# The Chronicle of Morocco: From Berber Mauretania and the Idrisids to the Alaouite kingdom of the far Maghreb. History of Morocco: From Berber Mauretania and the Idrisids to the Alaouite kingdom of the far Maghreb. 6 eras and 24 sourced events, every claim… Canonical: https://terralore.co/country/MAR/chronicle Updated: 2026-06-13 Founding: Restoration of independence — 2 March 1956. Although the Moroccan monarchy is of great antiquity, the modern state dates its sovereignty from the restoration of independence in 1956. On 2 March 1956 France and Morocco signed an agreement in Paris ending the French protectorate established by the 1912 Treaty of Fez, and in April 1956 Spain relinquished most of its protectorate in the north. Sultan Mohammed V, whose 1953 exile by the French had galvanised the nationalist movement and whose return in 1955 was hailed as a national triumph, presided over the transition; he took the title of king in 1957. Spain retained the coastal enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla. Morocco occupies the north-western corner of Africa, a land of indigenous Amazigh (Berber) peoples whose history reaches back to the Mauretanian kingdom and the Roman city of Volubilis. The coming of Islam in the late eighth century produced the Idrisid dynasty and the foundation of Fez, and from the eleventh century the great Berber empires of the Almoravids and Almohads ruled both the Maghreb and Muslim Spain from Marrakesh. After the Marinids and the Saadians—whose victory at the Battle of the Three Kings in 1578 turned back a Portuguese invasion—the Alaouite dynasty came to power in the seventeenth century and rules Morocco to this day. European pressure culminated in the 1912 Treaty of Fez and French and Spanish protectorates, but Sultan Mohammed V led the country to the restoration of its independence in 1956, since when the Alaouite monarchy has governed an independent Moroccan state. This file carries the chronicle's sourced event record — every event with its year, summary and source keys (resolved under References below). The full reading narrative lives on the canonical page. ## Amazigh Mauretania and Roman Volubilis — c. 300 BCE – 5th century CE The indigenous Amazigh peoples built the kingdom of Mauretania, whose city of Volubilis became a flourishing outpost of Roman North Africa. - c. 3rd century BCE: **Kingdom of Mauretania and Volubilis** — The Amazigh kingdom of Mauretania emerges in the western Maghreb; Volubilis, founded around the third century BCE, becomes one of its leading cities. [unesco-volubilis, worldhistory-roman-morocco] - c. 40–44 CE: **Roman annexation of Mauretania** — Rome annexes the kingdom of Mauretania and the emperor Claudius organises the western part as the province of Mauretania Tingitana, governed from Tingis (Tangier). [worldhistory-roman-morocco, unesco-volubilis] - c. 3rd century CE: **Volubilis flourishes as a Roman city** — Volubilis reaches its height as a thriving provincial city, adorned with a basilica, triumphal arch, temples and elaborate mosaics before Rome withdraws from the interior. [unesco-volubilis] ## Islam and the Idrisid Dynasty — c. 700 – 1040 CE The Arab-Islamic conquests brought a new faith to the Maghreb, and the Idrisid dynasty founded the first Muslim state of Morocco, with Fez at its heart. - c. 788: **Idris I and the founding of the dynasty** — Idris ibn Abdallah, a sharif fleeing Abbasid persecution, wins the allegiance of the Awraba Berbers near Walila and founds the Idrisid dynasty, Morocco's first Muslim state. [britannica-idrisid, newworld-idrisid] - 808: **Idris II founds Fez** — Idris II establishes Fez as his capital; it becomes a leading political and religious centre of the western Islamic world. [britannica-idrisid] - c. 859: **Foundation of the Qarawiyyin** — The mosque and centre of learning of al-Qarawiyyin is established in Fez, later regarded as one of the oldest continuously operating institutions of higher education in the world. [newworld-idrisid, britannica-idrisid] Figures: - Idris I (died 791) — Founder of the Idrisid dynasty. A descendant of the Prophet Muhammad who fled west after the Battle of Fakhkh and, with the support of Amazigh tribes, founded the first independent Muslim state in Morocco. - Idris II (r. c. 803–828) — Idrisid ruler and founder of Fez. Son of Idris I, he consolidated the dynasty and founded the city of Fez in 808, which became a centre of Islamic learning and the spiritual capital of Morocco. ## The Berber Empires: Almoravids and Almohads — 1040 – 1269 From their capital at Marrakesh, the Almoravids and Almohads forged empires that ruled both the Maghreb and Muslim Spain. - c. 1070: **Almoravids found Marrakesh** — The Almoravids establish Marrakesh as the capital of an empire uniting Morocco and the western Sahara under a reformist Islamic banner. [britannica-north-africa-almoravids, met-almoravid-almohad] - 1086: **Almoravids enter al-Andalus** — Yusuf ibn Tashfin leads the