Saadians, Alaouites & European Rivals

The Saadians (1549–1659) were the first Arab (non-Berber) dynasty to rule Morocco. Under Ahmad al-Mansour ("the Victorious"), the country experienced a Golden Age: He defeated the Portuguese in the epochal Battle of the Three Kings (1578) at Ksar el-Kebir, conquered Timbuktu, and controlled the trans-Saharan gold trade. The wealth of this era is reflected in the magnificent Saadian Tombs in Marrakesh — a dynastic mausoleum of Carrara marble, zellige, and carved cedarwood, hidden behind a wall for over 300 years and only rediscovered in 1917.

The Alaouites, who have ruled since 1631 and are thus one of the oldest reigning dynasties in the world, trace their lineage directly to the Prophet Mohammed. Their most famous sultan, Moulay Ismail (reigned 1672–1727), is often referred to as the "Moroccan Louis XIV" — he built Meknès into an imperial capital with 25 km of city walls, an army of 150,000 slave soldiers, and 500 concubines. He was both a brilliant statesman and a notorious tyrant.

In the 19th century, the Alaouites increasingly came under pressure from European colonial powers. France and Spain exploited Morocco's economic weakness and internal conflicts to expand their influence. The Conference of Algeciras (1906) and the Agadir Crisis (1911) made Morocco a pawn in European power politics — the country was divided between France and Spain without the consent of its inhabitants.