He immediately began efforts to reform the administrative system of his nation, implementing new forms of taxation.

Once firmly established on the throne, al-Mansur enjoyed newfound prestige as the leader of an emboldened Morocco flush with wealth. Serving as the sixth Sultan of the Saadi Dynasty during the 16th century AD, Ahmad al-Mansur was known as a cunning diplomat who leveraged Morocco's strategic location to position his kingdom as a major player on the world's stage during the Renaissance. Despite a fifty-year period as a French and Spanish protectorate, Morocco gained its independence again in 1956 AD.Īs one of the most influential leaders in the history of North Africa, Ahmad al-Mansur had a pivotal impact on the future of Morocco. The 17th century saw the Saadi supplanted by the Alaouite dynasty, which continues to rule as a constitutional monarchy. Morocco turned back various invasions and incursions by the Europeans and Ottoman Turks during the following century, making it the only Arab country never to experience Ottoman dominance. In 1554 AD, the Saadi sultan Mohammed ash-Sheikh claimed sovereignty over the whole of Morocco. Under successive Islamic caliphates, Morocco dominated the vast Maghreb, a region of Northwest Africa that encompasses the Atlas and Rif mountain ranges, western Sahara, and southern Mediterranean coast. Although the area comprising Morocco has been inhabited since antiquity - with settlements founded by Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans and Vandals - the country was first unified following the Berber Revolt (739-743 AD) which overthrew Arab rule. Davies (1864-1916), 'Morocco is a very fine place spoiled by civilization.' Whatever the truth of that statement, today Morocco is one of the most progressive of Muslim states, maintains close economic and cultural ties with the liberal Western nations, yet retains its distinctive cultural identity. According to the widely-travelled American journalist Richard H.

Ivory building brave new world civ 5