword as he mounted his horse and decapitate the slave who held the stirrup." His physical appearance is almost always described in the same way by the Europeans. He had "a long face, more black than white, i.e. very mulatto," according to Saint-Amans, ambassador of Louis XIV , who added that "he is the strongest and most vigorous man of his State." He was of average height and he inherited

9408-520: Was unsuccessfully sieged on other several occasions. The Spanish retained the city for 67 years, when it was conquered by the Alaouite ruler Moulay Ismaïl . According to tradition, the Bishop of Cadiz had commissioned a statue of Jesus Christ for the church at La Mamora, which was in his diocese . When the Moroccans reoccupied the town in 1681 they took the statue and prisoners as loot, and later received

9506-413: Was very numerous and equipped with mortars, ballistae, cannons, and other siege weapons, which were dragged by Christian slaves all the way from Moulouya to Ksar Beni M'Tir. Meanwhile, the Moroccan forces gathered at Adekhsan. Ismail divided his army into three groups. The first was commanded by Pasha Msahel, with 25,000 infantry, and marched from Tadla to Oued El Abid, bypassing the Aït Isri. The second army

9604-466: Was victorious as a result of his artillery. He entered the city of Marrakesh and was recognized as sultan there on 4 June 1672. Ahmed suffered a bullet wound and fled into the mountains. Ismail pardoned the inhabitants of Marrakesh and reorganized the city's defenses. He then went back to Fez to collect his brother Rashid's coffin and inter it in the mausoleum of Sheikh Ali ibn Herzouhm, before returning to Meknes on 25 July 1672. Moulay Ismail arranged

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