Saadi Dynasty
Encyclopedia
The Saadi dynasty of Morocco
(Arabic: سعديون) (in English also Saadite or Saadian, original name Bani Zaydan), began with the reign of Sultan
Mohammed ash-Sheikh
in 1554, when he vanquished the last Wattasids at the Battle of Tadla
.
From 1509 to 1554 they had ruled only in the south of Morocco
, officialized by the 1527 Treaty of Tadla
. The Saadian rule ended in 1659 with the end of the reign of Sultan Ahmad el Abbas.
The Saadī family claimed descent from Muhammad
through the line of Ali ibn Abi Talib and Fatima Zahra (Muhammad's daughter). The Saadi came from Tagmadert
in the valley of the Draa River
. The family's village of origin in the Draa
was Tidzi (a qsar, some 10 km north of Zagora
) . They claimed sharif
ian origins through an ancestor from Yanbu and rendered Sufism
respectable in Magreb. The name Saadi or Saadian derives from "sa'ada" meaning hapiness or salvation. Others think it derives from the name Bani Zaydan or that it was given to the Bani Zaydan (shurafa
of Tagmadert
) by later generations and rivals for power, who tried to deny their Hassan
id descent by claiming that they came from the family of Halimah
Saadiyya, Muhammad's wet nurse. The most famous sultan
of the Saadi was Ahmad al-Mansur (1578–1603), builder of the El Badi Palace
in Marrakech
and contemporary of Elizabeth I. One of their most important achievements was defeating the Portuguese
at the Battle of Ksar El Kebir and defending the country against the Ottomans. Before they conquered Marrakech
, they had Taroudant
as their capital city.
The Saadian Tombs
were rediscovered in 1917 and can be seen in Marrakech
.
1603-1659 the Saadian rulers of Morocco based in Marrakesh
1603-1627 the Saadian rulers based in Fes
(with only local power)
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
(Arabic: سعديون) (in English also Saadite or Saadian, original name Bani Zaydan), began with the reign of Sultan
Sultan
Sultan is a title with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", and "dictatorship", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who...
Mohammed ash-Sheikh
Mohammed ash-Sheikh
Mawlay Mohammed ash-Sheikh ash Sharif al-Hassani al-Drawi at-Tagmadert was the first sultan of the Saadi dynasty ruling over Morocco . "Al-Drawi at-Tagmadert" means: the man from the Draa river valley, from Tagmadert. He was particularly successful in expelling the Portuguese from most of their...
in 1554, when he vanquished the last Wattasids at the Battle of Tadla
Battle of Tadla
The Battle of Tadla occurred in September 1554 in Tadla, Morocco, between Ali Abu Hassun, last ruler of the Wattasid dynasty, and Mohammed ash-Sheikh, ruler of the Saadis....
.
From 1509 to 1554 they had ruled only in the south of Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
, officialized by the 1527 Treaty of Tadla
Treaty of Tadla
The Treaty of Tadla was a treaty signed in 1527 between the rival Moroccan dynasties of the Marinid Wattasids in the north of the country, and the southern Saadis...
. The Saadian rule ended in 1659 with the end of the reign of Sultan Ahmad el Abbas.
The Saadī family claimed descent from Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
through the line of Ali ibn Abi Talib and Fatima Zahra (Muhammad's daughter). The Saadi came from Tagmadert
Tagmadert
Tagmadert is a famous place in the Draa River valley. It is the place of origin of the members of the Saadi Dynasty. Despite the fact that Tagmadert is indicated on most older European maps, there is some uncertainty about its exact location...
in the valley of the Draa River
Draa River
The Draa is Morocco's longest river . It is formed by the confluence of the Dadès River and Imini River. It flows from the High Atlas mountains south-ward to Tagounit and from Tagounit mostly westwards to the Atlantic Ocean somewhat north of Tan-Tan...
. The family's village of origin in the Draa
Draa River
The Draa is Morocco's longest river . It is formed by the confluence of the Dadès River and Imini River. It flows from the High Atlas mountains south-ward to Tagounit and from Tagounit mostly westwards to the Atlantic Ocean somewhat north of Tan-Tan...
was Tidzi (a qsar, some 10 km north of Zagora
Zagora, Morocco
Zagora is a town in the valley of the Draa River in Souss-Massa-Draâ, southeastern Morocco. It is located at around . It is flanked by the mountain Zagora from which the town got its name. Originally it was called 'Tazagourt' the singular of plural 'Tizigirt' , Berber for 'twinpeaks', referring...
