Abdelhafid of Morocco ( ar, عبد الحفيظ بن الحسن العلوي) or Moulay Abdelhafid (24 February 1875
[ – 4 April 1937)] ( ar, عبد الحفيظ, links=no) was the Sultan of Morocco
This is the list of rulers of Morocco, since the establishment of the state in 789. The common and formal titles of these rulers has varied, depending on the time period. Since 1957, the designation King has been used.
The present King of Moroc ...
from 1908 to 1912 and a member of the Alaouite Dynasty. His younger brother, Abdelaziz of Morocco, preceded him. While Mulai Abdelhafid initially opposed his brother for giving some concessions to foreign powers, he himself became increasingly backed by the French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
and finally signed the protectorate treaty giving ''de facto'' control of the country to France.
Hafidiya
After his brother Abdelaziz appointed him as caliph of Marrakesh
Marrakesh or Marrakech ( or ; ar, مراكش, murrākuš, ; ber, ⵎⵕⵕⴰⴽⵛ, translit=mṛṛakc}) is the fourth largest city in the Kingdom of Morocco. It is one of the four Imperial cities of Morocco and is the capital of the Marrakes ...
, Abdelhafid sought to have him overthrown by fomenting distrust over Abdelaziz's European ties. Abdelhafid was aided by Madani al-Glaoui, older brother of T'hami, one of the Caids of the Atlas. He was assisted in the training of his troops by Andrew Belton (Kaid)
Andrew Belton (17 April 1882 – 1970) was a British Army officer and veteran of campaigns in South Africa and Morocco. He was an early exponent of the use of aircraft for military purposes, enrolling at the Chicago School of Aviation in Apr ...
, a British officer and veteran of the Second Boer War
The Second Boer War ( af, Tweede Vryheidsoorlog, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, the Anglo–Boer War, or the South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer Republics (the So ...
. In February 1908, Abdelhafid was proclaimed the Sultan of Fes. For a brief period, Abdelaziz reigned from Rabat
Rabat (, also , ; ar, الرِّبَاط, er-Ribât; ber, ⵕⵕⴱⴰⵟ, ṛṛbaṭ) is the capital city of Morocco and the country's seventh largest city with an urban population of approximately 580,000 (2014) and a metropolitan populatio ...
while Abdelhafid reigned in Marrakesh
Marrakesh or Marrakech ( or ; ar, مراكش, murrākuš, ; ber, ⵎⵕⵕⴰⴽⵛ, translit=mṛṛakc}) is the fourth largest city in the Kingdom of Morocco. It is one of the four Imperial cities of Morocco and is the capital of the Marrakes ...
and Fes. In August 1908 Abdelaziz was defeated in battle. In 1909, Abdelhafid became the recognized leader of Morocco
Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to A ...
.
Writing contemporaneously about his rule in 1909, George Frederick Andrews says that Abdelhafid "must play a very shrewd game. To maintain his authority over the tribes he must continue to appear decidedly anti-European in his feelings and his policy. On the other hand he must have money and the money must come from Europe. Also he knows that Morocco must submit to such reforms as have been decreed by the conference of the powers."
Treaty of Fes
In 1911, rebellion broke out against the Sultan. This led to the Agadir Crisis, also known as the Second Moroccan Crisis. These events led Abdelhafid to abdicate after signing the Treaty of Fes on 30 March 1912,[W. Harris, "Morocco That Was", ] which made Morocco
Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to A ...
a French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
protectorate
A protectorate, in the context of international relations, is a state that is under protection by another state for defence against aggression and other violations of law. It is a dependent territory that enjoys autonomy over most of its in ...
. He signed his abdication only when on the quay in Rabat, with the ship that would take him to France already waiting. After an extended visit to France, where he received a great deal of attention from the press, he returned to Morocco and was exiled to the Dar el Makhzen (Sultanate Palace) in Tangier
Tangier ( ; ; ar, طنجة, Ṭanja) is a city in northwestern Morocco. It is on the Moroccan coast at the western entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar, where the Mediterranean Sea meets the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Spartel. The town is the capi ...
.
His brother Yusef
Yusuf ibn Ya'qub ibn Ishaq ibn Ibrahim ( ar, يوسف ٱبن يعقوب ٱبن إسحاق ٱبن إبراهيم, Yūsuf ibn Yaʿqūb ibn ʾIsḥāq ibn ʾIbrāhīm, ) is a prophet mentioned in the Quran, and corresponds to Joseph, a perso ...
was proclaimed Sultan by the French administration several months later (13 August 1912). Yusef was chosen by some dignitaries of Rabat
Rabat (, also , ; ar, الرِّبَاط, er-Ribât; ber, ⵕⵕⴱⴰⵟ, ṛṛbaṭ) is the capital city of Morocco and the country's seventh largest city with an urban population of approximately 580,000 (2014) and a metropolitan populatio ...
