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{{Short description|Ruling dynasty of Morocco since 1631}}
{{about|the Moroccan royal family|the pre-colonial history of Morocco under Alawi rule|Alawi Sultanate|the sect of Shia Islam|Alawites||}}
{{distinguish|Muhammad Ali dynasty{{!}}Alawiyya dynasty}}
{{Royal house
| name = 'Alawi dynasty
| native_name = {{lang|ar|سلالة العلويين الفيلاليين}}
| titles = [[Sultan]] (1631–1957)<br />[[King of Morocco]] (1957–present)
| styles = [[Amir al-Mu'minin]]
| parent house = [[Hasanids]]
| country = [[Morocco]]
| founder = [[Sharif ibn Ali|Sharif bin Ali]] (died 1659)
| current head = [[Mohammed VI of Morocco|Mohammed VI]]
| founding year = {{Start date and age|1631}}
}}
{{Moroccan Royal Family}}
The '''{{'}}Alawi dynasty''' ({{langx|ar|سلالة العلويين الفيلاليين|translit=sulālat al-ʿalawiyyīn al-fīlāliyyīn}}) – also rendered in English as '''Alaouite''', '''{{'}}Alawid''',<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":0" /> or '''Alawite'''<ref name=":15" /> – is the current [[Morocco|Moroccan]] royal family and reigning [[dynasty]]. They are an Arab [[Sharifism|Sharifian]] dynasty and claim descent from the Islamic prophet [[Muhammad]] through his grandson, [[Hasan ibn Ali]].<ref name=":8">{{Cite web |title=العلويون/الفيلاليون في المغرب |url=http://www.hukam.net/family.php?fam=90 |access-date=2022-04-06 |website=www.hukam.net}}</ref> Their ancestors originally migrated to the [[Tafilalt]] region, in present-day Morocco, from [[Yanbu]] on the coast of the [[Hejaz]] in the 12th or 13th century.<ref name=":9">{{cite book |last1=Messier |first1=Ronald A. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RubuBwAAQBAJ&dq=yanbu+alaouite&pg=PT308 |title=The Last Civilized Place: Sijilmasa and Its Saharan Destiny |last2=Miller |first2=James A. |publisher=University of Texas Press |year=2015 |isbn=978-0-292-76667-9 |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":11">{{Cite book |last=Morrow |first=John Andrew |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EWQOEAAAQBAJ&dq=yanbu+alawi&pg=PA66 |title=Shi'ism in the Maghrib and al-Andalus, Volume One: History |publisher=Cambridge Scholars Publishing |year=2020 |isbn=978-1-5275-6284-4 |pages=66 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=2019-11-04 |title=ينـبع النـخـل .. لا نـبع ولا نـخل - أخبار السعودية {{!}} صحيفة عكاظ |url=https://www.okaz.com.sa/article/403197?ts=1556176621 |access-date=2022-04-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191104194352/https://www.okaz.com.sa/article/403197?ts=1556176621 |archive-date=2019-11-04}}</ref>

The dynasty rose to power in the 17th century, beginning with [[Sharif ibn Ali|Mawlay al-Sharif]] who was declared [[sultan]] of the Tafilalt in 1631. His son [[Al-Rashid of Morocco|Al-Rashid]], ruling from 1664 to 1672, was able to unite and pacify the country after a long period of regional divisions caused by the weakening of the [[Saadi Sultanate]], establishing the [[Alawi Sultanate]] that succeeded it. His brother [[Ismail Ibn Sharif|Isma'il]] presided over a period of strong central rule between 1672 and 1727, one of the longest reigns of any Moroccan sultan. After Isma'il's death, the country was plunged into disarray as his sons fought over his succession, but order was re-established under the long reign of [[Mohammed ben Abdallah|Muhammad ibn Abdallah]] in the second half of the 18th century. The 19th century was marked by the growing influence of European powers.

The 'Alawis ruled as sovereign [[sultans]] up until 1912, when the [[French protectorate in Morocco|French protectorate]] and [[Spanish protectorate in Morocco|Spanish protectorate]] were imposed on Morocco. They were retained as symbolic sultans under [[Colonialism|colonial]] rule. When the country regained its independence in 1956, [[Mohammed V of Morocco|Mohammed V]], who had supported the nationalist cause, resumed the 'Alawi role as independent head of state. Shortly afterwards, in 1957, he adopted the title of "King" instead of "Sultan".<ref>{{Cite book |last=Jones |first=Barry |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FIopDwAAQBAJ&dq=morocco+king+sultan+title+1957&pg=PA591 |title=Dictionary of World Biography: Fourth edition |publisher=ANU Press |year=2017 |isbn=978-1-76046-126-3 |pages=591 |language=en}}</ref> His successors, [[Hassan II of Morocco|Hassan II]] and [[Mohammed VI of Morocco|Mohammed VI]] (the current reigning monarch), have continued the dynasty's rule under the same title. Today, the [[Moroccan government]] is officially a [[constitutional monarchy]],<ref name=":03">{{Cite web |title=Morocco {{!}} History, Map, Flag, Capital, People, & Facts {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Morocco |access-date=2022-09-20 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":13">{{Cite web |date=12 September 2022 |title=Morocco; Government |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/morocco/#government |access-date=September 21, 2022 |website=The World Factbook |publisher=Central Intelligence Agency}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Daadaoui |first=M. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=v5bWCwAAQBAJ&dq=morocco+constitutional+monarchy+-wikipedia&pg=PA61 |title=Moroccan Monarchy and the Islamist Challenge: Maintaining Makhzen Power |publisher=Springer |year=2011 |isbn=978-0-230-12006-8 |pages=61 |language=en |quote=The dominance of the monarchy in the sociopolitical arena is further institutionalized in the Moroccan constitution, which effectively diffuses makhzenite authority into three separate branches: executive, legislative, and judicial. While this separation of powers is informed by western style government, it does effectively place all powers under the iron grip of the monarch. Article 1 of the constitution promulgating a constitutional monarchy in Morocco is misleading, insofar as the king is not a figurehead acting as a symbol of unity for Moroccans. In fact the constitution, amended five times since the independence, has largely served to the traditional prerogatives of the monarchy.}}</ref> but the king retains strong [[Authoritarianism|authoritarian]] power over the state and public affairs, despite some political reforms in recent decades.<ref name=":46">{{Cite book |last=Gilson Miller |first=Susan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vochAwAAQBAJ&pg=PP1 |title=A History of Modern Morocco |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=2013 |isbn=9781139619110 |pages=235–236 |quote=The most important innovations, however, were the limitations on the king's ability to intervene in day-to-day politics. While the king's role as "supreme arbiter" of political life remained unquestioned, the new [2011] constitution enhanced the legislative powers of the parliament and increased the independence of the judiciary, moving at least in spirit toward a separation of powers. What it did not do was to unequivocally limit the king's preponderant influence over public affairs, or move Morocco closer to becoming a parliamentary monarchy; in other words, it stopped short of remaking Muhammad VI into "a king who reigns but does not rule."}}</ref><ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite book |last=Sater |first=James N. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YxAzDAAAQBAJ |title=Morocco: Challenges to tradition and modernity |publisher=Routledge |year=2016 |isbn=978-1-317-57398-2 |pages=104 |language=en |quote=Recent reforms, including constitutional reform and the appointment of the PJD government in 2011, have only perpetuated the lack of meaningful political participation and supported authoritarianism. Ironically, reforms have multiplied the resources available to Morocco's monarchical institution to control the political sphere, creating the image of the Janus yet also an impasse.}}</ref><ref name=":12">{{Cite news |date=16 May 2017 |title=Analysis {{!}} Why Jordan and Morocco are doubling down on royal rule |language=en-US |newspaper=Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2017/05/16/why-jordan-and-morocco-are-doubling-down-on-royal-rule/ |access-date=2022-09-20 |issn=0190-8286}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2022 |title=Morocco: Freedom in the World 2022 Country Report |url=https://freedomhouse.org/country/morocco/freedom-world/2022 |access-date=2022-09-21 |website=Freedom House |language=en}}</ref>