) . They claimed sharif
Sharif
Sharīf or Chérif is a traditional Arab tribal title given to those who serve as the protector of the tribe and all tribal assets, such as property, wells, and land. In origin, the word is an adjective meaning "noble", "highborn". The feminine singular is sharifa...
ian origins through an ancestor from Yanbu and rendered Sufism
Sufism
Sufism or ' is defined by its adherents as the inner, mystical dimension of Islam. A practitioner of this tradition is generally known as a '...
respectable in Magreb. The name Saadi or Saadian derives from "sa'ada" meaning hapiness or salvation. Others think it derives from the name Bani Zaydan or that it was given to the Bani Zaydan (shurafa
Sharif
Sharīf or Chérif is a traditional Arab tribal title given to those who serve as the protector of the tribe and all tribal assets, such as property, wells, and land. In origin, the word is an adjective meaning "noble", "highborn". The feminine singular is sharifa...
of Tagmadert
Tagmadert
Tagmadert is a famous place in the Draa River valley. It is the place of origin of the members of the Saadi Dynasty. Despite the fact that Tagmadert is indicated on most older European maps, there is some uncertainty about its exact location...
) by later generations and rivals for power, who tried to deny their Hassan
Hasan ibn Ali
Al-Hasan ibn ‘Alī ibn Abī Tālib is an important figure in Islam, the son of Fatimah the daughter of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and of the fourth Caliph Ali ibn Abi Talib. Hasan is a member of the Ahl al-Bayt and Ahl al-Kisa...
id descent by claiming that they came from the family of Halimah
Halimah bint Abdullah
Halimah bint Abi Dhuayb Abdullah ibn Al-Harith ibn Shagna ibn Jaber ibn Razam ibn Nasera ibn Faseya ibn Nasr ibn Sa'ad ibn Bakr ibn Hawazen ibn Mansour ibn Ikrima ibn Khasfah ibn Qays ibn 'Ilan best known as Halimah Al-Sa'adeya was the foster-mother and wetnurse of the Islamic prophet Muhammad....
Saadiyya, Muhammad's wet nurse. The most famous sultan
Sultan
Sultan is a title with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", and "dictatorship", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who...
of the Saadi was Ahmad al-Mansur (1578–1603), builder of the El Badi Palace
El Badi Palace
El Badi Palace is located in Marrakech, Morocco, and these days it consists of the remnants of a palace commissioned by the Saadian Sultan Ahmad al-Mansur in 1578...
in Marrakech
Marrakech
Marrakech or Marrakesh , known as the "Ochre city", is the most important former imperial city in Morocco's history...
and contemporary of Elizabeth I. One of their most important achievements was defeating the Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
at the Battle of Ksar El Kebir and defending the country against the Ottomans. Before they conquered Marrakech
Marrakech
Marrakech or Marrakesh , known as the "Ochre city", is the most important former imperial city in Morocco's history...
, they had Taroudant
Taroudant
Taroudant is a Moroccan city located in the Sous Valley in the southern part of the country. It is situated east of Agadir on the road to Ouarzazate and the Sahara desert and south of Marrakech. It is called the "Grandmother of Marrakech" because it looks like a smaller Marrakech with its...
as their capital city.
The Saadian Tombs
Saadian Tombs
The Saadian tombs in Marrakech date back from the time of the sultan Ahmad al-Mansur . The tombs were only recently discovered and were restored by the Beaux-arts service...
were rediscovered in 1917 and can be seen in Marrakech
Marrakech
Marrakech or Marrakesh , known as the "Ochre city", is the most important former imperial city in Morocco's history...
.
Rulers
Until 1554 only in Southern Morocco:- Abu Abdallah al-QaimAbu Abdallah al-QaimAbu Abdallah al-Qaim bi Amrillah of Tagmadert in the Draa River valley was the ancestor of the Saadi Dynasty of Morocco. The Sharifian movement on which the Saadi Dynasty was to be built began when Abu Abdallah, during a visit to Medina, dreamed of two lions entering a tower with a crowd of people...
(1509-1517) - Ahmad al-ArajAhmad al-ArajAhmad al-Araj was a member of the Saadi Dynasty, son of Abu Abdallah al-Qaim bi Amrillah and brother of his successor Mawlay Mohammed ash-Sheikh ash Sharif al-Hassani al-Drawi at-Tagmadert, the first Saadi sultan of Morocco....
(1517-1544) - Mohammed ash-SheikhMohammed ash-SheikhMawlay Mohammed ash-Sheikh ash Sharif al-Hassani al-Drawi at-Tagmadert was the first sultan of the Saadi dynasty ruling over Morocco . "Al-Drawi at-Tagmadert" means: the man from the Draa river valley, from Tagmadert. He was particularly successful in expelling the Portuguese from most of their...
(1544-1557) (ruling all of Morocco after 1554)
- Abdallah al-GhalibAbdallah al-GhalibAbdallah al-Ghalib Billah was the second Saadian sultan of Morocco.He came to power to the throne as the legal heir of Mohammed ash-Sheikh. From his first wife this first Saadian sultan, Mohammed ash-Sheikh had had three sons, but the two oldest had died...
