The Moroccan royal family tree is an ancient one. It’s filled to the brim with colorful figures and family lore that is nothing short of fantastical. With a history spanning several dynasties, the royal families of Morocco have borne witness to – and have had an active hand in – the histories of North Africa, the Iberian Peninsula, and the Strait of Gibraltar.
In our modern day and age, the royal family of Morocco is considered among the most influential in the world.
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Historical Background: Origins of the Moroccan Monarchy
The history of Morocco’s monarchy begins with, of all things, the Abbasid Caliphate. The empire was fractured, with an opposition of pro-Alid rebels attempting to overthrow the dynasty. The Alids themselves claimed to be descended from Muhammad by his cousin (and son-in-law) Ali ibn Abi Talib, the father of Hasan ibn Ali.
This sort of threat just didn’t sit right with the Abbasids.
After a crushing defeat in the Battle of Fakhkh, many Alid supporters, and Alids, fled the territories of the empire. They gravitate to regions where the Abbasid’s hold was weakest. One of these withdrawing Alids was Idris ibn Abd Allah I. Idris would establish Morocco’s earliest dynasty under the noses of the Abbasid and Umayyad Caliphates. By unexpectedly securing this area of the Maghreb, the Idrisid dynasty gave unforeseen opportunities for other individuals to step up to the challenge.
Moroccan Dynasties
Morocco has been ruled by numerous dynasties throughout its history. The oldest of these royal dynasties dates back to the 8th century. The youngest – and most current – Moroccan dynasty has been in power since the 17th century.
The royal dynasties of Morocco are as follows…
- Idrisid Dynasty
- Almoravid Dynasty
- Almohad Dynasty
- Marinid Dynasty
- Wattasid Dynasty
- Saadi Dynasty
- Alawi Dynasty
The current head of the ‘Alawi Dynasty is King Mohammed VI of Morocco. He has ruled as sovereign since 1999.
The Idrisid Dynasty (789–974)
The Idrisid Dynasty was the first dynasty to rule the Moroccan state. For much of their history, they competed directly with the Abbasid Caliphate. The Idrisids claimed lineage to the prophet Muhammad through his grandson, Hasan ibn Ali. Thus, their presence was vital to the spread of Islam in North Africa and the Iberian Peninsula.
Idris I
Idris ibn Abd Allah (Idris I) established the Idrisid Dynasty in 789 CE. He was one of many dissenters from the Abbasid Caliphate. Like numerous others, he sought shelter far out west. By the time he fled, he had already lost many of his male family members to the fighting.
The Kingdom of Morocco under the Idrisid Dynasty was established when Idris founded the city of Fez, which would become the capital posthumously. By 789, he had conquered swathes of lands in northern Morocco that once belonged to the Abbasid, gaining their ire. According to sources, Idris was killed by Abbasid assassins in 791 CE. His son, Idris II, would be born only months later.
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Idris II
Born after the death of his father, Idris came into the world as the only heir to a fledgling kingdom. He was raised by his mother’s kin, the Berber Awraba, and ruled under the regency of his father’s mawla, Rashid. Idris II ruled from 803 to 828 CE.
The Almoravid Dynasty (1040–1147)
The Almoravids were a Berber tribe from the Saharan Sanhaja confederation. They were united in the 10th century as a religious movement under the Maliki school of jurisprudence in Islam. After a series of conquests in central and southern Morocco and Al-Andalus, the dynasty came to blows with the Wagadu Empire and pre-Spanish realms. However, unlike their Idrisid predecessors, the Almoravids acknowledged the suzerainty of the Abbasid Caliphate.
Despite successful political maneuvers in their early years, the Almoravid Dynasty began to dwindle following several defeats by European foreign powers. The dynasty collapsed in 1147 after Almohad forces captured the capital of Marrakesh.
Yusuf ibn Tashfin
Yusuf ibn Tashfin was a military commander before he was an Almoravid king. Under his control, Morocco’s domains expanded further across the Maghreb, past the Atlas Mountains and into Al-Andalus. His conquests led to the integration of the Taifa kingdom of Seville into Almoravid territories. When all was said and done, Yusuf ibn Tashfin united the Muslim dominions of the Iberian Peninsula under his dynasty’s banner.
