Abderrahmane of Morocco

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Moulay Abderrahmane (Arabic: عبد الرحمن) was sultan of Morocco from 1822 to 1859. He was a member of the Alaouite dynasty.

[edit] Biography

He was born in 1778. His reign began at the start of the French occupation of Algeria. Morocco supported the Algerian resistance movement led by the Kabylian hero Emir Abdelkader during this period.

In 1856, Moulay Abderrahmane established the souk of Zraqten on the north side of the High Atlas, adding to territory in southern Morocco controlled by the Glaouis, who were caids ruling various southern areas from the 1700's until Moroccan independence in 1956, after originally settling in Telouet to establish a souk. They would tax caravans travelling from the Sahara and Tafilalt regions as well as taxing goods sold locally.

In the walled desert city of Smara, the kasbah "Citadel of Liberty" (established in 1887 by Cheikh Ma El Aïnin) resisted attacks against Moroccan Sahara tribes by many invaders, including Moulay Abderrahmane. It was attacked in 1913 by the French and also occupied by the Spanish for a day.

The Agdal Gardens, a two-square-mile irrigated garden offering the shade of hundreds of fruit trees amidst the hot desert lands, had been established by the Almoravids in the 12th century and enlarged several times in the days of the Saadians. It was revamped and encircled by ramparts under Moulay Abderrahmane's reign.

Abderrahmane was succeeded by Mohammed IV of Morocco.