The Alaouite or 'Alawi dynasty is the royal family of Morocco, which has ruled the country since the seventeenth century and claims descent from the Prophet Muhammad through his grandson Hasan. It came from the Tafilalt oasis in the south-east, and its first sultan, Moulay Rashid, took Fez and began unifying the country. His half-brother and successor Moulay Ismail, who ruled for a long time, built a strong army and made Meknes his imperial capital. Morocco was never conquered by the Ottomans, and the dynasty survived the period of European pressure by agreeing to a French and Spanish protectorate in 1912. It regained independence in 1956, and the monarch is today Mohammed VI.
Before and after
- 1665Girl with a Pearl Earring
- from 1665 to 1666Great Plague of London
- 6 February 1665Birth of Anne of Great Britain
- from 4 March 1665 to 31 July 1667Second Anglo-Dutch War
- 1666Rise of 'Alawi dynasty
- from 2 September 1666 to 6 September 1666Great Fire of London
- 19 December 1666Founding of Lund University
- 1667Publication of Paradise Lost
- from 24 May 1667 to 2 May 1668War of Devolution
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- 1748Excavations begin at Pompeii
The era
This moment belongs to the Early modern world (1500 CE to 1760 CE), voyages, printing and new ideas. You can also browse everything in the 17th century.