Alawi Sultanate

Sharifian Sultanate
السلطنة الشريفة (Arabic)
Sharifian Sultanate السلطنة الشريفة (Arabic)
1666–1912
	One of the flags used by the Alawi dynasty
	Approximate territories under the Sultanate's authority in the late 17th to 19th centuries
Status	Ruling dynasty of Morocco
Capital	Fez; Meknes; Marrakesh;
Common languages	Arabic, Berber languages
Religion	Sunni Islam
Demonym(s)	Moroccan, Moor
Government	Monarchy (Sultanate)
Sultan
• 1666–1672	al-Rashid
• 1908–1912	Abd al-Hafid
Legislature	none (rule by decree)
History
• Capture of Fez	1666
• Capture of Marrakesh	1668
• Reign of Moulay Ismail	1672–1727
• Political instability	1727–1757
• Reign of Mohammed ibn Abdallah	1757–1790
• French invasion of Algeria	1830
• Battle of Isly	1844
• Hispano-Moroccan War	1859
• Hafidiya crisis	1907–1908
• Treaty of Fes	1912
Population
• 1908	between 4,5 to 8 millions
Preceded by	Succeeded by
	Saadi Sultanate
French protectorate in Morocco
Spanish Protectorate of Morocco

The Alawi Sultanate,^[4]^[a] officially known as the Sharifian Sultanate (Arabic: السلطنة الشريفة) and as the Sultanate of Morocco, was the state ruled by the 'Alawi dynasty over what is now Morocco, from their rise to power in the 1660s to the 1912 Treaty of Fes that marked the start of the French protectorate.

The dynasty, which remains the ruling monarchy of Morocco today, originated from the Tafilalt region and rose to power following the collapse of the Saadi Sultanate in the 17th century. Sultan al-Rashid (r. 1666–1672) was the first to establish his authority over the entire country. The sultanate reached an apogee of political power during the reign of his successor, Moulay Isma'il (r. 1672–1727), who exercised strong central rule.

After Isma'il's death, Morocco underwent periods of turmoil and renewal under different sultans. A long period of stability returned under Sidi Mohammed ibn Abdallah (r. 1757–1790). Regional stability was disrupted by the French invasion of Algeria in 1830 and thereafter Morocco faced serious challenges from European encroachment in the region.

Morocco remained independent under 'Alawi rule until 1912, when it was placed under the control of a French protectorate. The 'Alawi sultans continued to act as nominal monarchs under French colonial rule until Morocco regained independence in 1956, with the Alawi sultan Mohammed V as its sovereign. In 1957, Mohammed V formally adopted the title of "King" and Morocco is now officially known as the Kingdom of Morocco.

^ Sluglett, Peter; Currie, Andrew (2015). Atlas of Islamic History. Routledge. p. 68. ISBN 978-1-317-58897-9.
^ Leared, Arthur (1876). Morocco and the Moors.
^ <iframe frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="border:0px" src="https://books.google.co.ma/books?id=EojfAAAAMAAJ&newbks=0&dq=Morocco's%20population%20in%201900&pg=PA34&output=embed" width=500 height=500></iframe>
^
Examples:
- Selvik, Kjetil; Stenslie, Stig (2011). Stability and Change in the Modern Middle East. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 117. ISBN 978-0-85771-966-9.
- Brown, James (2012). Crossing The Strait: Morocco, Gibraltar and Great Britain in the 18th and 19th Centuries. Brill. p. 73. ISBN 978-90-04-20893-3.
- Miller, Susan Gilson (2013). A History of Modern Morocco. Cambridge University Press. p. 30. ISBN 978-1-139-61911-0.
- Naylor, Phillip C. (2015). North Africa, Revised Edition: A History from Antiquity to the Present. University of Texas Press. p. 182. ISBN 978-0-292-76190-2.
Various authors also refer to this in other terms such as Alawi Morocco. See for example:
- Joffé, George, ed. (2023). Routledge Handbook on the Modern Maghrib. Routledge. p. 20. ISBN 978-0-429-99964-2.
- Pennell, C. R. (2013). Morocco: From Empire to Independence. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 978-1-78074-455-1.
^ Bosworth, Clifford Edmund (2004). "The 'Alawid or Filali Sharifs". The New Islamic Dynasties: A Chronological and Genealogical Manual. Edinburgh University Press. ISBN 9780748621378.
^ Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Abun-Nasr, Jamil (1987). A history of the Maghrib in the Islamic period. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0521337674.

Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).

[1] Sluglett, Peter; Currie, Andrew (2015). Atlas of Islamic History. Routledge. p. 68. ISBN 978-1-317-58897-9.

[2] Leared, Arthur (1876). Morocco and the Moors.

[3] <iframe frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="border:0px" src="https://books.google.co.ma/books?id=EojfAAAAMAAJ&newbks=0&dq=Morocco's%20population%20in%201900&pg=PA34&output=embed" width=500 height=500></iframe>

[4] Examples:
Selvik, Kjetil; Stenslie, Stig (2011). Stability and Change in the Modern Middle East. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 117. ISBN 978-0-85771-966-9.

Brown, James (2012). Crossing The Strait: Morocco, Gibraltar and Great Britain in the 18th and 19th Centuries. Brill. p. 73. ISBN 978-90-04-20893-3.

Miller, Susan Gilson (2013). A History of Modern Morocco. Cambridge University Press. p. 30. ISBN 978-1-139-61911-0.

Naylor, Phillip C. (2015). North Africa, Revised Edition: A History from Antiquity to the Present. University of Texas Press. p. 182. ISBN 978-0-292-76190-2.
Various authors also refer to this in other terms such as Alawi Morocco. See for example:
Joffé, George, ed. (2023). Routledge Handbook on the Modern Maghrib. Routledge. p. 20. ISBN 978-0-429-99964-2.

Pennell, C. R. (2013). Morocco: From Empire to Independence. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 978-1-78074-455-1.

[5] Selvik, Kjetil; Stenslie, Stig (2011). Stability and Change in the Modern Middle East. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 117. ISBN 978-0-85771-966-9.

[6] Brown, James (2012). Crossing The Strait: Morocco, Gibraltar and Great Britain in the 18th and 19th Centuries. Brill. p. 73. ISBN 978-90-04-20893-3.

[7] Miller, Susan Gilson (2013). A History of Modern Morocco. Cambridge University Press. p. 30. ISBN 978-1-139-61911-0.

[8] Naylor, Phillip C. (2015). North Africa, Revised Edition: A History from Antiquity to the Present. University of Texas Press. p. 182. ISBN 978-0-292-76190-2.

[9] Joffé, George, ed. (2023). Routledge Handbook on the Modern Maghrib. Routledge. p. 20. ISBN 978-0-429-99964-2.

[10] Pennell, C. R. (2013). Morocco: From Empire to Independence. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 978-1-78074-455-1.

[5] Bosworth, Clifford Edmund (2004). "The 'Alawid or Filali Sharifs". The New Islamic Dynasties: A Chronological and Genealogical Manual. Edinburgh University Press. ISBN 9780748621378.

[:0-6] Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[7] Abun-Nasr, Jamil (1987). A history of the Maghrib in the Islamic period. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0521337674.

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