Moulay Ali Cherif, allegedly a descendant of…

Moulay Ali Cherif, allegedly a descendant of l-Hesn d-Dakhl, a decendant of the prophet Muhammad who had been taken to Morocco from the town of Yanbu in the Hejaz at the end of the thirteenth century by the inhabitants of Tafilalt to be their Imām, is considered to have been the founder of the Alaouite Dynasty of Morocco, which still reigns today.

He had begun to increase his power in the Tafilalt during the anarchy following the death of the Saadi ruler Ahmad al-Mansur (1578–1603) and ruled that region from (1631–1640).

In 1635 his son Moulay Mohammed had succeeded his still living father.

After the death of Moulay Ali Cherif, Moulay Mohammed brought Tafilalt, the Draa River valley and the Sahara region under Alouite power.

However due to internal feuding war had broken out between Mohammed and his brother, Moulay al-Rashid, and troops of al-Rashid had killed Mohammed in 1664.

Ruling the east of Morocco with a small army, al-Rashid has been able to expand his power and seize Taza.

In 1666,