== Name and etymology ==
The dynasty claims descent from [[Muhammad]] via [[Hasan ibn Ali|Hasan]], the son of [[Ali]]. The name '''Alawi'' ({{Langx|ar|علوي}}) stems either from the name of Ali (the father of Hasan),<ref>{{Cite book|last=Rézette|first=Robert|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jyw6QbFX7HcC&q=The+name+Alaouite+comes+from+the+Ali&pg=PA47|title=The Western Sahara and the Frontiers of Morocco|publisher=Nouvelles Editions Latines|year=1975|pages=47|language=en|quote=Moulay Rachid who really founded the dynasty in 1664, was born in Tafilalet of a family that had come from Arabia}}</ref> from which the dynasty ultimately traces its descent, or from the name of the dynasty's early founder [[Sharif ibn Ali|Ali al-Sharif]] of the [[Tafilalt]].<ref name=":0522" /> Historians sometimes also refer to the dynasty as the "Filali Sharifs", in reference to their origin from the Tafilalt.<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite book |last=Hasan |first=Masudul |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZFMkAQAAIAAJ&q=Filali+sharifs |title=History of Islam: Classical period, 1206-1900 C.E |publisher=Adam Publishers & Distributors |year=1998 |pages=422 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Fage |first1=John |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mXa4AQAAQBAJ&pg=PA182 |title=A History of Africa |last2=Tordoff |first2=with William |publisher=Routledge |year=2013 |isbn=978-1-317-79727-2 |pages=182 |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":052" />

The honorific title ''mawlay'' (also transliterated as ''mulay'' or ''moulay''), meaning "my lord", was also commonly used in conjunction with the names of sultans.<ref name=":05">{{Cite book|last=Campo|first=Juan Eduardo|title=The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Islamic World|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2009|isbn=9780195305135|editor-last=Esposito|editor-first=John L.|chapter=Mawlā}}</ref>

== Origins ==
The 'Alawis were a family of [[sharif]]ian religious notables (or ''shurafa'') who claimed descent from [[Muhammad]] via his grandson [[Hasan ibn Ali|Hasan]], the son of [[Ali]] and of Muhammad's daughter [[Fatimah]].<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":0522" /> Like the Sa'di dynasty before them, the 'Alawis originally came from the village of [[Yanbu|Yanbu al-Nakhil]] in the [[Hejaz]] region of [[Arabian Peninsula|Arabia]].<ref name=":11" /><ref name=":9" /> According to the dynasty's official historians, the family migrated from the Hijaz to the Tafilalt during the 12th or 13th century at the request of the locals who hoped that the presence of a sharifian family would benefit the region. It is possible that the 'Alawis were merely one of many Arab families who moved westwards to Morocco during this period. The Tafilalt was an [[oasis]] region in the [[Ziz River|Ziz Valley]] in eastern Morocco and the site of [[Sijilmasa]], historically an important terminus of the [[trans-Saharan trade]] routes.<ref name=":2">{{Cite book|last=Bosworth|first=Clifford Edmund|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mKpz_2CkoWEC&q=new+islamic+dynasties|title=The New Islamic Dynasties: A Chronological and Genealogical Manual|publisher=Edinburgh University Press|year=2004|isbn=9780748621378|location=|pages=|chapter=The 'Alawid or Filali Sharifs}}</ref><ref name=":0522">{{Cite book|last=Bennison|first=Amira K.|title=Encyclopaedia of Islam, Third Edition|publisher=Brill|year=2007|isbn=9789004150171|editor-last=Fleet|editor-first=Kate|location=|pages=|chapter=ʿAlawī dynasty|editor2-last=Krämer|editor2-first=Gudrun|editor3-last=Matringe|editor3-first=Denis|editor4-last=Nawas|editor4-first=John|editor5-last=Rowson|editor5-first=Everett}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last=Wilfrid|first=J. Rollman|title=The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Islamic World|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2009|isbn=9780195305135|editor-last=Esposito|editor-first=John L.|chapter=ʿAlawid Dynasty}}</ref>

Little is known of 'Alawi history prior to the 17th century.<ref name=":0" /> In the early 15th century they appear to have had a reputation as holy warriors, but did not yet have a political status. This was the example of one family member, Ali al-Sharif (not to be confused with the later 'Alawi by the same name below), who participated in battles against the [[Portugal|Portuguese]] and Spanish in [[Ceuta]] and [[Tangier]] and who was also invited by the [[Nasrid dynasty|Nasrids]] of [[Granada]] to fight against [[Kingdom of Castile|Castile]] on the [[Iberian Peninsula]].<ref name=":15">{{cite book|last=Abun-Nasr|first=Jamil|title=A history of the Maghrib in the Islamic period|publisher=Cambridge University Press|year=1987|isbn=0521337674|location=Cambridge}}</ref>{{Rp|228}} By the 17th century, however, they had evidently become the main leaders of the Tafilalt.<ref name=":0" />

Their status as ''shurafa'' (descendants of Muhammad) was part of the reason for their success, as in this era many communities in Morocco increasingly saw sharifian status as the best claim to political legitimacy. The Saadian dynasty, which ruled Morocco in the 16th century and early 17th century prior to the rise of the 'Alawis, was also a sharifian dynasty and played an important role in establishing this model of political-religious legitimacy.<ref name=":20">{{Cite book|last=Rivet|first=Daniel|title=Histoire du Maroc: de Moulay Idrîs à Mohammed VI|publisher=Fayard|year=2012}}</ref><ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2" /><ref name=":15" />{{Rp|228}}

== Political history ==

=== Rise to power ===
The family's rise to power took place in the context of early-to-mid-17th century Morocco, when the power of the Saadian sultans of [[Marrakesh]] was in serious decline and multiple regional factions fought for control of the country. Among the most powerful of these factions were the [[Zawiya Dila'iya|Dala'iyya]] (also spelled Dila'iyya or Dilaites), a federation of [[Berbers|Amazigh]] (Berbers) in the [[Middle Atlas]] who increasingly dominated central Morocco at this time, reaching the peak of their power in the 1640s. Another, was 'Ali Abu Hassun al-Semlali (or Abu Hassun), who had become leader of the [[Sous|Sous valley]] since 1614.<ref name=":15" />{{Rp|222, 228}} When Abu Hassun extended his control to the [[Tafilalt]] region in 1631, the Dala'iyya in turn sent forces to enforce their own influence in the area. The local inhabitants chose as their leader the 'Alawi family head, [[Sharif ibn Ali|Muhammad al-Sharif]] – known as Mawlay Ali al-Sharif,<ref name=":0522" /> Mawlay al-Sharif, or Muhammad&nbsp;I<ref name=":2" /> – recognizing him as [[Sultan]].<ref name=":15" />{{Rp|222, 228}} Mawlay al-Sharif led an attack against Abu Hassun's garrison at Tabu'samt in 1635 or 1636 (1045&nbsp;AH) but failed to expel them. Abu Hassun forced him to go into exile to the Sous valley, but also treated him well; among other things, Abu Hassun gifted him a slave concubine who later gave birth to one of his sons, [[Ismail Ibn Sharif|Mawlay Isma'il]].<ref name=":15" />{{Rp|228}}<ref name=":20" />{{Rp|224}}

While their father remained in exile, al-Sharif's sons took up the struggle. His son [[Muhammad ibn Sharif|Sidi Mohammed]] (or Muhammad&nbsp;II<ref name=":2" />), became the leader after 1635 and successfully led another rebellion which expelled Abu Hassun's forces in 1640 or 1641 (1050&nbsp;AH). With this success, he was proclaimed [[sultan]] in place of his father who relinquished the throne to him.<ref name=":15" />{{Rp|228–229}}<ref name=":20" />{{Rp|224–225}} The Dala'iyya invaded the region again in 1646 and following their victory at Al Qa'a forced him to acknowledge their control over all the territory west and south of Sijilmasa. Unable to oppose them, Sidi Mohammed instead decided to attempt expansion in other directions.<ref name=":15" />{{Rp|228–229}}<ref name=":20" />{{Rp|224–225}}<ref name=":10">{{Cite book |last=trans. from Arabic by Eugène Fumet |first=Ahmed ben Khâled Ennâsiri |url=http://bnm.bnrm.ma:86/ClientBin/images/book704908/doc.pdf |title=Kitâb Elistiqsâ li-Akhbâri doual Elmâgrib Elaqsâ [" Le livre de la recherche approfondie des événements des dynasties de l'extrême Magrib "], vol. IX : Chronique de la dynastie alaouie au Maroc |date=1906 |publisher=Ernest Leroux |pages= |language=fr |access-date=2021-12-10 |archive-date=2021-10-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211004001249/http://bnm.bnrm.ma:86/ClientBin/images/book704908/doc.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>{{Rp|page=22}}

