Mohammed III of Morocco
Encyclopedia
Mohammed Ben Abdellah al-Khatib (c. 1710-1790) was Sultan
of Morocco
from 1757 to 1790 under the Alaouite dynasty
. He was the governor
of Marrakech
around 1750 and was the son of Sultan Abdallah IV who reigned 1745-1757. He was also sultan briefly during 1748.
. He revived the city of Essaouira
and invited Jews and English to trade there. He also built the old medina
of Casablanca
(Derb Tazi) and renovated the kasbah
of Marrakesh. Mohammed III used numerous European technicians and architects for his projects, such as Théodore Cornut
and the Englishman Ahmed el Inglizi
.
Mohammed ben Abdallah also took steps to remove the foreign presence on Moroccan coasts. He repulsed the French in the 1765 Larache expedition
. He conquered Mazagan
from the Portuguese in 1769. However, the Siege of Melilla (1774)
against the Spanish ended in defeat in 1775 when British aid failed to materialize.
Under Mohammed III, Morocco became the first country to recognize the United States
as an independent nation, in 1777. President George Washington
wrote Mohammed in 1789 asking him for aid in allowing American ships to navigate nearby waters.
(or Abou Fares Abdellah) was a Saadi dynasty
sultan
from 1603 to 1607.
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...
from 1757 to 1790 under 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...
. He was the governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
of Marrakech
Marrakech
Marrakech or Marrakesh , known as the "Ochre city", is the most important former imperial city in Morocco's history...
around 1750 and was the son of Sultan Abdallah IV who reigned 1745-1757. He was also sultan briefly during 1748.
Rule
A more open-minded ruler than many of his forebears, he signed numerous peace treaties with the European powers, and curtailed the power of the Barbary corsairsBarbary corsairs
The Barbary Corsairs, sometimes called Ottoman Corsairs or Barbary Pirates, were pirates and privateers who operated from North Africa, based primarily in the ports of Tunis, Tripoli and Algiers. This area was known in Europe as the Barbary Coast, a term derived from the name of its Berber...
. He revived the city of Essaouira
Essaouira
Mogador redirects here, for the hamlet in Surrey see Mogador, Surrey.Essaouira is a city in the western Moroccan economic region of Marrakech-Tensift-Al Haouz, on the Atlantic coast. Since the 16th century, the city has also been known by its Portuguese name of Mogador or Mogadore...
and invited Jews and English to trade there. He also built the old medina
Medina quarter
A medina quarter is a distinct city section found in many North African cities. The medina is typically walled, contains many narrow and maze-like streets...
of Casablanca
Casablanca
Casablanca is a city in western Morocco, located on the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Grand Casablanca region.Casablanca is Morocco's largest city as well as its chief port. It is also the biggest city in the Maghreb. The 2004 census recorded a population of 2,949,805 in the prefecture...
(Derb Tazi) and renovated the kasbah
Kasbah
A kasbah or qassabah is a type of medina, Islamic city, or fortress .It was a place for the local leader to live and a defense when a city was under attack. A kasbah has high walls, usually without windows. Sometimes, they were built on hilltops so that they could be more easily defended...
of Marrakesh. Mohammed III used numerous European technicians and architects for his projects, such as Théodore Cornut
Théodore Cornut
Théodore Cornut, also Cornout, was a French mathematician and military architect of the 18th century, born in Avignon, who worked for the King of Morocco....
and the Englishman Ahmed el Inglizi
Ahmed el Inglizi
Ahmed el Inglizi , also Ahmed El Alj or Ahmed Laalaj , was an English renegade architect and engineer who worked for the Sultan of Morocco Mohammed ben Abdallah in the 18th century. As described by his surname "El Alj", Ahmed el Inglizi was a "renegade", i.e. he had abandoned Christianity for Islam...
.
Mohammed ben Abdallah also took steps to remove the foreign presence on Moroccan coasts. He repulsed the French in the 1765 Larache expedition
Larache expedition
The Larache expedition occurred in June 1765 when French Navy troops attacked the Moroccan city of Larache following a bombardment of Salé and Rabat...
. He conquered Mazagan
El Jadida
El Jadida is a port city on the Atlantic coast of Morocco, in the province of El Jadida. It has a population of 144,440...
from the Portuguese in 1769. However, the Siege of Melilla (1774)
Siege of Melilla (1774)
The Siege of Melilla was an attempt by the British-backed Sultanate of Morocco to capture the Spanish fortress of Melilla on the Moroccan Mediterranean coast. Mohammed ben Abdallah, then Sultan of Morocco, invested Melilla in December 1774 with a large army of Royal Moroccan soldiers and Algerian...
against the Spanish ended in defeat in 1775 when British aid failed to materialize.
Under Mohammed III, Morocco became the first country to recognize the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
as an independent nation, in 1777. President George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
wrote Mohammed in 1789 asking him for aid in allowing American ships to navigate nearby waters.
Other sultans named Mohammed III
Abdul Abdallah MohammedAbou Fares Abdallah
Abou Fares Abdallah was a ruler of the Saadi dynasty. He was one of the three sons of Ahmad al-Mansur and reigned in different parts of the country , the South, Marrakesh and Fez. He especially fought his brother Zidan Abu Maali ....
(or Abou Fares Abdellah) was a Saadi dynasty
Saadi Dynasty
The Saadi dynasty of Morocco , began with the reign of Sultan Mohammed ash-Sheikh in 1554, when he vanquished the last Wattasids at the Battle of Tadla....
sultan
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...
from 1603 to 1607.
See also
- Mohammed al-DuayfMohammed al-DuayfMohammed al-Duayf or Abu abd Allah Mohammad Al-murabit ben Abd as-Salam ben Ahmed ben Muhamad al-Duayyif al-Ribati was a Moroccan writer. He was born in Rabat in 1752 and is the author of Tarikh al Du'ayyif, an extremely important source on the life of Sultan Mohammed ben Abdallah...
- List of Kings of Morocco
- History of MoroccoHistory of MoroccoThe History of Morocco spans over 12 centuries, without considering the Classical antiquity. The country was first unified by the Idrisid dynasty in 780, representing the first Islamic state in Africa autonomous from the Arab Empire. Under the Almoravid dynasty and the Almohad dynasty, Morocco...