Al Walid ben Zidan
Who was Al Walid ben Zidan?
Sultan of Morocco
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on Al Walid ben Zidan (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
Al Walid ibn Zaydan, also known as Mulay al-Walid, was a Saadi sultan of Morocco who reigned from 1631 until he died on February 21, 1636. He was part of the Saadian dynasty, which gained power in Morocco in the sixteenth century and expanded its territory through military campaigns and political control. Al Walid became sultan during a time of significant internal turmoil, as the Saadian dynasty struggled with succession disputes and factional rivalries in its later years.
Al Walid was the son of Zidan abu Maali, who had also ruled as sultan and managed a court that kept diplomatic and trade relations with several European countries. This background put Al Walid in a dynasty used to dealing with the complex politics of the western Mediterranean, where Moroccan leaders often interacted with Spain, France, England, and the Ottoman Empire. Although Al Walid's reign was short, he continued these foreign relations, even as domestic instability was an ongoing issue.
His rule ended suddenly and violently in February 1636, when he was assassinated by French renegades. The details and reasons for his killing are not well-documented, but the presence of European renegades—those who had left their countries and served Moroccan rulers—was common in North African courts at that time. Their involvement in the assassination highlights the unstable political climate Al Walid faced during his reign.
After his death, the sultanate went to his brother Mohammed esh-Sheikh es-Seghir, continuing the typical pattern of sibling succession and rivalry in Saadian politics. This change marked another step in the decline of Saadian power, eventually leading to their replacement by the Alaoui dynasty, which still rules Morocco today. Al Walid's short reign occurred at a crucial point in Moroccan history when the once-strong Saadian state was breaking apart due to internal and external pressures.
Before Fame
Al Walid ibn Zaydan was born into the Saadian ruling family, which took control of Morocco in the early sixteenth century by defending Islam against Portuguese threats along the Atlantic coast. As the son of Sultan Zidan abu Maali, he was raised within a court filled with the challenges of ruling a divided kingdom. The Saadian court at Marrakesh was a hub of political intrigue, where princes and their allies vied for power and ultimately the succession to the throne.
Al Walid became sultan in 1631 after many years of fighting over succession following his father’s death. The Saadian succession was often turbulent, with multiple contenders frequently battling for control, sometimes ruling different parts of Morocco at the same time. In this environment of disputed authority, Al Walid rose to power, inheriting a throne with the prestige of the Saadian name but also the challenges of a dynasty clearly in decline.
Key Achievements
- Held the Saadian sultanate together for five years during a period of significant dynastic instability and internal fragmentation.
- Maintained Morocco's position as an independent sultanate at a time when the country faced both internal rivalries and external pressures from European and Ottoman powers.
- Continued the Saadian tradition of diplomatic engagement with European courts, sustaining Morocco's role in western Mediterranean political affairs.
- Secured a succession, however contested, that kept the Saadian line on the throne until his brother Mohammed esh-Sheikh es-Seghir could assume power.
Did You Know?
- 01.Al Walid was assassinated by French renegades, individuals who had renounced their original national allegiances and entered the service of the Moroccan court, making his death an unusually international affair for a Moroccan sultan.
- 02.His son, Mohammed al-Attaz, converted from Islam to Christianity following his father's death and became a Jesuit priest, taking the name Balthazar of Loyola, a conversion that attracted considerable attention in European religious circles.
- 03.Al Walid reigned for only approximately five years, from 1631 to 1636, one of the shorter reigns among the later Saadian sultans.
- 04.He was succeeded not by a son but by his brother Mohammed esh-Sheikh es-Seghir, reflecting the continued reliance on fraternal succession within the Saadian dynasty.
- 05.The Saadian dynasty to which Al Walid belonged claimed descent from the Prophet Muhammad, a lineage known as sharifian descent that was central to their religious and political legitimacy in Morocco.