Alaouite Dynasty: Encyclopedia - Alaouite Dynasty

Alaouite Dynasty

The Alaouite Dynasty is the name of the current Moroccan royal family. The name Alaouite comes from its founder, Al-Raschid (or Ali Cherif), who became Sultan in 1666. Al-Raschid, unlike preceding dynasties, did not seize power but was formally invited by the people of Fez to take over the throne of Morocco.

The Alaouite family claimed descent from Muhammad, through the line of Ali ibn Abi Talib and Fatima Zahra (Muhammad's daughter).

They entered Morocco probably from Yanbu in the Hejaz at the end of the 13th Century. They began to increase their power in southern Morocco during the anarchy following the death of the Saadita Ahmad I al-Mansur (1578-1603). In 1659 the last ruler of the Saadi was overthrown in the conquest of Marrakesh, and after the victory over the Dila brotherhood who controlled northern Morocco Mulai al-Rashid (1664-1672) was able to unite and pacify the country.

The organisation of the kingdom developed under Ismail (1672-1727), who, against the opposition of local tribes began to create a unified state. Because the Alouites, in contrast to previous dynasties, did not have the support of a single Berber or Bedouin tribe, Ismail controlled Morrocco through an army of black slaves. With these soldiers he drove the English from Tangiers (1684) and the Spanish from Larache (1689). However, the unity of Morocco did not survive his death - in the ensuing power struggles the tribes became a political and military force once again.

Only with Mohammed III (1757-1790) could the kingdom be pacified again and the administration reorganised. A renewed attempt at centralisation was abandoned and the tribes allowed to preserve their autonomy. Under Abderrahmane (1822-1859) Morocco fell under the influence of the European powers. When Morocco supported the Algerian independence movement of the Emir Abd al-Qadir, it was heavily defeated by the French in 1844 and made to abandon its support.

From Mohammed IV (1859-1873) and Hassan I (1873-1894) the Alouites tried to foster trading links, above all with European countries and the United States. The army and administration were also modernised, to improve control over the Berber and Bedouin tribes. With the war against Spain (1859-1860) came direct involvement in European affairs - although the independence of Morocco was guaranteed in the Conference of Madrid (1880), the French gained ever greater influence. German attempts to counter this growing influence led to the First Moroccan Crisis of 1905-1906 and the Second Moroccan Crisis (1911). Eventually the Moroccans were forced to recognise the French Protectorate on 3rd December 1912. At the same time the Rif area of northern Morocco was given up to Spain.

Under the protectorate (1912-1956) the infrastructure was invested in heavily in order to link the cities of the Atlantic coast to the hinterland, thus creating a single economic area for Morocco. However the regime faced the opposition of the tribes - when the Berber were required to come under the jurisdiction of French courts in 1930 it marked the beginning of the independence movement. In 1944 the independence party Istqlal was founded, supported by the Sultan Mohammed V (1927-1961). Although banned in 1953, France was obliged to grant Morocco independence on March 2, 1956, leaving behind them a legacy of urbanisation and the beginnings of an industrial economy.

See also

• List of rulers of Morocco
• History of Morocco

Alaouite Dynasty - References and links

• Morocco Alaoui dynasty
• History of Morocco

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