Ali ibn Yusuf
Ali ibn Yusuf ruled Morocco from 1106 to 1143. He was the fifth Almoravid ruler and the son of Yusuf ibn Tashfin. He successfully conquered the Taifa of Zaragoza in 1110. Eight years later, the territory was lost to Alfonso I of Aragon.
The Almohad Dynasty (1130–1269)
The Almohad Dynasty (the Mu’minid Dynasty) was at the heart of the Almohad Caliphate, which flourished from 1130 to 1269. This Berber dynasty began in the Masmuda confederation. They came into power after successfully toppling the former Almoravid Dynasty.
During the time of the Almohad Caliphate, there was a period of religious and political unrest as they reformed the government around the puritanical ideologies of Ibn Tumart. The legitimacy of the dynasty was based on the acclaimed relation Ibn Tumart had with Idris I of Morocco as his direct descendant. The Caliphate would remain the primary force in the Maghreb until its eventual decline in the 13th century. Until then, the Almohads expanded into Muslim Iberia, once held by the Almoravids, and Andalusia proper.
Abd al-Mu’min
Abd al-Mu’min was the founder of the Almohad Dynasty as a follower of the religious figure Ibn Tumart. He was the first Caliph of the young Almohad Caliphate and was responsible for laying the dynasty’s foundations. His name is eponymous with the Mu’minid Dynasty.
As the first caliph and the former second in command to the Mahdi Ibn Tumart, Abd al-Mu’min was responsible for the dynasty’s early victories and conquests. Under his supervision, Marrakesh was taken from the Almoravids as well as most of Morocco’s northwestern lands. In his expansion – and his enforcement of strict Almohad ideals – Abd al-Mu’min gained many enemies. These rivals included the remaining defunct Almoravids, members of the Almohad religious movement, tribal leaders, and the realms of Spain, Portugal, and Sicily.
Yaqub al-Mansur
Yaqub al-Mansur was a military commander and the third Almohad Caliph. He ruled during the Reconquista’s attempt to conquer the Iberian Peninsula, which he thwarted. It was actually on multiple occasions that Yaqub al-Mansur defeated European Christian forces in the Iberian Peninsula, with his main driving factor being the death of his father.
The legacy of Yaqub al-Mansur includes many marvelous architectural feats and constructions.
The Marinid Dynasty (1244–1465)
The Marinid Dynasty emerged from a nomadic Berber tribe that belonged to the Zenata confederation. Originally, they were subservient to the Almohad Empire – that is, until 1215. It was then that the Almohads had a series of losses against Iberian Christian states. The Marinids aimed to profit off of the declining dynasty’s failures. Thus, the Marinids began a string of rural conquests under the Almohad’s noses.
Early Marinid conquests were, all things considered, successes. Sure they were pushed back, but they were determined. In the nascent years of the Marinid Dynasty, they managed to capture major cities like Fez and Rabat. Their conquering of Marrakesh officially ended the Almohad rule, leaving the fledgling dynasty to try and pick up where they left off.
Abu Yusuf Ya’qub
Abu Yusuf Ya’qub was the Sultan of Morocco from 1258 to 1286. He was born to the founder of the Marinid Dynasty, Abd al-Haqq, and was his fourth son. His brother, Abu Yahya, was the sultan before him.
Abu Yusuf Ya’qub is remembered as having been the figure who captured the city of Marrakesh from the Almohads. He also led several expeditions and raids to Castilian Spain, notably surrounding the Andalusia region, in alliance with the Emirate of Granada. As Moroccan forces pushed further north into Spanish territories, several treaties were drafted and signed between the warring nations.
Abu Inan Faris
Abu Inan Faris became the Sultan of Morocco in 1348 when he took the throne following his father, Abu Al-Hasan ‘Ali ibn ‘Othman’s, defeat against revolting Maghreb tribes. When he came into power, the new sultan had to defeat his father in battle to solidify his premature claim. He also had to retake areas of the central Maghreb and the city of Tlemcen, which had also revolted under his father.
