Abdalmalik of Morocco
Encyclopedia
Abdalmalik was Sultan
of Morocco
in 1728, and member of the Alaouite Dynasty
.
, Abdalmalik was earmarked as his father's successor until he fell from favour and was replaced as heir by his half-brother Ahmed ed Dehebi in 1727. Ahmed ed Dehebi proved quite ineffective as a ruler, and when it became public that he was a drunkard, he was overthrown in a coup instigated by his own wives. Abdalmalik was proclaimed Sultan, but failed to prevent his brother's escape and made the mistake of criticising the fiercely loyal bukhari (the imperial black bodyguards). The bodyguard then threw their support behind the ousted Ahmed ed Dehebi, thus throwing Morocco into yet another civil war.
A compromise was reached between the brothers after bloody fighting, splitting Morocco into two kingdoms. Ahmed ed Dehebi was to have Meknes
for his capital while Abdalmalik was to rule from Fez
. Not content with this however, Abdalmalik arranged a face-to-face meeting with his brother with the intention of assassinating him.
The attempt failed and Abdalmalik was sent off under guard to a remote prison, where several weeks later he was assassinated.
Sultan
Sultan is a title with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", and "dictatorship", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who...
of Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
in 1728, and member of the Alaouite Dynasty
Alaouite Dynasty
The Alaouite Dynasty is the name of the current Moroccan royal family. The name Alaouite comes from the ‘Alī of its founder Moulay Ali Cherif who became Prince of Tafilalt in 1631. His son Mulay r-Rshid was able to unite and pacify the country...
.
Reign
Son of the notorious Moulay IsmailIsmail Ibn Sharif
Moulay Ismaïl Ibn Sharif was the second ruler of the Moroccan Alaouite dynasty. Like others of the dynasty, Ismaïl claimed to be a descendant of Muhammad through his roots to Hassan ibn Ali...
, Abdalmalik was earmarked as his father's successor until he fell from favour and was replaced as heir by his half-brother Ahmed ed Dehebi in 1727. Ahmed ed Dehebi proved quite ineffective as a ruler, and when it became public that he was a drunkard, he was overthrown in a coup instigated by his own wives. Abdalmalik was proclaimed Sultan, but failed to prevent his brother's escape and made the mistake of criticising the fiercely loyal bukhari (the imperial black bodyguards). The bodyguard then threw their support behind the ousted Ahmed ed Dehebi, thus throwing Morocco into yet another civil war.
A compromise was reached between the brothers after bloody fighting, splitting Morocco into two kingdoms. Ahmed ed Dehebi was to have Meknes
Meknes
Meknes is a city in northern Morocco, located from the capital Rabat and from Fes. It is served by the A2 expressway between those two cities and by the corresponding railway. Meknes was the capital of Morocco under the reign of Moulay Ismail , before it was relocated to Marrakech. The...
for his capital while Abdalmalik was to rule from Fez
Fes, Morocco
Fes or Fez is the second largest city of Morocco, after Casablanca, with a population of approximately 1 million . It is the capital of the Fès-Boulemane region....
. Not content with this however, Abdalmalik arranged a face-to-face meeting with his brother with the intention of assassinating him.
The attempt failed and Abdalmalik was sent off under guard to a remote prison, where several weeks later he was assassinated.