(1557–1574) - Abu Abdallah Mohammed IIAbu Abdallah Mohammed II SaadiAbu Abdallah Mohammed II, Al-Mutawakkil, often simply Abdallah Mohammed was the oldest son of Abdallah al-Ghalib and became the sultan of Morocco after his father's death....
(1574–1576) - Abu Marwan Abd al-Malik IAbu Marwan Abd al-Malik I SaadiAbu Marwan Abd al-Malik I , often simply Abd al-Malik or Mulay Abdelmalek, was the Saadi Sultan of Morocco from 1576 until his death right after the Battle of Ksar El Kebir against Portugal in 1578.-Saadi Prince:...
(1576–1578) - Ahmad al-Mansur (1578–1603)
- Abou Fares AbdallahAbou Fares AbdallahAbou Fares Abdallah was a ruler of the Saadi dynasty. He was one of the three sons of Ahmad al-Mansur and reigned in different parts of the country , the South, Marrakesh and Fez. He especially fought his brother Zidan Abu Maali ....
(born 1564) (r.1603–1608 in parts of Morocco)
1603-1659 the Saadian rulers of Morocco based in Marrakesh
- Zidan Abu MaaliZidan Abu MaaliMawlay Zidan Abu Maali, sultan of Morocco of the Saadi Dynasty , son of Ahmad al-Mansur, residing in Marrakech.-Civil war:...
(r.1603–1627) - Abu Marwan Abd al-Malik IIAbu Marwan Abd al-Malik IIAbu Marwan Abd al-Malik II, also known as Abd el-Malik II was a Sultan of Morocco from 1627 to 1631.After the expeditions of Isaac de Razilly to Morocco, he signed a Franco-Moroccan treaty with France in 1631, giving France preferential treatment, known as Capitulations: preferential tariffs, the...
(r.1627–1631) - Al Walid ibn Zidan (r.1631–1636)
- Mohammed esh Sheikh es SeghirMohammed esh Sheikh es SeghirMohammed esh Sheikh es Seghir was a sultan of the Saadi dynasty, residing in Marrakesh. He was a son of sultan Zidan Abu Maali . His portrait can be found in an engraving of Marrakesh by Adriaen Matham in 1640, made on the occasion of a visit by the ambassador of the Netherlands to the sultan....
(r.1636–1655) - Ahmad el Abbas (r.1655–1659)
1603-1627 the Saadian rulers based in Fes
Fes
Fes or Fez is the second largest city of Morocco, after Casablanca, with a population of approximately 1 million . It is the capital of the Fès-Boulemane region....
(with only local power)
- Mohammed esh Sheikh el Mamun (born 1560), (r.1604-1613)
- Abdallah II (r.1613-1623)
- Abd el Malek (r.1623-1627)
See also
- El Badi PalaceEl Badi PalaceEl Badi Palace is located in Marrakech, Morocco, and these days it consists of the remnants of a palace commissioned by the Saadian Sultan Ahmad al-Mansur in 1578...
- Saadian TombsSaadian TombsThe Saadian tombs in Marrakech date back from the time of the sultan Ahmad al-Mansur . The tombs were only recently discovered and were restored by the Beaux-arts service...
- Draa RiverDraa RiverThe Draa is Morocco's longest river . It is formed by the confluence of the Dadès River and Imini River. It flows from the High Atlas mountains south-ward to Tagounit and from Tagounit mostly westwards to the Atlantic Ocean somewhat north of Tan-Tan...
- Kingdom of FezKingdom of FezThe Kingdom of Fez or Wattasid sultanate was the name given to the northern part of Morocco between 1472 and 1554 with its capital at Fez.The Wattasid are a branch of the Zenete, a Berber clan whose origins lie in what is now modern day Libya....
- History of MoroccoHistory of MoroccoThe History of Morocco spans over 12 centuries, without considering the Classical antiquity. The country was first unified by the Idrisid dynasty in 780, representing the first Islamic state in Africa autonomous from the Arab Empire. Under the Almoravid dynasty and the Almohad dynasty, Morocco...
- History of SpainHistory of SpainThe history of Spain involves all the other peoples and nations within the Iberian peninsula formerly known as Hispania, and includes still today the nations of Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain...
- List of Sunni Muslim dynasties
Further reading
- Rosander, E. Evers and Westerlund, David (1997). African Islam and Islam in Africa: Encounters Between Sufis and Islamists. C. Hurst & Co. Publishers. ISBN 1-85065-282-1
- History of Morocco
- Morocco in the Sixteenth Century. Problems and Patterns in African Foreign Policy by Dahiru Yahya, Canadian Journal of African Studies / Revue Canadienne des Études Africaines, Vol. 18, No. 1 (1984), pp. 252-253