Mawlay Sharif died in 1659, and Sidi Mohammed was once again proclaimed sovereign. This provoked a succession clash between Sidi Mohammed and one of his younger half-brothers, [[Al-Rashid of Morocco|Al-Rashid]]. Details of this conflict are lengthy, but ultimately Al-Rashid appears to have fled Sijilmasa in fear of his brother. He eventually managed to secure an alliance with the [[Banu Ma'qil]] Arab tribes who had previously supported his brother and also with the Ait Yaznasin (Beni Snassen), a [[Zenata]] Amazigh tribe. These groups recognized him as sultan in 1664,<ref>{{Cite book|last=O. Houdas|first=Abū al-Qāsim ibn Aḥmad al-Zayyānī|url=https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k5598026d/f32.item#|title=Le Maroc de 1631 à 1812 / de Aboulqâsem ben Ahmed Ezziâni|date=1886|publisher=Paris, Ernest Leroux|pages=14|language=fr}}</ref> while around the same time Sidi Mohammed made a new base for himself as far west as [[Azrou]]. The power of the Dala'iyya was in decline, and both brothers sought to take advantage of this, but both stood in each other's way. When Sidi Mohammed attacked Angad to force his rebellious brother's submission on August 2, 1664, he was instead unexpectedly killed and his armies defeated.<ref>{{Cite book|last=trans. from Arabic by Eugène Fumet|first=Ahmed ben Khâled Ennâsiri|url=http://bnm.bnrm.ma:86/ClientBin/images/book704908/doc.pdf|title=Kitâb Elistiqsâ li-Akhbâri doual Elmâgrib Elaqsâ [" Le livre de la recherche approfondie des événements des dynasties de l'extrême Magrib "], vol. IX : Chronique de la dynastie alaouie au Maroc|date=1906|publisher=Ernest Leroux|pages=41|language=fr|access-date=2021-12-10|archive-date=2021-10-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211004001249/http://bnm.bnrm.ma:86/ClientBin/images/book704908/doc.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=":15" />{{Rp|229}}<ref name=":20" />{{Rp|225}}

Al-Rashid was left in control of the 'Alawi forces and in less than a decade he managed to extend 'Alawi control over almost all of Morocco, reuniting the country under a new sharifian dynasty.<ref name=":052">{{Cite book|last=Terrasse|first=Henri|title=Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition|publisher=Brill|year=2012|isbn=|editor-last=Bearman|editor-first=P.|location=|pages=|chapter=ʿAlawīs|editor2-last=Bianquis|editor2-first=Th.|editor3-last=Bosworth|editor3-first=C.E.|editor4-last=van Donzel|editor4-first=E.|editor5-last=Heinrichs|editor5-first=W.P.}}</ref><ref name=":15" />{{Rp|229}} After much campaigning in northern Morocco, Al-Rashid secured the surrender of Fez in June 1666.<ref name=":15" />{{Rp|230}}<ref name="Le Tourneau 19495">{{Cite book|last=Le Tourneau|first=Roger|title=Fès avant le protectorat: étude économique et sociale d'une ville de l'occident musulman|publisher=Société Marocaine de Librairie et d'Édition|year=1949|location=Casablanca}}</ref>{{Rp|83}} He made it his capital. He defeated the remnants of the Dala'iyya and destroyed their capital in the Middle Atlas in June 1668. In July, he captured Marrakesh.<ref name=":15" />{{Rp|230}} His forces took the Sous valley and the [[Anti-Atlas]] in the south, forced [[Salé]] and its [[Republic of Salé|pirate republic]] to acknowledge his authority, while in the north he controlled most territory except for the European coastal enclaves. Al-Rashid had thus succeeded in reuniting the country under one rule. He subsequently died young in 1672.<ref name=":20" />{{Rp|225}}<ref name=":052" />

=== Rule of the Alawi sultans ===
{{Main|Alawi Sultanate}}

==== The reign of Mawlay Isma'il ====
Upon Al-Rashid's death, his younger half-brother Mawlay Isma'il became sultan. As sultan, Isma'il's 55-year reign was one of longest in Moroccan history.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":20" /> He distinguished himself as a ruler who wished to establish a unified Moroccan state as the absolute authority in the land, independent of any particular group within Morocco – in contrast to previous dynasties which relied on certain tribes or regions as the base of their power.<ref name=":15" />{{Rp|230}} He succeeded in part by creating a new army composed of [[Black people|Black]] slaves (the ''[[Black Guard|{{'}}Abid al-Bukhari]]'') from [[Sub-Saharan Africa]] (or descendants of previously imported slaves), many of them Muslims, whose loyalty was to him alone. Mawlay Isma'il himself was half Black, his mother having been a Black slave concubine of [[Sharif ibn Ali|Mawlay Sharif]].<ref name=":21">{{Cite book|last=El Hamel|first=Chouki|title=Black Morocco: A History of Slavery, Race, and Islam|publisher=Cambridge University Press|year=2013}}</ref><ref name=":15" />{{Rp|231}} This standing army also made effective use of modern artillery.<ref name=":0" /> 
[[File:Mausoleum of moulay ismail DSCF5915.jpg|thumb|The [[Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail|Mausoleum of Mawlay Ismail]] in Meknes, which contains his tomb and that of his son [[Abu'l Abbas Ahmad of Morocco|Ahmad adh-Dhahabi]]]]He continuously led military campaigns against rebels, rivals, and European positions along the Moroccan coast. In practice, he still had to rely on various groups to control outlying areas, but he nonetheless succeeded in retaking many coastal cities occupied by England and Spain and managed to enforce direct order and heavy [[tax]]ation throughout his territories. He put a definitive end to Ottoman attempts to gain influence in Morocco and established Morocco on more equal diplomatic footing with European powers in part by forcing them to [[ransom]] [[Christianity|Christian]] captives at his court. These Christians were mostly captured by Moroccan [[Piracy|pirate]] fleets which he heavily sponsored as a means of both revenue and warfare. While in captivity, prisoners were often [[Unfree labour|forced into labour]] on his construction projects. All of these activities and policies gave him a reputation for ruthlessness and cruelty among European writers and a mixed reputation among Moroccan historians as well, though he is credited with unifying Morocco under strong (but brutal) leadership.<ref name=":15" />{{Rp|230–237}}<ref name=":20" />{{Rp|225–230}}<ref name=":2" /> He also moved the capital from Fez to [[Meknes]], where he built a vast [[Kasbah of Moulay Ismail|imperial kasbah]], a fortified palace-city whose construction continued throughout his reign.<ref name=":3">{{Cite book|last=Arnold|first=Felix|title=Islamic Palace Architecture in the Western Mediterranean: A History|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2017|pages=309–312}}</ref>