[ which wasn't the capital of Morocco at the time.
]
Despotism
Muhammad al-Kattani, the influential Sufi poet and activist of Fes, was captured, tortured, and beaten to death in front of his wives and children in 1909.
In 1910, Lalla Batoul, a Fesi aristocrat and the wife of a former governor of Fes and supporter of Abdelaziz, was tortured. She was chained to the wall in a crucifixion position, completely naked with her breasts seized in a vice, and whipped and interrogated about the whereabouts of her husband's fortune under the direct supervision of Abdelhafid. Walter Burton Harris reported on the incident in an article published in the '' Times of Morocco''.
Retirement
Following the Treaty of Fes and the establishment of the French protectorate in Morocco
The French protectorate in Morocco (french: Protectorat français au Maroc; ar, الحماية الفرنسية في المغرب), also known as French Morocco, was the period of French colonial rule in Morocco between 1912 to 1956. The prote ...
, Hubert Lyautey persuaded Abd al-Hafid to abdicate against the payment of a massive pension. While his successor Yusef
Yusuf ibn Ya'qub ibn Ishaq ibn Ibrahim ( ar, يوسف ٱبن يعقوب ٱبن إسحاق ٱبن إبراهيم, Yūsuf ibn Yaʿqūb ibn ʾIsḥāq ibn ʾIbrāhīm, ) is a prophet mentioned in the Quran, and corresponds to Joseph, a perso ...
escaped the instability in Fez and relocated to the Dar al-Makhzen palace in Rabat
Rabat (, also , ; ar, الرِّبَاط, er-Ribât; ber, ⵕⵕⴱⴰⵟ, ṛṛbaṭ) is the capital city of Morocco and the country's seventh largest city with an urban population of approximately 580,000 (2014) and a metropolitan populatio ...
, Abd al-Hafid chose to live in Tangier
Tangier ( ; ; ar, طنجة, Ṭanja) is a city in northwestern Morocco. It is on the Moroccan coast at the western entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar, where the Mediterranean Sea meets the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Spartel. The town is the capi ...
where he used part of his pension to build an opulent mansion, the Moulay Hafid Palace, completed in 1914. The complex was later purchased by Italian interest and is now also known as the "Palace of Italian Institutions" (french: palais des institutions italiennes).
Marriages and children
By marriage Moulay Abd al-Hafid is so far recorded to have had six children. He wedded three women:
# Lalla Rabia bint Madani el Glaoui, they married around 1905 and she died in 1924. together they had two sons and two daughters, among them:
#* Moulay Idriss (b. 1905).
#* Lalla Amina, in her first marriage she married Moulay Mohammed al-Hassan ben Yusef
Yusuf ibn Ya'qub ibn Ishaq ibn Ibrahim ( ar, يوسف ٱبن يعقوب ٱبن إسحاق ٱبن إبراهيم, Yūsuf ibn Yaʿqūb ibn ʾIsḥāq ibn ʾIbrāhīm, ) is a prophet mentioned in the Quran, and corresponds to Joseph, a perso ...
and in her second marriage she wedded Moulay Lafchar el Alaoui.
# Lalla Rabaha bint Mohammed el Zayyani, they married in December 1907. Whether they issued children is not stated.
# Lalla Ruqiya bint Mohammed al-Moqri, they married in July 1910. Together they had:
#* Moulay Slimane Hafidi;
#* Sidi Mohammed (b. 1917).
Death
Abd al-Hafid died in Enghien-les-Bains
Enghien-les-Bains () is a commune in the northern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris, in the département of Val-d'Oise.
Enghien-les-Bains is famous as a spa resort and a well-to-do suburb of Paris, developed i ...
, France, on 4 April 1937. His body was transported to Fez, where he was buried in the royal necropolis of the Moulay Abdallah Mosque.
Honors
* Grand Cross of the Legion d'Honneur of France (1909)
See also
* List of Kings of Morocco
* History of Morocco
History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as wel ...
References
External links
Morocco Alaoui dynasty
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Abdelhafid Of Morocco
1873 births
1937 deaths
19th-century Arabs
19th-century Moroccan people
'Alawi dynasty
Monarchs who abdicated
Moroccan people of Arab descent
People from Fez, Morocco
People from Marrakesh
Sultans of Morocco