WATTASID

In a popular revolt in the capital city in 1465, the last Marinid ruler, Abu Muhammad Abd al-Haqq was massacred and Wattasid sultans took control of the area. By the 16th century, however, Saadi [i] power had grown exponentially in the south of Morocco. The Wattasids attempted a military attack against the Saadis to regain control in the south, but they were unsuccessful and the Saadi only gained more power and local support in the process. The public largely viewed the Wattasid Civilization as appeasers to colonial powers [ii], namely the Portuguese who had been progressively increasing their campaigns along the Moroccan coast.

Southern Morocco [iii] was ruled by the Saadi Dynasty. In 1528, the Saadi decided they would not recognize Wattasid authority in Morocco and declared themselves as rivals to their reign. In 1541, they carried out a military campaign through the south of the country and expelled all Portuguese troops, which garnered local support to push forward into the north. In 1549, the Saadi defeated the Wattasids in Fez and took control over the capital city. In contrast, the Saadi Dynasty was able to defeat the Portuguese forces at Agadir, and continued north to take control of Fez, replacing Wattasid rule in 1554.

During the Wattasid Empire’s rule, there was a rise in Jewish and Muslim immigration [iv] to Morocco from medieval Iberia. Thousands of Muslims and Jewish people fled to North Africa after they were expelled in 1492 by the Spanish. Many of those exiled from the Iberian Peninsula had pre-existing social networks in the western Maghreb region, and it thus became a common destination for those who fled Spain. There were over 200,000 Jews living in Morocco until the 1940s, but now only 3000 remain [v]. The Moroccan Jewish Museum in Casablanca, Morocco is the only Jewish Museum in any Arab country [vi] today.

Wattasid viziers who advised the last Maranid sultan conspired to supplant Maranid rule. Following a popular revolt that killed the sultan, Abu Abd Allah al-Sheikh Muhammad ibn Yahya [vii] became the first Wattasid Sultan of the dynasty and his rule was supported by the upper class in Fez. They established their legitimacy through religious patronage and were supported by the Idrisid sharifian elite [viii]. However, Wattasid rule was unstable, and they only had control over the northern region of Morocco, while the south was divided into principalities governed by the Saadi dynasty, and cities along the Atlantic coast were controlled by the Portuguese.

Wattasid rule was short-lived and unsuccessful in maintaining public support. Though they were able to defend themselves against the Portuguese for several decades, colonial forces established multiple outposts [ix] along the Moroccan Atlantic coast by the second half of the 15th century. Public discontent played a significant role in the rise of Saadi power. The Saadi accused the Wattasids of failing as defenders of the Islamic community [x] and religion against Christian colonialists, which undermined support for Wattasid rule. Though the Wattasids had support from Idrisid [xi] shurafa, the mid-southern region of Sous provided the economic backing and additional warriors to support the Saadi.

While the preceding Marinid Dynasty [xii] is often recognized for ushering in a golden age of education, architecture, and religious tolerance, this was not the case under the Wattasid Dynasty. However, they were politically savvy and gradually established their legitimacy in the region through religious patronage. In 1437, they announced to the public that they’d discovered the tomb of Fez’s founding father and patron saint [xiii], Idris II, in the center of the city. By declaring themselves protectors of a holy site, they garnered political clout before assuming rule over Fez and currying favor with the shurafa, who became powerful during Maranid rule.

Because the Wattasids were unable to prevent the Europeans from controlling territories and trading along the Moroccan coast, they maintained commercial relations [xiv] with the Spanish and Portuguese. Trade in sugar and saltpeter [xv] would be a key resource used to assert the Wattasids in the commercial and political arenas. However, to obtain West African gold, Portuguese traders also relied on Moroccan woven textiles and bronze goods to provide consumers, which resulted in Portuguese commanders raiding and enslaving local Moroccans [xvi]. It wasn’t until Saadi rule that Moroccan forces began using gunpowder weapons and were able to weaken Portuguese control over trade and land.