==== After Mawlay Isma'il ====
After Mawlay Isma'il's death, Morocco was plunged into one of its greatest periods of turmoil between 1727 and 1757, with Isma'il's sons fighting for control of the sultanate and never holding onto power for long.<ref name=":2" /> Isma'il had left hundreds of sons who were theoretically eligible for the throne.<ref name=":15" /> Conflict between his sons was compounded by rebellions against the heavily taxing and autocratic government which Isma'il had previously imposed.<ref name=":0" /> Furthermore, the ''{{'}}Abid'' of Isma'il's reign came to wield enormous power and were able to install or depose sultans according to their interests throughout this period, though they also had to compete with the ''[[guich]]'' tribes and some of the Amazigh (Berber) tribes.<ref name=":052" /><ref name=":15" />[[File:Essaouira, Morocco - panoramio (125).jpg|thumb|Gate and fortifications in the port of [[Essaouira]] today, founded in 1764 by Sultan [[Mohammed ben Abdallah|Muhammad ibn Abdallah]] as a port for European merchants]]
Order and control was firmly re-established only under Abdallah's son, [[Mohammed ben Abdallah|Sidi Mohammed ibn Abdallah]] (Mohammed III), who became [[Sultan]] in 1757 after a decade as viceroy in Marrakesh.<ref name=":22">{{Cite book|last=Deverdun|first=Gaston|title=Marrakech: Des origines à 1912|publisher=Éditions Techniques Nord-Africaines|year=1959|isbn=|location=Rabat|pages=}}</ref> Sidi Mohammed ibn Abdallah maintained the peace in part through a relatively more decentralized regime and lighter taxes, relying instead on greater trade with Europe to make up the revenues.<ref name=":0" /> In line with this policy, in 1764 he founded [[Essaouira]], a new port city through which he funnelled European trade with Marrakesh.<ref name=":0522" /><ref name=":0524">{{Cite book|last1=Cenival|first1=P. de|title=Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition|last2=Troin|first2=J.-F.|publisher=Brill|year=2012|isbn=|editor-last=Bearman|editor-first=P.|location=|pages=|chapter=al- Suwayra|editor2-last=Bianquis|editor2-first=Th.|editor3-last=Bosworth|editor3-first=C.E.|editor4-last=van Donzel|editor4-first=E.|editor5-last=Heinrichs|editor5-first=W.P.}}</ref> The last Portuguese outpost on the Moroccan coast, Mazagan (al-Jadida today), was taken by Morocco in 1729, leaving only the Spanish enclaves of [[Ceuta]] and [[Melilla]] as the remaining European outposts in North West Africa.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":052" /> Muhammad also signed a [[Moroccan–American Treaty of Friendship|Treaty of Friendship]] with the United States in 1787 after becoming the first head of state to recognize the new country.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Roberts|first1=Priscilla H.|last2=Tull|first2=James N.|date=June 1999|title=Moroccan Sultan Sidi Muhammad Ibn Abdallah's Diplomatic Initiatives toward the United States, 1777–1786|journal=Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society|volume=143|issue=2|pages=233–265|jstor=3181936}}</ref> He was interested in scholarly pursuits and also cultivated a productive relationship with the ''[[ulama]]'', or Muslim religious scholars, who supported some of his initiatives and reforms.<ref name=":15" />{{Rp|241}}

Sidi Mohammed's opening of Morocco to international trade was not welcomed by some, however. After his death in 1790, his son and successor Mawlay Yazid ruled with more xenophobia and violence, punished Jewish communities, and launched an ill-fated attack against the Spanish city of Ceuta in 1792, in which he was mortally wounded.<ref name=":0522" /> After his death, he was succeeded by his brother Suleyman (or Mawlay Slimane), though the latter had to defeat two more brothers who contested the throne: Maslama in the north and Hisham in Marrakesh to the south.<ref name=":0522" /> Suleyman brought trade with Europe nearly to a halt.<ref name=":20" />{{Rp|260}} Although less violent and bigoted than Yazid, was still portrayed by European sources as xenophobic.<ref name=":0522" /> After 1811, Suleyman also pushed a fundamentalist [[Wahhabism|Wahhabist]] ideology at home and attempted to suppress local [[Sufism|Sufi]] orders and brotherhoods, in spite of their popularity and despite his own membership in the [[Tijaniyyah|Tijaniyya order]].<ref name=":20" />{{Rp|260}}

==== European encroachment ====
Suleyman's successor, [[Abd al-Rahman of Morocco|Abd al-Rahman]] (or Abderrahmane; ruled 1822–1859), tried to reinforce national unity by recruiting local elites of the country and orchestrating military campaigns designed to bolster his image as a defender of Islam against encroaching European powers. The [[French conquest of Algeria]] in 1830, however, destabilized the region and put the sultan in a very difficult position. Wide popular support for the Algerians against the French led Morocco to allow the flow of aid and arms to the resistance movement led by [[Emir Abdelkader|Emir Abd al-Qadir]], while the Moroccan ''ulama'' delivered a fatwa for a supporting jihad in 1837. On the other hand, Abd al-Rahman was reluctant to provide the French with a clear reason to attack Morocco if he ever intervened. He managed to maintain the appearance of neutrality until 1844, when he was compelled to provide refuge to Abd al-Qadir in Morocco. The French, led by the marshall [[Thomas Robert Bugeaud|Bugeaud]], pursued him and thoroughly routed the Moroccan army at the [[Battle of Isly]], near Oujda, on August 14. At the same time, the French navy [[Bombardment of Tangiers|bombarded Tangiers]] on August 6 and [[Bombardment of Mogador|bombarded Essaouira]] on August 16. In the aftermath, Morocco signed the Convention of [[Maghnia|Lalla Maghnia]] on March 18, 1845. The treaty made the superior power of France clear and forced the sultan to recognize French authority over Algeria. Abd al-Qadir turned rebel against the sultan and took refuge in the Rif region until his surrender to the French in 1848.<ref name=":20" />{{Rp|264–265}}<ref name=":0522" />[[File:Hassan I of Morocco.jpg|thumb|upright=0.75|[[Hassan I of Morocco|Hassan I]] in 1873]]The next confrontation, the [[Hispano-Moroccan War (1859–60)|Hispano-Moroccan War]], took place from 1859 to 1860, and the subsequent [[Treaty of Wad Ras]] led the Moroccan government to take a massive British loan larger than its national reserves to pay off its [[War reparations|war debt]] to Spain.<ref name=":4" />

In the latter part of the 19th century Morocco's instability resulted in European countries intervening to protect investments and to demand economic concessions. Sultan [[Hassan I of Morocco|Hassan I]] called for the [[Treaty of Madrid (1880)|Madrid Conference]] of 1880 in response to France and Spain's abuse of the [[Protégé system|''protégé'' system]], but the result was an increased European presence in Morocco—in the form of advisors, doctors, businessmen, adventurers, and even missionaries.<ref name=":4" />{{Rp|page=47}}

After Sultan [[Abdelaziz of Morocco|Abdelaziz]] appointed his brother [[Abd al-Hafid of Morocco|Abdelhafid]] as viceroy of Marrakesh, the latter sought to have him overthrown by fomenting distrust over Abdelaziz's European ties.<ref name="EB">{{cite encyclopedia|year=2010|title=Abd al-Hafid|encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica|publisher=Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.|location=Chicago, IL|url=https://archive.org/details/newencyclopaedia2009ency/page/14|edition=15th|volume=I: A-Ak – Bayes|pages=[https://archive.org/details/newencyclopaedia2009ency/page/14 14]|isbn=978-1-59339-837-8|url-access=registration}}</ref> Abdelhafid was aided by [[Madani el-Glaoui]], older brother of [[T'hami El Glaoui|T'hami]], one of the [[Qaid|Caids]] of the Atlas. He was assisted in the training of his troops by [[Andrew Belton]], a British officer and veteran of the [[Second Boer War]].<ref>{{cite news|url = https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1908/11/04/104766505.pdf |work =[[The New York Times]]|date = November 4, 1908|title = An Empire of Peace}}</ref> For a brief period, Abdelaziz reigned from Rabat while Abdelhafid reigned in Marrakesh and Fez and a conflict known as the [[Hafidiya]] (1907–1908) ensued. In 1908 Abdelaziz was defeated in battle. In 1909, Abdelhafid became the recognized leader of [[Morocco]].<ref name="EB" />

