At the beginning of the 16th century, the Moroccan Empire, located in present-day North Africa, faced economic and political challenges. Muslim piracy threatened the empire's trade and economic interests, while Spanish and Portuguese colonial expansion on the African and American continents directly threatened the empire's territorial integrity and political power.
In order to protect its interests and expand its power, the Moroccan Empire began its colonial expansion of Western Sahara in the early 16th century.
In 1505, the Empire conquered Tarifurt and Sangil and began to rule over the tribes of Western Sahara. Over the next few decades, the empire's control expanded, capturing places such as Udel and Zaviat.
In 1515, the Empire conquered Agmat, and in 1525 conquered Tarimtar, becoming the ruler of Western Sahara.
The empire's colonial expansion in Western Sahara was not only to expand its territory and political power, but also to carry out trade and exploration.
The Empire sent expeditions to explore the interior and coastline of Western Sahara, while establishing a trading base in the region that promoted the Empire's economic development. In the course of colonial expansion, the empire also began to spread Islam to the local population and promoted Arab culture and knowledge.
During the colonial expansion of the empire, the local population rebelled and resisted. For example, during the capture of Tarim Tal by the Moroccan Empire in 1525, the local population put up stubborn resistance, but was eventually defeated.
In addition, under imperial control, some local residents organized revolts, but they were suppressed. Over time, the empire's rule and sphere of influence in Western Sahara expanded, changing the power structures, lifestyles and cultural habits of local society.
Political expansion
The colonial expansion of Western Sahara by the Moroccan Empire in the early 16th century was an important political move aimed at expanding the empire's territory and political influence. In terms of political expansion, the Moroccan Empire ruled the tribes of Western Sahara through a variety of means.
At the earliest, the Empire conquered places such as Tarifurt and Sangir in 1505 and ruled over the local tribes. Over the next few decades, the empire's control expanded, capturing places such as Udel and Zaviat.
In 1515, the Empire conquered Agmat, and in 1525 conquered Tarimtar, becoming the ruler of Western Sahara.
In the process of expansion, the Moroccan Empire resorted to a variety of means, including military conquest, marriage, and treaties, to consolidate its rule in Western Sahara.
During the capture of Tarim Tar in 1525, the imperial army used powerful firearms to bombard the walls and eventually conquer the city.
The empire also made treaties with the local Sarava tribe, consolidating its dominance in the region through marriages and financial aid.
They have also established a series of trading bases in Western Sahara to promote economic development. For example, after the conquest of Tarimtar, the empire established the port of Tarimtar, which became an important trading port for the empire in Western Sahara.
Military bases and fortifications were also established in the areas of Sarava, Tariford, Zawiat and others to consolidate their military and political domination.
Military control
At the beginning of the 16th century, Sultan Moulay Ismail I of the Moroccan Empire began his expansion into Western Sahara. In 1525, imperial forces captured the important city of Tarimtar in Western Sahara.
The battle was an important step in the Empire's military control of Western Sahara. In this battle, the imperial army used advanced artillery, shelled the walls, and eventually conquered Tarimtar.
In addition to capturing cities, the Moroccan Empire established a large number of military bases and fortresses in Western Sahara to ensure its military control in the region.
These bases and fortresses not only consolidated the empire's military rule, but also secured trade routes and transportation routes. The most important of these fortresses was built in Dakhla.
Dalem was an important town in Western Sahara and one of the largest ports at the time. The Empire built a large fortress here, with a large number of artillery batteries and artillery, allowing the Empire to easily control this strategic location. The fortress existed until the beginning of the 20th century and is now a famous tourist attraction.
In addition to the fortresses, the Moroccan Empire also controlled Western Sahara by other means. For example, imperial armies often conducted patrols and searches to ensure the safety of local tribes. The empire also made treaties with certain local tribes to ensure its own interests and security.
Religious transmission
Before the Moroccan Empire began its colonial expansion of Western Sahara, the predominantly Muslim community in the region was Sufism.
However, as the Moroccan Empire expanded in the region, they tried to spread the teachings of Marik Islam to the region.
Marikism is an Islamic sect that advocates strict adherence to the Koran and Hadith, and it is the main religion in Morocco.
The Moroccan Empire sought to spread the Marik Islamic teachings to Western Sahara in order to establish its own religious base in the region and strengthen its dominance.