During Abu Inan Faris’ reign, the Black Death swept through North Africa. Spanish and Portuguese forces began pushing southward into northern Morocco. His rule, calamitous as it was, is considered the beginning of the end of Marinid influence in the country
The Saadian Dynasty (1549–1659)
The Saadian Dynasty rose to power in 1549, though it was influential in the Sous region of southern Morocco for over 30 years before the dynasty became royal. The Saadians claimed to be descended from the Prophet Mohammad through his great-great-grandson, Muhammad al-Nafs al-Zakiyya, to validate their rule.
Throughout the history of the Saadian Sultanate, the sovereigns had to cleverly find ways to extend their kingdom’s influence and prestige in the face of Portuguese expansion along the western coastline. That is to say that the rulers of the Saadian Dynasty put in significant efforts to restore Morocco as a major kingdom in North Africa. They found wealth in trans-Saharan trade and eventually formed a military strong enough to oust Portuguese colonization efforts from the region.
Ahmad al-Mansur (1549–1603)
Ahmad al-Mansur was the sixth Saadian Sultan. He was the son of the Saadian founder Mohammed al-Shaykh and his third wife, Lala ‘Auda. He became the head of the Sultanate after his elder brother, Sultan Abu Marwan Abd al-Malik I, fell in the Battle of Wadi al-Makhazin against Portuguese forces.
Ahmad forged alliances with various European powers, from England to France, during his reign to protect his country from the ever-encroaching Spanish authorities. The Sultan also maintained strained relations with the Ottoman Empire.
The Alaouite Dynasty (1666–present)
The Alaouite Dynasty (‘Alawi) was founded 393 years ago by Moulay Sharif. The Alaouites claim descent from the Prophet through his grandson, the Alid Hasan ibn Ali. On their rise to power, the dynasty had to contend with different regional factions that all strived to rule. The dynasty’s earliest sultans – Moulay Sharif and his sons Sidi Mohammed, Moulay Al-Rashid, and Moulay Ismail – had to work overtime to consolidate power in the monarchy.
Nowadays, the Alaouites have a lot less in-fighting to worry about. The current King of Morocco, Mohammed VI, is a popular figure in the country. And, thanks to tireless efforts by his grandfather and the people of Morocco, the nation has been independent of colonizing forces since 1956.
Moulay Ismail (1672–1727)
Moulay Ismail Ibn Sharif was the son of the founder of the Alaouite Dynasty, Sharif ibn Ali, the Emir of Tafilalt (Moulay Sharif). He was the third of his father’s sons to rule Morocco under the new dynasty. As is the case with most of the world’s royal dynasties, those of the Alaouite came into power during an extended period of unrest. After the Saadian succession crisis fractured most of Morocco, the realm was rife with rebellions.
If the Alaouite Dynasty were to survive, Moulay Ismail had to consolidate power somehow. And, it turns out “somehow” was just a hefty mix of military might and extreme persistence.
Stabilization of the country was performed by eliminating Moulay Ismail’s opposition. This meant those with claims to the throne, rebel tribes, and even Spanish forces were sought out and dealt with. By 1693, the monarchy was viewed as being stronger than ever before. Throughout the rest of his reign, which lasted until 1727, Moulay Ismail proceeded to try and expand Morocco’s borders and keep Spanish colonists out of the country.
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Sultan Mohammed V (1927–1961)
Sultan Mohammed V became sultan at 17 in 1927 and would be the last Sultan of Morocco. He was the second son of Sultan Yusef and his wife Lalla Yacout. Much of his legacy surrounds his leadership in the Moroccan Independence Movement, the Revolution of the King and the People. However, Moroccan independence from French and Spanish colonial rule would only come after World War II.
For his rebellion against the colonizing forces in his country, Mohammed V was sent into a short exile in 1953. His cousin, Mohammed Ben Aarafa, turbulently replaced him for two years. Upon his return in 1955, Mohammed V entered talks with the protector states to discuss Moroccan independence. The next year, the Treaty of Fez was overwritten and Morocco became independent. The year after that, Mohammed V became the first Moroccan king.