[[File:Abdication_of_Abd_al-Hafid_of_Morocco_(1912,_Le_Petit_Journal).jpg|thumb|The abdication of [[Abd al-Hafid of Morocco|Abd al-Hafid]], Sultan of Morocco in 1912, after signing the [[Treaty of Fes]] which initiated [[French Protectorate in Morocco|French colonial rule]]]]
In 1911, rebellion broke out against the sultan. This led to the [[Agadir Crisis]], also known as the Second Moroccan Crisis. These events led Abdelhafid to [[abdicate]] after signing the [[Treaty of Fez|Treaty of Fes]] on 30 March 1912,<ref name="harris">{{cite book|first =W.|last = Harris|title = Morocco That Was|isbn = 0-907871-13-5|publisher = Eland|date = 2002}}</ref> which made Morocco a [[French protectorate in Morocco|French protectorate]].<ref name="a">{{cite book|last=Long|first=David E.|title=The Government and Politics of the Middle East and North Africa|author2=Bernard Reich|year=2002|page=393}}</ref> He signed his abdication only when on the quay in Rabat, with the ship that would take him to France already waiting. When news of the treaty finally leaked to the Moroccan populace, it was met with immediate and violent backlash in the [[1912 Fez riots|Intifada of Fez]].<ref>[http://referenceworks.brillonline.com/entries/encyclopedia-of-jews-in-the-islamic-world/fez-riots-1912-SIM_0007730 Mohammed Kenbib. "Fez Riots (1912)." Encyclopedia of Jews in the Islamic World. Executive Editor Norman A. Stillman. Brill Online, 2014]</ref> His brother [[Yusef of Morocco|Youssef]] was proclaimed Sultan by the French administration several months later (13 August 1912).<ref name="bo">{{cite news|date=1 November 1912|title=Journal Officiel|url=http://www.sgg.gov.ma/BO%5Cbulletin%5CFr%5C1912%5CBO_1_fr.pdf|access-date=22 October 2013|archive-date=29 March 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240329132824/http://www.sgg.gov.ma/BO%5Cbulletin%5CFr%5C1912%5CBO_1_fr.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> At the same time a large part of northern Morocco was placed under [[Spanish protectorate in Morocco|Spanish control]].

=== Colonial rule, Mohammed V, and independence ===
{{Main|French protectorate in Morocco|Spanish protectorate in Morocco}}

Under colonial rule the institution of the sultan was formally preserved as part of a French policy of indirect rule, or at least the appearance of indirect rule. Under the French Protectorate, the 'Alawi sultans still had some prerogatives such as the power to sign or veto ''dahirs'' (decrees). In the Spanish zone, a [[Khalifa (Morocco)|Khalifa]] ("deputy") was appointed who acted as a representative of the sultan. In practice, however, the sultan was a puppet of the new regime and many parts of the population saw the dynasty as collaborators with the French. The French colonial administration was headed by the French [[Resident minister|resident-general]], the first of whom was [[Hubert Lyautey]], who enacted many of the policies that set the tone for France's colonial regime in Morocco.<ref name=":4">{{Cite book|last=Gilson Miller|first=Susan|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vochAwAAQBAJ&pg=PP1|title=A History of Modern Morocco|publisher=Cambridge University Press|year=2013|isbn=9781139619110}}</ref><ref name=":5">{{Cite book|last=Wyrtzen|first=Jonathan|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VC1UCwAAQBAJ&q=wyrzten+morocco&pg=PP1|title=Making Morocco: Colonial Intervention and the Politics of Identity|publisher=Cornell University Press|year=2015|isbn=9781501704246|pages=248–272|chapter=The Sultan-cum-King and the Field's Symbolic Forces}}</ref>

Mawlay Youssef died unexpectedly in 1927 and his youngest son, [[Mohammed V of Morocco|Muhammad]] (Mohammed ben Youssef or Mohammed V), was acclaimed as the new sultan, at the age of 18. By the guidance of the French regime, he had spent most of his life growing up in relative isolation inside the royal palace in Meknes and Rabat. These restrictions on his interactions with the outside world continued in large part even after he ascended to the throne. However, over the course of his reign he became increasingly associated with the Moroccan nationalist movement, eventually becoming a strong symbol in the cause for independence. The nationalists, for their part, and in contrast with other anti-colonial movements like the [[Salafi movement|Salafis]], saw the sultan as a potentially useful tool in the struggle against French rule.<ref name=":5" />

[[File:Muhammad V.jpg|thumb|[[Mohammed V of Morocco|Mohammed V]] in 1934]]
Some of Mohammed V's initial interactions with nationalists came during the crisis caused by the so-called "[[Berber Dahir]]". Among other things at this time, the sultan received a delegation from Fez which presented a list of grievances about the new French policy, and had discussions with [[Allal al-Fassi]] where he apparently expressed that he had been misled by the French residency when signing it and vowed to cede no further rights of his country.<ref name=":5" />{{Rp|250}} The sultan refrained from openly associating with the nationalist movement in the 1930s, but nonetheless resisted French attempts to shift the terms of the Protectorate during the [[Interwar period|interwar]] years. He reaffirmed Morocco's loyalty to France in 1939, at the beginning of the [[World War II]]. After the [[Battle of France|fall of France]] to the Germans and the advent of the [[Vichy France|Vichy regime]], however, the sultan increasingly charted his own course, successfully pushing some reform initiatives related to education, even as the Vichy regime encouraged him to make several well-publicized trips abroad to bolster his legitimacy and that of the colonial system. In 1942 the [[Operation Torch|Allies landed on the Moroccan Atlantic coast]] as part of their invasion of North Africa against [[Axis powers|Axis]] occupation. This momentous change also allowed the sultan more political manoeuvring room, and during the [[Casablanca Conference|Anfa Conference]] in 1943, which Allied leaders attended, Mohammed V was left alone at one time with [[Franklin D. Roosevelt|President Roosevelt]], who expressed support for Moroccan independence after the war. The encounter was the sultan's first face-to-face interaction with another head of state without the mediating presence of the French officials. In the fall of the same year, the sultan encouraged the formation of the official [[Istiqlal Party (Morocco)|Istiqlal ("Independence") Party]] and the drafting of the [[Proclamation of Independence of Morocco|Manifesto of Independence]] that called for a [[constitutional monarchy]] with [[Democracy|democratic]] institutions.<ref name=":5" />

These moves were strongly opposed by the French, but the sultan continued to steadily defy them. Another watershed event was the [[Tangier Speech]] of 1947, delivered in the [[Mendoubia|Mendoubia Gardens]] of Tangier during the first visit of a Moroccan sultan to the city since Mawlay Hassan I in 1889.<ref name=":5" /> The speech made a number of significant points including support for [[Arab nationalism]], a generally anti-colonial ideology, and an expression of gratitude for American support of Moroccan aspirations while omitting the usual statements of support for the French Protectorate. In the following years the tensions increased, with French officials slowly acknowledging the need for Moroccan independence but stressing for slower reforms rather than rapid sovereignty. The French enlisted many powerful collaborators such [[Thami El Glaoui|Thami el-Glaoui]] to organize a campaign of public opposition to the sultan and demands for his abdication – also known as the "''[[Qaid|Qa'id]]'' Affair" – in the spring of 1953. The political confrontation came to a head in August of that year. On August 13 the [[Dar al-Makhzen (Rabat)|royal palace in Rabat]] was surrounded and closed off by Protectorate military forces and police, and on August 16 Thami and allied Moroccan leaders formally declared [[Mohammed Ben Aarafa|Mohammed Ben 'Arafa]], a little-known member of the 'Alawi family, as sultan. On August 20 the French resident-general, Auguste Guillaume, presented demands to the sultan for his abdication and his agreement to go into exile. The sultan refused to abdicate, and that afternoon he and his sons were escorted at gunpoint from the palace and onto a plane. He and his family were eventually exiled to [[Madagascar]].<ref name=":5" />

The exile of the sultan did not alleviate French difficulties in Morocco, and an insurgency broke out which targeted both the regime and its collaborators with boycott campaigns as well as acts of violence. Several assassination attempts were made against the new puppet sultan, Mohammed Ben 'Arafa, and one of the boycott campaigns was aimed at the country's mosques due to prayers being said in the new sultan's name. Eventually, with the [[Tunisian independence|decolonialization process]] under way in [[Tunisia]] and the [[Algerian War|independence war in Algeria]], the French agreed to negotiate Morocco's independence at a conference on August 23, 1955. By October 1 Mohammed Ben 'Arafa had abdicated and later that month even Thami el-Glaoui supported Mohammed V's return. The sultan landed at Rabat-Salé Airport at 11:42 am on November 16, greeted by cheering crowds.<ref name=":5" /> The French-Moroccan Declaration of Independence was formally signed on March 2, 1956, and Tangier was reintegrated to Morocco later that year. In 1957 Mohammed V adopted the official title of "King", which has since been used by his successors, [[Hassan II of Morocco|Hassan II]] and [[Mohammed VI of Morocco|Mohammed VI]].<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":5" />