Almoravids into Spain, checking the Christian Reconquista and bringing Muslim al-Andalus under Moroccan rule. [britannica-north-africa-almoravids, met-almoravid-almohad] - 1147: **Almohads capture Marrakesh** — The Almohads under Abd al-Mu'min take Marrakesh, supplanting the Almoravids and building an empire across the whole Maghreb and al-Andalus. [britannica-north-africa-almoravids, met-almoravid-almohad] - 1212: **Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa** — A Christian coalition decisively defeats the Almohads in Spain, beginning the dynasty's decline and reopening al-Andalus to the Reconquista. [met-almoravid-almohad, britannica-north-africa-almoravids] - 1269: **Fall of the Almohads** — The Marinids capture Marrakesh, ending Almohad rule and inaugurating a new Berber dynasty centred on Fez. [britannica-marinid] Figures: - Yusuf ibn Tashfin (c. 1009–1106) — Almoravid emir. Almoravid leader who consolidated the empire, made Marrakesh its capital and led the Berber armies into al-Andalus to halt the Christian Reconquista. - Abd al-Mu'min (c. 1094–1163) — Founder of Almohad rule. Disciple of Ibn Tumart who overthrew the Almoravids, captured Marrakesh in 1147 and united the entire Maghreb and Muslim Spain under Almohad authority. ## Marinids, Saadians and the Three Kings — 1269 – 1659 After the Marinids ruled from Fez, the Saadian sharifs repelled Iberian invasion at the Battle of the Three Kings and presided over a golden age. - 1269: **Marinids master Morocco from Fez** — Having taken Fez in 1248 and Marrakesh in 1269, the Marinids rule Morocco from Fez, endowing the city with famous madrasas. [britannica-marinid] - 4 August 1578: **Battle of the Three Kings** — The Saadian sultan Abd al-Malik annihilates the invading Portuguese army of King Sebastian near Ksar el-Kebir; three kings die, and Morocco's independence is preserved. [britannica-three-kings, ebsco-ksar-el-kebir] - 1591: **Saadian conquest of Songhai** — Ahmad al-Mansur sends an army across the Sahara that defeats the Songhai Empire at Tondibi, extending Saadian reach toward the gold of the Niger. [ebsco-ksar-el-kebir, britannica-three-kings] Figures: - Ahmad al-Mansur (r. 1578–1603) — Saadian sultan. Came to power after the Battle of the Three Kings and led the Saadian state to its height, building the El Badi palace and conquering the Songhai Empire across the Sahara. ## The Alaouite Dynasty and the Protectorates — 1631 – 1956 The Alaouite sharifs, ruling since the seventeenth century, defended Moroccan sovereignty until European pressure imposed the 1912 protectorates. - 1666: **Alaouite dynasty unifies Morocco** — Moulay al-Rashid reunites Morocco and establishes the rule of the Alaouite dynasty, which continues to reign today; his successor Moulay Ismail builds a strong centralised state from Meknes. [embassy-alaouite, history-cooperative-alaouite] - 1786: **Moroccan-American Treaty of Friendship** — Morocco and the United States conclude a treaty of peace and friendship, recognised in 1786, making Morocco one of America's earliest treaty partners. [state-morocco] - 30 March 1912: **Treaty of Fez establishes the protectorates** — Sultan Abd al-Hafid signs the Treaty of Fez, making Morocco a French protectorate; a Spanish zone in the north and south and an international zone at Tangier are settled the same year. [britannica-treaty-fes, state-morocco] - 22 July 1921: **Battle of Annual and the Rif War** — Abd el-Krim's Riffian fighters destroy a Spanish army at Annual and proclaim a Republic of the Rif; a Franco-Spanish coalition suppresses the rebellion by 1926. [britannica-rif-war] - 1953: **Exile of Mohammed V** — France deposes and exiles Sultan Mohammed V, an act that inflames the independence movement and unites Moroccans behind the monarchy. [adst-morocco-independence, embassy-alaouite] Figures: - Moulay Ismail (r. 1672–1727) — Alaouite sultan. Consolidated Alaouite rule over a long and forceful reign, made Meknes his capital, recovered coastal towns from European control and built a powerful centralised army. - Abd el-Krim (1882/3–1963) — Leader of the Rif rebellion. Riffian leader who defeated the Spanish at Annual in 1921 and proclaimed the Republic of the Rif before being overcome by a combined Franco-Spanish offensive in 1926. ## Independence and the Modern Kingdom — 1956 – present Mohammed V led Morocco to the restoration of independence in 1956, and under Hassan II and Mohammed VI the Alaouite kingdom has navigated the Western Sahara question and constitutional reform. - 2 March 1956: **Restoration of independence** — France ends its protectorate by agreement with Morocco; Spain relinquishes most of its northern zone in April, restoring Moroccan independence under Sultan Mohammed V. [adst-morocco-independence, state-morocco] - 1957: **Mohammed V becomes king** — Mohammed V adopts the title of king, formalising the modern Moroccan monarchy as the country builds its independent institutions. [embassy-alaouite] - 6 November 