Alaouite dynasty


The Alaouite dynasty, or Alawite dynasty, is the current Moroccan royal family. Sharif ibn Ali became Prince of Tafilalt in 1631. His son Mulay Al-Rashid was able to unite and pacify the country. The Alaouites claim descent from a relative of prophet Muhammad and are the Arab ruling family of Morocco. The name Alaouites stems from Ali son of Abu Taalib

Centralised state

The organisation of the sultanate developed under Ismail Ibn Sharif, who, against the opposition of local tribes, began to create a unified state. Because the Alaouites had difficult relations with many of the country's Berber and Bedouin-Arab tribes, Isma'īl formed a new army of black slaves, the Black Guard. 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.
During Muhammad III's reign the kingdom was once again united and the administration reorganised. A renewed attempt at centralisation was abandoned, and the tribes were allowed to preserve their autonomy. Under Abderrahmane Morocco fell under the influence of the European powers. After Morocco supported the Algerian independence movement of Emir Abd al-Qadir, it was attacked and defeated by the French in 1844 at the Battle of Isly and made to abandon its support.

European contact and the French protectorate

During the reigns of Muhammad IV and Hassan I, the Alaouites 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 came direct involvement in European affairs. Although the independence of Morocco was guaranteed at the Treaty of Madrid, 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 of 1911.
Eventually the Moroccans were forced to recognise the French protectorate through the Treaty of Fez, signed on December 3, 1912. At the same time the Rif area of northern Morocco was raised under Spanish control.

List of Alaouite rulers

From 1631 to 1666 the Alaouite dynasty ruled as princes of Tafilalt:
In 1666 Mulay Al-Rashid was proclaimed Sultan of Morocco at Fez:
Under the French protectorate :
From independence :

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from: 1631 till: 1664 color: a text:Pr. of Tafilalt
from: 1664 till: 1957 color: w text:Sultans of Morocco
from: 1957 till: end color: s text:Kings of Morocco
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from:1631 till: 1635 color:a text:"Moulay Ali Cherif"
from:1635 till: 1664 color:a text:"Muhammad ibn Sharif"
from:1664 till: 1672 color:w text:"Al-Rashid"
from:1672 till: 1727 color:w text:"Ismail"
from:1727 till: 1757 color:n text:"Alaouite Succession Crisis"
from:1727 till: 1728 color:w text:"Abu'l Abbas Ahmad II"
from:1728 till: 1728 color:w text:"Abdalmalik"
from:1728 till: 1729 color:w text:"Abu'l Abbas Ahmad II"
from:1729 till: 1734 color:w text:"Abdallah"
from:1734 till: 1736 color:w text:"Ali"
from:1736 till: 1736 color:w text:"Abdallah"
from:1736 till: 1738 color:w text:"Muhammad II"
from:1738 till: 1740 color:w text:"Al-Mostadi"
from:1740 till: 1741 color:w text:"Abdallah"
from:1741 till: 1741 color:w text:"Zin al-Abidin"
from:1741 till: 1742 color:w text:"Abdallah"
from:1742 till: 1743 color:w text:"Al-Mostadi"
from:1743 till: 1747 color:w text:"Abdallah"
from:1747 till: 1748 color:w text:"Al-Mostadi"
from:1748 till: 1757 color:w text:"Abdallah"
from:1757 till: 1790 color:w text:"Mohammed III"
from:1790 till: 1792 color:w text:"Yazid"
from:1792 till: 1822 color:w text:"Slimane"
from:1822 till: 1859 color:w text:"Abderrahmane"
from:1859 till: 1873 color:w text:"Mohammed IV"
from:1873 till: 1894 color:w text:"Hassan I"
from:1894 till: 1908 color:w text:"Abdelaziz"
from:1908 till: 1912 color:w text:"Abdelhafid"
from:1912 till: 1956 color:eon text:"French-Spanish Protectorate"
from:1912 till: 1927 color:w text:"Yusef"
from:1927 till: 1953 color:w text:"Mohammed V"
from:1953 till: 1955 color:n text:"M. Ben Aarafa "
from:1955 till: 1961 color:s text:"Mohammed V"
from:1961 till: 1999 color:s text:"Hassan II"
from:1999 till: end color:s text:"Mohammed VI"
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