=== From 1957 to present day ===
{{Further|History of Morocco#Independent Morocco (since 1956)}}[[File:King Hassan II with Mohammed VI, Lalla Asmaa, and Lalla Meriem.jpg|thumb|[[Hassan II of Morocco|King Hassan II]] with future King [[Mohammed VI of Morocco|Mohammed VI]] and Princesses [[Princess Lalla Asma of Morocco|Asma]] and [[Princess Lalla Meryem of Morocco|Meryem]] (left to right)]]
At independence, the Moroccan ''[[makhzen]]'' (royal government) remained underdeveloped and urgent reforms were needed to resolve problems arising from decades of colonial rule.<ref name=":4" />{{Rp|page=154}} Political friction existed between the nationalist Istiqlal Party, which pushed for more democratic institutions, and the king, Mohammed V, who now hesitated on endorsing radical political changes. By the end of the decade in 1960, the Istiqlal Party was weakened by splinter factions and the growing number of political parties were unable to act together as an effective counterbalance to the king. A formal constitution also remained lacking. As a result, the monarch emerged as the main pillar of political stability in the state and there was a revival of [[Absolute monarchy|absolutism]] under royal rule.<ref name=":4" />{{Rp|pages=155–161}} Mohammed V died in 1961 and was succeeded by his son, Hassan II.

Hassan was soon compelled to promulgate a [[Constitution of Morocco|constitution]], which was approved by popular [[1962 Moroccan constitutional referendum|referendum in 1962]]. The constitution had been written by officials appointed by the king and in practice it cemented the monarchy's rule by granting it far-reaching executive powers.<ref name=":4" />{{Rp|pages=163–164}} Hassan II worked to improve relations with France and position Morocco as an ally of the West, but relations with neighboring Algeria deteriorated over border issues and resulted in the [[Sand War]] in 1963.<ref name=":4" />{{Rp|pages=165–166}} Tensions also rose internally during the 1960s and 1970s, with leftist opposition mounting against the conservative monarchy. This in turn was met with increased political repression and Hassan II largely relied on the army and police as instruments of power. The period from roughly 1975 to 1990 is known as the "[[Years of Lead (Morocco)|Years of Lead]]", as state violence was regularly deployed against dissenters and political opponents were jailed or [[Enforced disappearance|disappeared]].<ref name=":4" />{{Rp|pages=166–170}} Two attempted ''[[Coup d'état|coups d'état]]'' against the king failed in [[1971 Moroccan coup d'état attempt|1971]] and [[1972 Moroccan coup d'état attempt|1972]].<ref name=":4" />{{Rp|pages=175–178}}

Upon the withdrawal of the Spanish  from [[Spanish Sahara]] in 1975 and the declaration of independence of the [[Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic]], Hassan II used the opportunity to publicly galvanize nationalist sentiment by pressing Morocco's [[irredentism|irredentist]] claims to the territory, over the objections of the local [[Sahrawi people]] and of the Algerian and [[Mauritania]]n governments. He organized the [[Green March]], which saw around 350,000 Moroccans crossing the southern border to settle inside the territory, triggering [[Western Sahara War|a war]] with the [[Polisario Front|Polisario]], the armed front of the Sahrawi people.<ref name=":4" />{{Rp|pages=180–184}} A ceasefire was negotiated in 1989,<ref name=":4" />{{Rp|pages=|page=184}} but [[Western Sahara conflict|the conflict]] remains unresolved today,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-11-06 |title=Why is the Western Sahara conflict heating up? |url=https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20211106-why-is-the-western-sahara-conflict-heating-up |access-date=2022-09-21 |website=France 24 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Ukraine War Puts New Focus on Conflict in Western Sahara |url=https://www.usip.org/publications/2022/04/ukraine-war-puts-new-focus-conflict-western-sahara |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220414203401/https://www.usip.org/publications/2022/04/ukraine-war-puts-new-focus-conflict-western-sahara |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 14, 2022 |access-date=2022-09-21 |website=United States Institute of Peace |language=en}}</ref> with most of the territory under ''de facto'' Moroccan control while the [[Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic]] controls the [[Free Zone (region)|easternmost zones]].<ref name=":4" />{{Rp|pages=180–184}}<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-04-07 |title=Morocco's autonomy plan for the Western Sahara |url=https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20220407-morocco-s-autonomy-plan-for-the-western-sahara |access-date=2022-09-21 |website=France 24 |language=en}}</ref> During the 1990s Hassan II changed course in domestic politics and publicly promoted an agenda of reform. A new constitutional reform, approved by [[1992 Moroccan constitutional referendum|referendum]], was enacted in 1993. Another amendment to the constitution was passed in 1996 to create a [[Bicameralism|bi-cameral legislature]], with the lower house elected directly by voters and an upper house chosen indirectly by regional assemblies and professional organizations.<ref name=":4" />{{Rp|pages=|page=205}}

Hassan II died in 1999 and was succeeded by his son, Mohammed VI, the current reigning king. The new monarch's reign began with promises of further liberalization and reform; however, the extent of political reforms has been limited and popular engagement with electoral politics has been inconsistent.<ref name=":4" />{{Rp|pages=221, 228–230|page=}}<ref>{{Cite web |last=Abouzzohour |first=Yasmina |date=2020-07-29 |title=Progress and missed opportunities: Morocco enters its third decade under King Mohammed VI |url=https://www.brookings.edu/research/progress-and-missed-opportunities-morocco-enters-its-third-decade-under-king-mohammed-vi/ |access-date=2022-09-20 |website=Brookings |language=en-US}}</ref> Another constitutional reform was passed by a [[2011 Moroccan constitutional referendum|referendum in 2011]] in response to [[2011–2012 Moroccan protests|protests]] inside the country, in the wider context of the [[Arab Spring]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=2011-07-02 |title=Morocco approves King Mohammed's constitutional reforms |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-13976480 |access-date=2022-09-20}}</ref><ref name=":4" />{{Rp|pages=234–236}} Today, the 'Alawis remain the only monarchy in North Africa.<ref name=":03"/> They officially rule in a parliamentary [[constitutional monarchy]],<ref name=":03"/><ref name=":13" /><ref name=":1" /> but [[Authoritarianism|authoritarian]] and absolutist characteristics are still noted by scholars and observers, with effective power largely remaining in the hands of the king,<ref name=":46" /><ref name=":13" /><ref name=":12" /> a situation that has been compared to the pattern of [[Hashemites|Hashemite]] monarchy in [[Jordan]].<ref name=":12" /><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Yom |first=Sean |date=2017 |title=Jordan and Morocco: The Palace Gambit |url=https://muse.jhu.edu/article/653382 |journal=Journal of Democracy |volume=28 |issue=2 |pages=132–146 |doi=10.1353/jod.2017.0030 |s2cid=151865682 |issn=1086-3214|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

==List of 'Alawi rulers==
{{Unreferenced section|date=April 2021}}
[[File:Family tree of the Alaouite dynasty in Rabat.jpg|thumb|A family tree of the dynasty near the [[Hassan Tower]] in Rabat]]
[[File: Mohammed VI behind a family tree of the Alaoui dynasty.jpg |thumb| The current head of the Alawi dynasty, [[Mohammed VI of Morocco|King Mohammed VI]], pictured behind a family tree of the dynasty at the [[Dar al-Makhzen]] in 2022]]

{{see also|List of rulers of Morocco}}
Sultans of the Tafilalt and early expansion:
* [[Sharif ibn Ali]] (1631–1635)
* [[Muhammad ibn Sharif]] (1635–1664)
* [[al-Rashid of Morocco|Al-Rashid]] (1664–1668)

After capture of Marrakesh in 1668, Sultans of Morocco:<ref>{{Cite book |last=Miller |first=Susan Gilson |url=https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/A_History_of_Modern_Morocco/peGyku_eREkC?hl=en&gbpv=0 |title=A History of Modern Morocco |date=2013-04-15 |publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]] |isbn=978-0-521-81070-8 |pages=243 |language=en}}</ref>

