Empire · since 1549 · Northern Africa

Morocco (Saadian and Alaouite Sultanates)

Also known as Morocco, Watassid Morocco

Morocco has been ruled since the 1500s by sharifian dynasties claiming descent from the Prophet Muhammad. The Saadians rose in the south leading resistance to Portuguese coastal forts, displaced the Wattasid sultans and took Fez in 1549.

Ahmad al-Mansur, who took the throne when his brother Abd al-Malik died during the victory over Portugal at the Battle of the Three Kings in 1578, grew rich on sugar and Saharan gold and sent an army that conquered Songhai in 1591. After civil war, the Alaouite dynasty took power in the 1660s; Moulay Ismail built a huge army of enslaved Black soldiers and a palace city at Meknes. Morocco avoided Ottoman rule, but European pressure grew, and in 1912 it was divided into French and Spanish protectorates. Sultan Mohammed V led the country to independence in 1956 and took the title of king.

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Years

since 1549

Capital

Marrakesh, Fez and Meknes at different times; Rabat from 1912

Greatest extent

1595, about 1.00 million km²

Region

Northern Africa

Rough estimate after the conquest of Songhai; control of the Niger bend faded within decades; no scholarly area figure found