In 1524, Sultan Moulay Ismail I of the Moroccan Empire issued a religious proclamation to the local rulers who held power in Western Sahara at the time, hoping that they would accept the Marik Islamic teachings.
The declaration, known as the Treaty of Tafilalet, emphasized the importance of Islamic teachings and the status of the Moroccan Empire as ruler.
Although the tribal rulers of Western Sahara did not fully accept this proclamation at the time, as the empire expanded in the region, more and more local residents began to accept this religious doctrine.
In addition to propaganda, the Moroccan Empire promoted the spread of Marik Islamic teachings in Western Sahara in other ways.
For example, after the conquest of the city of Tarimtar, the empire began to build religious schools and mosques in the city to help the local population learn Islamic teachings.
The Moroccan Empire also encouraged Muslim traders to come to Western Sahara through trade and other economic means to further promote the teachings of Marik Islam.
In 1557, the Empire issued a decree prohibiting local non-Muslim residents from using their own religious symbols in public, such as wearing crosses on their heads or wearing cross-shaped ornaments.
This decree was intended to further consolidate the Moroccan Empire's Islamic dominance in Western Sahara, and to avoid religious divisions among the local population, which could threaten imperial dominance.
In the late 16th century, some local residents began to rebel against imperial interference in their religious beliefs. In 1585, the local Islamic cleric Idriss Abdukarim led a rebellion against the Moroccan Empire's interference in their religious beliefs.
Trade exchanges
In the early 16th century, the Moroccan Empire began to exercise trade and economic control over Western Sahara. During this period, the region was an important trade center, mainly because it was located on a major transportation route between North Africa and sub-Saharan Africa.
The region's rich natural resources such as gold, silver, copper, iron, salt, etc. made it an important economic center at the time.
In 1541, the Moroccan Empire established an important trading base in Angola on the southern shore of the Mediterranean.
Subsequently, they established trading bases in other towns and ports in Western Sahara in the following decades, with Morocco establishing a trading base on Canary Island in 1549 and the port of Las Palmas on the island in 1578.
Cultural dissemination
In the early 16th century, the spread of culture in Western Sahara by the Moroccan Empire was mainly centered on Islam.
During this period, the Moroccan Empire had become a strictly Islamic state, and Islamic teachings were spread in the region through the establishment of mosques, churches, schools, etc.
At the same time, the political and cultural influence of the Moroccan Empire led to the gradual adoption of Islam by other peoples in the region.
An important event in the cultural exchange in the region was the letter sent by the Moroccan Sultan Beha Ahmed in 1510 to Seg Moussa, the leader of the city of Tomkat in the Republic of Mali.
In this letter, Beha Ahmed invited Saig Musa to become a follower of Islam and expressed his willingness to establish mosques and other Islamic educational institutions in the area.
In 1578, Morocco conquered the Canary Islands, which further expanded the cultural influence of the Moroccan Empire. During this period, the Moroccan Empire spread Islam to the Canary Islands, and mosques and Islamic educational institutions were established in the region.
These measures allowed the cultural influence of the Moroccan Empire to extend to the Canary Islands and other countries.
In the early 16th century, Islamic scholars and cultural inheritors began to open schools and libraries in the region to disseminate Islamic culture and knowledge.
These schools and libraries are not only open to local residents, but also attract many foreign scholars to study and exchange.
Resistance and rebellion
A large-scale resistance called "Tajakant" took place in Western Sahara. According to historical records, the resistance was led by local community leader Mahmoud Ben-Khalifa.
He mobilized a large number of inhabitants, launched a massive resistance, successfully defeated the Moroccan army, and regained control.
This resistance not only showed the awareness and strength of the local people to resist, but also inspired people in other areas to join the ranks of resistance.
In 1578, the local population opposed the tax policy of the Moroccan Empire on the Seba region. Not only did they refuse to pay taxes, but they banded together to protest to the local administration.
This incident provoked a strong reaction from the ruler of the Kingdom of Morocco at that time, and a large number of troops were sent to suppress it. But due to lack of capacity, this revolt was unsuccessful.
The indigenous population of Western Sahara has also resorted to other forms of resistance, such as migration and nomadism.
Under Moroccan rule, the local social structure has changed greatly, and many indigenous people no longer accept Moroccan rule and choose to leave their homes in search of better living conditions.
Some of the inhabitants became nomads, who traveled through the great desert, avoiding direct clashes with the Moroccan army.