* [[al-Rashid of Morocco|Al-Rashid]] (1668–1672)
* [[Ismail Ibn Sharif|Mawlay Ismail Ibn Sharif]] (1672–1727)
* [[Abu'l Abbas Ahmad II of Morocco|Abu'l Abbas Ahmad II]] (1727–1728) (''first time'')
* [[Abdalmalik of Morocco|Abdalmalik]] (1728)
* [[Abu'l Abbas Ahmad II of Morocco|Abu'l Abbas Ahmad II]] (1728–1729) (''second time'')
* [[Abdallah of Morocco|Abdallah]] (1729–1734) (''first time'')
* [[Ali of Morocco|Ali]] (1734–1736)
* [[Abdallah of Morocco|Abdallah]] (1736) (''second time'')
* [[Muhammad II ben Arbia of Morocco|Mohammed II]] (1736–1738)
* [[al-Mostadi of Morocco|Al-Mustadi]] (1738–1740) (''first time'')
* [[Abdallah of Morocco|Abdallah]] (1740–1741) (''third time'')
* [[Zin al-Abidin of Morocco|Zin al-Abidin]] (1741)
* [[Abdallah of Morocco|Abdallah]] (1741–1742) (''fourth time'')
* [[al-Mostadi of Morocco|Al-Mustadi]] (1742–1743) (''second time'')
* [[Abdallah of Morocco|Abdallah]] (1743–1747) (''fifth time'')
* [[al-Mostadi of Morocco|Al-Mustadi]] (1747–1748) (''third time'')
* [[Abdallah of Morocco|Abdallah]] (1748–1757) (''sixth time'')
* [[Mohammed ben Abdallah|Mohammed III]] (1757–1790)
* [[Yazid of Morocco|Yazid]] (1790–1792)
* [[Slimane of Morocco|Mulay Suleiman]] (1792–1822)
* [[Abd al-Rahman of Morocco|Abd al-Rahman]] (1822–1859)
* [[Mohammed IV of Morocco|Mohammed IV]] (1859–1873)
* [[Hassan I of Morocco|Hassan I]] (1873–1894)
* [[Abdelaziz of Morocco|Abdelaziz]] (1894–1908)
* [[Abd al-Hafid of Morocco|Abd al-Hafid]] (1908–1912)

Under the [[French Protectorate in Morocco|French protectorate]] (1912–1956):
* [[Yusef of Morocco|Yusef]] (1912–1927)
* Sultan [[Mohammed V of Morocco|Mohammed V]] (1927–1961), changed title of ruler from [[Sultan]] to [[King]] in 1957. Deposed and exiled to [[Corsica]] and [[Madagascar]] (1953–1955).
* [[Mohammed Ben Aarafa]], installed by France (1953–1955)

From [[Morocco|Independence]] (1955 onwards):
* King [[Mohammed V of Morocco|Mohammed V]] (1955–1961)
* King [[Hassan II of Morocco|Hassan II]] (1961–1999)
* King [[Mohammed VI of Morocco|Mohammed VI]] (1999–present)

=== Timeline ===
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  id:n      value:rgb(0.5,0.5,0.5)
  id:a      value:rgb(1,0.8,0.8)
  id:l      value:rgb(0.6,0.4,1)
  id:y      value:rgb(0.6,0.5,1)
  id:t      value:rgb(0.5,0.8,0.5)
  id:s      value:rgb(1,0.6,0.6)
  id:cw     value:rgb(0.8,0.8,0.8)
  id:eon    value:Black

Backgroundcolors = canvas:canvas

BarData =
  barset:Rulers
  bar:eon

PlotData=
  align:center textcolor:black fontsize:8 mark:none width:20 shift:(0,-5)
  bar:eon color:eon
  from: 1631 till: 1664 color: a text:Sultans of Tafilalt
  from: 1664 till: 1957 color: w text:Sultans of Morocco
  from: 1957 till: end  color: s text:Kings of Morocco

  width:5 align:left fontsize:S shift:(5,-4) anchor:till
  barset:Rulers

  from:1631 till: 1635 color:a   text:"[[Moulay Ali Cherif]]"
  from:1635 till: 1664 color:a   text:"[[Muhammad ibn Sharif]]"

  from:1664 till: 1672 color:w   text:"[[al-Rashid of Morocco|Al-Rashid]]"
  from:1672 till: 1727 color:w   text:"[[Ismail Ibn Sharif|Ismail]]"
  from:1727 till: 1757 color:n   text:"Succession crisis"
  from:1727 till: 1728 color:w   text:"[[Abu'l Abbas Ahmad II of Morocco|Abu'l Abbas Ahmad II]]"
  from:1728 till: 1728 color:w   text:"[[Abdalmalik of Morocco|Abdalmalik]]"
  from:1728 till: 1729 color:w   text:"[[Abu'l Abbas Ahmad II of Morocco|Abu'l Abbas Ahmad II]]"
  from:1729 till: 1734 color:w   text:"[[Abdallah of Morocco|Abdallah]]"
  from:1734 till: 1736 color:w   text:"[[Ali of Morocco|Ali]]"
  from:1736 till: 1736 color:w   text:"[[Abdallah of Morocco|Abdallah]]"
  from:1736 till: 1738 color:w   text:"[[Muhammad II ben Arbia of Morocco|Muhammad II]]"
  from:1738 till: 1740 color:w   text:"[[al-Mostadi of Morocco|Al-Mostadi]]"
  from:1740 till: 1741 color:w   text:"[[Abdallah of Morocco|Abdallah]]"
  from:1741 till: 1741 color:w   text:"[[Zin al-Abidin of Morocco|Zin al-Abidin]]"
  from:1741 till: 1742 color:w   text:"[[Abdallah of Morocco|Abdallah]]"
  from:1742 till: 1743 color:w   text:"[[al-Mostadi of Morocco|Al-Mostadi]]"
  from:1743 till: 1747 color:w   text:"[[Abdallah of Morocco|Abdallah]]"
  from:1747 till: 1748 color:w   text:"[[al-Mostadi of Morocco|Al-Mostadi]]"
  from:1748 till: 1757 color:w   text:"[[Abdallah of Morocco|Abdallah]]"
  from:1757 till: 1790 color:w   text:"[[Mohammed ben Abdallah|Mohammed III]]"
  from:1790 till: 1792 color:w   text:"[[Yazid of Morocco|Yazid]]"
  from:1792 till: 1822 color:w   text:"[[Slimane of Morocco|Slimane]]"
  from:1822 till: 1859 color:w   text:"[[Abd al-Rahman of Morocco|Abd al-Rahman]]"
  from:1859 till: 1873 color:w   text:"[[Mohammed IV of Morocco|Mohammed IV]]"
  from:1873 till: 1894 color:w   text:"[[Hassan I of Morocco|Hassan I]]"
  from:1894 till: 1908 color:w   text:"[[Abdelaziz of Morocco|Abdelaziz]]"
  from:1908 till: 1912 color:w   text:"[[Abd al-Hafid of Morocco|Abd al-Hafid]]"
  from:1912 till: 1956 color:eon text:"Franco–Spanish Protectorate"
  from:1912 till: 1927 color:w   text:"[[Yusef of Morocco|Yusef]]"
  from:1927 till: 1953 color:w   text:"[[Mohammed V of Morocco|Mohammed V]]"
  from:1953 till: 1955 color:n   text:"[[Mohammed Ben Aarafa]] (French puppet)"
  from:1955 till: 1961 color:s   text:"[[Mohammed V of Morocco|Mohammed V]]"
  from:1961 till: 1999 color:s   text:"[[Hassan II of Morocco|Hassan II]]"
  from:1999 till: end  color:s   text:"[[Mohammed VI of Morocco|Mohammed VI]]"

