The Mascara campaign of 1699–1701 was launched by Moulay Zidan, son of the Moroccan Sultan

Moulay Ismail Moulay Ismail Ibn Sharif (, – 22 March 1727) was a Sultan of Morocco from 1672 to 1727, as the second ruler of the 'Alawi dynasty. He was the seventh son of Moulay Sharif and was governor of the province of Fez and the north of Morocco from ...

, to capture the Beylik of Mascara, situated in the west of the

Regency of Algiers The Regency of Algiers was an Early modern period, early modern semi-independent Administrative divisions of the Ottoman Empire, Ottoman province and nominal Tributary states of the Ottoman Empire, vassal state on the Barbary Coast of North Afr ...

. This episode, which ended in 1701 with the Moroccan's defeat at the Battle of Chelif, reopened the hostilities between the Sherifian Empire and the Regency of Algiers.

Campaign

Sometime between 1699 and 1700, Sultan Moulay Ismail ibn Sharif instructed his son Moulay Zidan, to whom he entrusted the command of the province of

Taza Taza () is a city in northern Morocco occupying the corridor between the Rif mountains and Middle Atlas mountains, about 120 km east of Fez and 150 km south of Al Hoceima. It recorded a population of 148,406 in the 2019 Moroccan ...

, to launch an offensive against the Algerians, in coordination with an offensive by the

Bey of Tunis Bey, also spelled as Baig, Bayg, Beigh, Beig, Bek, Baeg, Begh, or Beg, is a Turkic languages, Turkic title for a chieftain, and a royal, aristocratic title traditionally applied to people with special lineages to the leaders or rulers of various ...

Murad III Murad III (; ; 4 July 1546 – 16 January 1595) was the sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1574 until his death in 1595. His rule saw battles with the Habsburg monarchy, Habsburgs and exhausting wars with the Safavid Iran, Safavids. The long-inde ...

on the

Beylik of Constantine The Beylik of Constantine (), Beylik of the Sunrise or Beylik of the East ( or ) as was its official designation, was one of the three Beyliks of the Regency of Algiers (the other two being the Beylik of Titteri, also known as the Beylik of M� ...

, which triggered a two front war against the Deylik of Algiers. After dismissing his son, Moulay Ismail resumed the campaign and led in person another offensive against the Algerians in 1701.Histoire générale de l'Algérie
P.554. Henri Garrot Impr. P. Crescenzo, After crossing the Algerian border, he was defeated at the Battle of Chelif.

References

{{reflist 17th century in the Regency of Algiers 17th century in Morocco 18th century in the Regency of Algiers 18th century in Morocco Battles involving the Regency of Algiers Battles involving Morocco History of Mascara Province 1699 in Africa 1700 in Africa 1701 in Africa Conflicts in 1699 Conflicts in 1700 Conflicts in 1701 Algeria–Morocco military relations