Saadi dynasty of Morocco السعديون (ar)
← (1509) 1554 – 1659 →
Flag
Extent of the Saadian empire during the reign of Ahmad al-Mansur
Capital	Marrakech
Religion	Sunni Islam
Government	1509-1554 : Principality 1554-1659 : Sultanate
Sultan
- 1509-1517	Abu Abdallah, Prince of Tagmadert
- 1544-1557	Mohammed Sheikh, first Sultan (1554)
- 1655-1659	Ahmad al-Abbas, last Sultan
History
- Established	1554
- Disestablished	1659

History of Morocco
This article is part of a series
Ancient Morocco Prehistoric and Berber Morocco Mauretania Tingitana
Early Islamic Morocco (7th C. – 11th C.) Umayyad Caliphate Barghawata Confederacy Emirate of Sijilmassa Idrisid kingdom Caliphate of Cordoba Fatimid Caliphate
Empire of Morocco (since 11th C.) Almoravid Empire Almohad Caliphate Kingdom of Marrakech, Kingdom of Fez, Imamate of the Souss, Oasis of Figuig, Kingdom of Sijilmassa, Land of Draa Kingdom of the Souss, Tekna Confederacy
European Protectorate (1912–1956) Treaty of Fez French Protectorate, Spanish Protectorate Rif Republic, Tangier Protocol
Modern Morocco (since 1956) Ifni War Sand War Green March Madrid Accords
Moroccan dynasties Idrisid dynasty Almoravid dynasty Almohad dynasty Marinid dynasty Wattasid dynasty Saadi dynasty Alaouite dynasty
Related Topics 1970s in Morocco 1980s in Morocco 1990s in Morocco 2000s in Morocco Economic history Military history Postal history Imperial cities
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The Saadi dynasty or Saadian dynasty (Arabic: سعديون), original name Bani Zaydan, were a dynasty of Arab descent that ruled Morocco from 1554 to 1659.

From 1509 to 1554 they had ruled only in the south of Morocco, officialized by the 1527 Treaty of Tadla. Their reign over Morocco began with the reign of Sultan Mohammed ash-Sheikh in 1554, when he vanquished the last Wattasids at the Battle of Tadla. The Saadian rule ended in 1659 with the end of the reign of Sultan Ahmad el Abbas

Origins[link]

The Saadī family claimed descent from Muhammad through the line of Ali ibn Abi Talib and Fatima Zahra (Muhammad's daughter). The Saadi came from Tagmadert in the valley of the Draa River. The family's village of origin in the Draa was Tidzi (a qsar, some 10 km north of Zagora).^[1] They claimed sharifian origins through an ancestor from Yanbu and rendered Sufism respectable in Morocco. The name Saadi or Saadian derives from "sa'ada" meaning hapiness or salvation. Others think it derives from the name Bani Zaydan or that it was given to the Bani Zaydan (shurafa of Tagmadert) by later generations and rivals for power, who tried to deny their Hassanid descent by claiming that they came from the family of Halimah Saadiyya, Muhammad's wet nurse.^[2] The most famous sultan of the Saadi was Ahmad al-Mansur (1578–1603), builder of the El Badi Palace in Marrakech and contemporary of Elizabeth I. One of their most important achievements was defeating the Portuguese at the Battle of Ksar El Kebir and defending the country against the Ottomans. Before they conquered Marrakech, they had Taroudant as their capital city.

The Saadian Tombs were rediscovered in 1917 and can be seen in Marrakech.

Chronology[link]

• 1509 : establishment of the Saadian Principality in Tagmadert ;
• 1511 : the Saadians receive the support of the Souss ;
• 1524 : the Saadians receive the support of the Hintata tribes, who control Marrakech ;
• 1527 : the Wattasids recognize the Saadian rule of southern Morocco through the Treaty of Tadla ;
• 1541 : the saadian army expels the Portuguese from Agadir, Azamor, Azafi and Arzila ;
• 1554 : Mohammed ash-Sheikh overthrows Ahmad el Abbas, the last wattasid Sultan ;
• 1561–1567 : annexation of the principalities of Tetouan, Chefchaouen and Debdou ;
• 1578 : Battle of Alcácer Quibir : Moroccan victory over the Portuguese army ;
• 1581 : conquest of the Touat ;
• 1591 : battle of Tondibi, conquest of the Songhai Empire ;
• 1603–1627 : civil war after the death of Ahmad al-Mansur, opposing three pretenders : Abou Fares Abdallah, Abou Fares Abdallah and Mohammed esh Sheikh el Mamun ; beginning of the decline of the Saadi Empire ;
• 1628 : reunification of Fes and Marrakech, but Saadians didn't retrieve the control over many territories : Rabat, Salé and Tetouan ruled by Andalusis, Tafilalet by the Alaouites, Oujda by the Ottomans and many other territories lost to warlords, Zaouias leaders and refractory tribes ; they lost gradually the control over the territories that remained under their rule until 1659, when they disappeared from the Moroccan political and military scenes.

Rulers[link]

1509–1554 : Saadian princes of Tagmadert[link]

• Abu Abdallah al-Qaim (1509–1517)
• Ahmad al-Araj (1517–1544)
• Mohammed ash-Sheikh (1544–1554)

1554–1659 : Saadian sultans of Morocco[link]

• Mohammed ash-Sheikh (1554–1557)
• Abdallah al-Ghalib (1557–1574)
• Abu Abdallah Mohammed II (1574–1576)
• Abu Marwan Abd al-Malik I (1576–1578)
• Ahmad al-Mansur (1578–1603)

1603–1627 : Succession war[link]

1627–1659 : Reunified rule[link]

• Abu Marwan Abd al-Malik II (r.1628–1631)
• Al Walid ibn Zidan (r.1631–1636)
• Mohammed esh Sheikh es Seghir (r.1636–1655)
• Ahmad el Abbas (r.1655–1659)

Timeline[link]

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 from:1544 till: 1554 color:w text:"Mohammed ash-Sheikh"

 from:1554 till: 1557 color:a text:"Mohammed ash-Sheikh"
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 from:1655 till: 1659 color:a text:"Ahmad el Abbas"

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See also[link]

• El Badi Palace
• Saadian Tombs
• Draa River
• History of Morocco
• List of Sunni Muslim dynasties

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• Rosander, E. Evers and Westerlund, David (1997). African Islam and Islam in Africa: Encounters Between Sufis and Islamists. C. Hurst & Co. Publishers. ISBN 1-85065-282-1
• History of Morocco
• Morocco in the Sixteenth Century. Problems and Patterns in African Foreign Policy by Dahiru Yahya, Canadian Journal of African Studies / Revue Canadienne des Études Africaines, Vol. 18, No. 1 (1984), pp. 252–253

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