King Hassan II (1961–1999)
King Hassan II was born in 1929 to Sultan Mohammed V and his second wife (and first cousin), Lalla Abla bint Tahar. He was the firstborn and, later, the oldest male child of the Sultan. Thus, he was the heir to the throne, which he ascended to in 1961.
Of all his acts, Hassan II stands out in Moroccan history for his efforts to modernize the country. This is reflected in his 1962 drafting of Morocco’s first constitution, which describes Morocco as a democratic, constitutional monarchy. The constitution also established Islam as the state religion. However, the reign of Hassan II was also marred by the authoritarian power used to silence those opposed to the monarchy.
The Years of Lead were a period between the 1960s to the 1980s when Morocco was notorious for its human rights violations. Most of these violations came about from the government’s reaction and treatment of dissenters.
King Mohammed VI (1999–present)
The current monarch, King Mohammed VI, was born to King Hassan II and Princess Hajja Lalla Latifa in 1963. As the firstborn male of the ruling monarch, he was the heir apparent. He ascended the throne of Morocco in 1999.
Mohammed VI is known for his governmental, social, economic, and political reforms. These efforts have been a part of the monarchy’s attempt to further modernize Morocco, which has been especially evident following the 2011 Arab Awakening protests within the country. The events led to a redrafting of the constitution.
The Current Royal Family
The current royal family of Morocco are members of the Alaouite Dynasty. The current patriarch, King Mohammed VI, came into power in 1999 after the death of his father, King Hassan II. The Moroccan royal family consists of Mohammed VI, his siblings, and his children. As the king, Mohammed VI is considered Amir al-Mouminine (“Commander of the Faithful”).
King Mohammed VI
King Mohammed VI was the first-born son of Hassan II and his wife, Princess Hajja Lalla Latifa, and thus was heir to the Moroccan throne upon his birth in 1963. He is considered to be the richest African monarch. Of all monarchs around the world, he is regarded as the fourth wealthiest. His reign began in 1999 following the death of his father.
Thus far, Mohammed’s legacy includes his myriad national policies, business ventures, and efforts to contemporize Morocco. His 25 years as king have been filled with prosperity for Moroccans, although it has often been tainted with scandal. For example, holidays – both national and religious – mean that Mohammed continues the tradition of pardoning criminals. Which, as one can imagine, gets the king in hot water at times. Mohammed also has formed a penchant for being out of the capital, as discussed in the CSIS podcast, Babel: Translating the Middle East, “Morocco’s Missing King.”
Despite the King’s shortcomings, he is beloved within the country. His reforms, especially those enacted after the 2011 protests, have suggested that Mohammed has the interests of his countrymen at heart. That being said, Western Sahara remains a disputed territory and has been the subject of much debate throughout Mohammed VI’s reign.
Royal Family Members
Other major figures in the Moroccan royal family include the king’s two children with his former spouse, Lalla Salma, his four siblings, and other relatives.
They are as follows:
- Moulay Hassan, the Crown Prince of Morocco
- Lalla Khadija, daughter of King Mohammed VI
- Lalla Meryem, the elder sister of Mohammed VI
- Lalla Asma, the second sister of Mohammed VI
- Lalla Hasna, the third sister of Mohammed VI
- Prince Moulay Rachid, the brother of Mohammed VI
- Prince Moulay Hicham, son of Prince Moulay Abdallah and first cousin of Mohammed VI
- Lalla Zineb, daughter of Prince Moulay Abdallah and first cousin of Mohammed VI
- Prince Moulay Ismail, son of Prince Moulay Abdallah and first cousin of Mohammed VI
Wrapping Up the Moroccan Royal Family Tree
Understanding the Moroccan royal family tree is of utmost importance when attempting to unearth Morocco’s rich history. The royal families shaped the face of the nation and its politics for centuries. Much of the time, if not all of the time, their rule would act to enforce and uphold religious standards, which in turn directly impacted Moroccan society.
In more current times, the royal family of Morocco continues to act as the face of the nation on an international stage. Their image is synonymous with Morocco, and Moroccans take great pride in the success and achievements of their monarchy.