  barset:skip

}}

=== Family tree ===
{{Tree chart/start|style=margin: 1em auto;}}
{{Tree chart | | | | | | | | | 001
 |001=[[File:Ströhl-Regentenkronen-Fig. 41.png|20px|Monarch]] [[Moulay Ali Cherif|Moulay Sharif]]}}
{{Tree chart | | | | | |,|-|-|-|+|-|-|-|.}}
{{Tree chart | | | | | 003 | | 004 | | 005
 |003=[[File:Ströhl-Regentenkronen-Fig. 41.png|20px|Monarch]] [[Muhammad ibn Sharif|Mohammed I]]
 |004=[[File:Ströhl-Regentenkronen-Fig. 41.png|20px|Monarch]] [[Ismail Ibn Sharif|Ismail]]
 |005=[[File:Ströhl-Regentenkronen-Fig. 41.png|20px|Monarch]] [[Al-Rashid of Morocco|Rachid]]}}
{{Tree chart | |,|-|-|-|v|-|-|-|+|-|-|-|v|-|-|-|v|-|-|-|v|-|-|-|.| | | | |}}
{{Tree chart | 006 | | 007 | | 008 | | 009 | | 010 | | 011 | | 012
 |006=[[File:Ströhl-Regentenkronen-Fig. 41.png|20px|Monarch]] [[Abu'l Abbas Ahmad of Morocco|Ahmad]]
 |007=[[File:Ströhl-Regentenkronen-Fig. 41.png|20px|Monarch]] [[Abdalmalik of Morocco|Abdul Malek]]
 |008=[[File:Ströhl-Regentenkronen-Fig. 41.png|20px|Monarch]] [[Abdallah of Morocco|Abdallah II]]
 |009=[[File:Ströhl-Regentenkronen-Fig. 41.png|20px|Monarch]] Mohammed II
 |010=[[File:Ströhl-Regentenkronen-Fig. 41.png|20px|Monarch]] Ali
 |011=[[File:Ströhl-Regentenkronen-Fig. 41.png|20px|Monarch]] Al-Mustadi'
 |012=[[File:Ströhl-Regentenkronen-Fig. 41.png|20px|Monarch]] Zin al-Abidin}}
{{Tree chart | | | | | | | | | |!}}
{{Tree chart | | | | | | | | | 013
 |013=[[File:Ströhl-Regentenkronen-Fig. 41.png|20px|Monarch]] [[Mohammed ben Abdallah|Mohammed III]]}}
{{Tree chart | | | | | |,|-|-|-|+|-|-|-|.}}
{{Tree chart | | | | | 014 | | 015 | | 016
 |014=[[File:Ströhl-Regentenkronen-Fig. 41.png|20px|Monarch]] [[Yazid of Morocco|Al-Yazid]]
 |015=Hisham
 |016=[[File:Ströhl-Regentenkronen-Fig. 41.png|20px|Monarch]] [[Slimane of Morocco|Sulayman]]}}
{{Tree chart | | | | | | | | | |!}}
{{Tree chart | | | | | | | | | 017
 |017=[[File:Ströhl-Regentenkronen-Fig. 41.png|20px|Monarch]] [[Abd al-Rahman of Morocco|Abd al-Rahman <br />ibn Hicham]]}}
{{Tree chart | | | | | | | | | |!}}
{{Tree chart | | | | | | | | | 018
 |018=[[File:Ströhl-Regentenkronen-Fig. 41.png|20px|Monarch]] [[Mohammed IV of Morocco|Mohammed IV]]}}
{{Tree chart | | | | | | | | | |)|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|.}}
{{Tree chart | | | | | | | | | 019 | | | | | | 19a
 |019=[[File:Ströhl-Regentenkronen-Fig. 41.png|20px|Monarch]] [[Hassan I of Morocco|Hassan I]]
 |19a=Aarafa}}
{{Tree chart | |,|-|-|-|v|-|-|-|+|-|-|-|.| | | |!}}
{{Tree chart | 020 | | 021 | | 022 | | 023 | | 23a
 |020=[[File:Ströhl-Regentenkronen-Fig. 41.png|20px|Monarch]] [[Abdelaziz of Morocco|Abd al-Aziz]]
 |021=[[File:Ströhl-Regentenkronen-Fig. 41.png|20px|Monarch]] [[Abd al-Hafid of Morocco|Abd al-Hafid]]
 |022=[[File:Ströhl-Regentenkronen-Fig. 41.png|20px|Monarch]] [[Yusef of Morocco|Youssef]]
 |023=Tahar
 |23a=[[File:Ströhl-Regentenkronen-Fig. 41.png|12px|Monarch]] [[Mohammed Ben Aarafa|Mohammed <br />Ben Aarafa]]}}
{{Tree chart | | | | | | | | | |!| | | |!}}
{{Tree chart | | | | | | | | | 024 |-| 025
 |024=[[File:Ströhl-Regentenkronen-Fig. 41.png|20px|Monarch]] [[Mohammed V of Morocco|Mohammed V]] <br /><small>3° spouse</small> <br />[[Lalla Bahia]]
 |025=<small>2° spouse</small> <br />[[Lalla Abla bint Tahar]]}}
{{Tree chart | |,|-|-|-|v|-|-|-|+|-|-|-|v|-|-|-|v|-|-|-|v|-|-|-|.| | | |}}
{{Tree chart | 026 | | 027 | | 028 | | 029 | | 030 | | 031 | | 032
 |026=[[Lalla Fatima Zohra|Lalla <br />Fatima Zohra]]
 |027=[[Princess Lalla Amina of Morocco|Lalla <br />Amina]]
 |028=[[File:Ströhl-Regentenkronen-Fig. 41.png|20px|Monarch]] [[Hassan II of Morocco|Hassan II]]<br /><small>2° spouse</small> <br />[[Lalla Latifa Hammou]]
 |029=[[Princess Lalla Malika of Morocco|Lalla <br />Malika]]
 |030=[[Princess Lalla Nuzha of Morocco|Lalla <br />Nuzha]]
 |031=[[Princess Lalla Aicha of Morocco|Lalla <br />Aicha]]
 |032=[[Prince Moulay Abdallah of Morocco|Abdellah]]}}
{{Tree chart | |,|-|-|-|v|-|-|-|+|-|-|-|v|-|-|-|.| | | |,|-|-|-|(| | | |}}
{{Tree chart | 033 | | 034 | | 035 | | 036 | | 037 | | 038 | | 039
 |033=[[Princess Lalla Meryem of Morocco|Lalla <br />Meryem]]
 |035=[[File:Ströhl-Regentenkronen-Fig. 41.png|20px|Monarch]] [[Mohammed VI of Morocco|Mohammed VI]]<br /><small>spouse</small> <br />[[Lalla Salma]]
 |034=[[Princess Lalla Asma of Morocco|Lalla <br />Asma]]
 |036=[[Princess Lalla Hasna of Morocco|Lalla <br />Hasna]]
 |037=[[Moulay Rachid ben al Hassan|Rachid]]
 |038=[[Prince Moulay Hicham of Morocco|Hicham]]
 |039=[[Prince Moulay Ismail of Morocco|Ismail]]}}
{{Tree chart | | | | | | | | | |)|-|-|-|.}}
{{Tree chart | | | | | | | | | 040 | | 041
 |040=<small>Crown Prince</small> <br />[[Moulay Hassan, Crown Prince of Morocco|Hassan]]
 |041=[[Princess Lalla Khadija of Morocco|Lalla <br />Khadija]]}}
{{Tree chart/end}}

==See also==
* [[History of Morocco]]
* [[Order of Ouissam Alaouite]]
* [[List of Sunni Muslim dynasties]]
* [[Hashemites]], [[Jordan]]'s ruling family that also claims descent from the Islamic prophet Muhammad
* [[Succession to the Moroccan throne]]
* [[List of rulers of Morocco]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* [[Waterbury, John]]. ''Commander of the Faithful''

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20050829200733/http://www.usa-morocco.org/alaoui.htm Morocco Alaoui dynasty]

{{S-start}}
{{s-royalhouse|House of Alaoui}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Saadi dynasty]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=Ruling house of [[Morocco]]|years=1631–present}}
{{s-inc}}
{{S-end}}

{{Morocco topics|state=collapsed}}
{{Muslim dynasties in Maghreb region}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Alawi dynasty}}
[[Category:Alawi dynasty| ]]
[[Category:Dynasties of Morocco]]
[[Category:House of Hashim]]
[[Category:States and territories established in 1666]]
[[Category:Articles which contain graphical timelines]]
[[Category:1666 establishments in Africa]]
[[Category:Arab dynasties]]
[[Category:16th-century Arab people]]
[[Category:17th-century Arab people]]
[[Category:18th-century Arab people]]
[[Category:19th-century Arab people]]
[[Category:20th-century Arab people]]
[[Category:21st-century Moroccan people]]