1975: **The Green March** — King Hassan II leads the Green March, in which about 350,000 unarmed Moroccans enter the Western Sahara to assert Morocco's claim as Spain withdraws; the territory's status remains disputed. [nvdatabase-green-march, ebsco-green-march] - 1999: **Accession of Mohammed VI** — Mohammed VI succeeds Hassan II and undertakes gradual reforms, including a revised family law code and major development projects. [britannica-mohammed-vi] - 1 July 2011: **Constitutional reform** — Following Arab Spring protests, a new constitution approved by referendum expands the powers of parliament and the prime minister and recognises Tamazight, while the king retains ultimate authority. [britannica-mohammed-vi, constitutionnet-morocco-2011] Figures: - Mohammed V (1909–1961) — Sultan and first king of independent Morocco. His exile by the French in 1953 made him a symbol of the nation; on his return he led Morocco to the restoration of independence in 1956 and took the title of king in 1957. - Hassan II (1929–1999; r. 1961–1999) — King of Morocco. Ruled Morocco for nearly four decades through coups and unrest, and organised the 1975 Green March that brought much of the Western Sahara under Moroccan control. Machine-readable claims — every event above as an addressable claim ID (TL:MAR:event::) with its sources and a ready citation string: https://terralore.co/country/MAR/chronicle.claims.json ## References - [unesco-volubilis] Archaeological Site of Volubilis — UNESCO World Heritage Centre · https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/836/ - [worldhistory-roman-morocco] Exploring Roman Morocco — World History Encyclopedia · https://www.worldhistory.org/article/2129/exploring-roman-morocco/ - [britannica-idrisid] Idrisid dynasty — Encyclopaedia Britannica · https://www.britannica.com/topic/Idrisid-dynasty - [newworld-idrisid] Idrisid dynasty — New World Encyclopedia · https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Idrisid_dynasty - [britannica-north-africa-almoravids] North Africa: The Maghrib under the Almoravids and the Almohads — Encyclopaedia Britannica · https://www.britannica.com/place/North-Africa/The-Maghrib-under-the-Almoravids-and-the-Almohads - [met-almoravid-almohad] The Art of the Almoravid and Almohad Periods (ca. 1062–1269) — The Metropolitan Museum of Art · https://www.metmuseum.org/essays/the-art-of-the-almoravid-and-almohad-periods-ca-1062-1269 - [britannica-marinid] Marinid dynasty — Encyclopaedia Britannica · https://www.britannica.com/topic/Marinid-dynasty - [britannica-three-kings] Battle of the Three Kings — Encyclopaedia Britannica · https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-the-Three-Kings - [ebsco-ksar-el-kebir] Battle of Ksar el-Kebir — EBSCO Research Starters · https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/military-history-and-science/battle-ksar-el-kebir - [embassy-alaouite] Alaouite Dynasty (1660–present) — Embassy of the Kingdom of Morocco in the United States · https://us.diplomatie.ma/en/node/1909 - [history-cooperative-alaouite] Moroccan Royal Family Tree: The Alaouite Dynasty — History Cooperative · https://historycooperative.org/moroccan-royal-family-tree/ - [state-morocco] A Guide to the United States' History of Recognition: Morocco — U.S. Department of State, Office of the Historian · https://history.state.gov/countries/morocco - [britannica-treaty-fes] Treaty of Fès (1912) — Encyclopaedia Britannica · https://www.britannica.com/topic/Treaty-of-Fes - [britannica-rif-war] Rif War — Encyclopaedia Britannica · https://www.britannica.com/event/Rif-War - [adst-morocco-independence] French Colony to Sovereign State: Moroccan Independence — Association for Diplomatic Studies & Training · https://adst.org/2015/10/french-colony-to-sovereign-statemoroccan-independence/ - [nvdatabase-green-march] Moroccans march into Western Sahara in the Green March, 1975 — Global Nonviolent Action Database (Swarthmore College) · https://nvdatabase.swarthmore.edu/content/moroccans-march-western-sahara-green-march-1975 - [ebsco-green-march] Dispute over the Western Sahara Erupts in the Green March — EBSCO Research Starters · https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/history/dispute-over-western-sahara-erupts-green-march - [britannica-mohammed-vi] Muhammad VI — Encyclopaedia Britannica · https://www.britannica.com/biography/Muhammad-VI - [constitutionnet-morocco-2011] Constitutional Reform in Morocco: Reform in times of revolution — International IDEA / ConstitutionNet · https://constitutionnet.org/vl/item/constitutional-reform-morocco-reform-times-revolution-abdellah-tourabi-2011 - [wikipedia-spanish-protectorate] Spanish protectorate in Morocco — Wikipedia · https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_protectorate_in_Morocco Citation template: Terralore, "The Chronicle of Morocco: From Berber Mauretania and the Idrisids to the Alaouite kingdom of the far Maghreb.", terralore.co/country/MAR/chronicle, retrieved .