Sayyida Al Hurra
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Lalla Aisha bint Ali ibn Rashid al-Alami (), also referred to as Sayyida al-Hurra (, ), was a Moroccan privateer (of Andalusian origin) who governed the city of
Tétouan Tétouan (, or ) is a city in northern Morocco. It lies along the Martil Valley and is one of the two major ports of Morocco on the Mediterranean Sea, a few miles south of the Strait of Gibraltar, and about E.S.E. of Tangier. In the 2014 Morocc ...
from 1515 or 1519 to 1542. As the wife of Moroccan king
Abu al-Abbas Ahmad ibn Muhammad Abu al-Abbas Ahmad ibn Muhammad (), also Sultan Ahmad, or Ahmad al-Wattasi, was a Sultan of the Moroccan Wattasid dynasty. He ruled from 1526 to 1545, and again between 1547 and 1549.C. E. Bosworth''The New Islamic Dynasties: A Chronological an ...
, who was her second husband, she belonged to the
Wattasid dynasty The Wattasid dynasty (, ''al-waṭṭāsīyūn'') was a ruling dynasty of Morocco. Like the Marinid dynasty, its rulers were of Zenata Berber descent. The two families were related, and the Marinids recruited many viziers from the Wattasids. T ...
. She is considered to be "one of the most important female figures of the Islamic West in the modern age." Her exact date of birth is unknown, but various sources estimate her to be born somewhere between 1491-1495. Likewise, there is a lot of discussion surrounding her death; some say she died in 1552, while others place her death a decade later (1561, 1562). The era of her life and career was largely marked by a widespread struggle between the
Christian world The terms Christendom or Christian world commonly refer to the global Christian community, Christian states, Christian-majority countries or countries in which Christianity is dominant or prevails.SeMerriam-Webster.com : dictionary, "Christen ...
and the
Muslim world The terms Islamic world and Muslim world commonly refer to the Islamic community, which is also known as the Ummah. This consists of all those who adhere to the religious beliefs, politics, and laws of Islam or to societies in which Islam is ...
: the
Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...
had conquered
Constantinople Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...
in 1453, ending the Eastern Byzantine Empire; the
Portuguese Empire The Portuguese Empire was a colonial empire that existed between 1415 and 1999. In conjunction with the Spanish Empire, it ushered in the European Age of Discovery. It achieved a global scale, controlling vast portions of the Americas, Africa ...
had begun conquering ports along the western Moroccan coast around 1487; and the ''
Reconquista The ''Reconquista'' (Spanish language, Spanish and Portuguese language, Portuguese for ) or the fall of al-Andalus was a series of military and cultural campaigns that European Christian Reconquista#Northern Christian realms, kingdoms waged ag ...
'' had returned the
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to European Christian rule by 1492, eventually leading to the expulsion or forced conversion of Muslims in Spain. Al-Hurra split control over the
Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern Eur ...
with her ally
Hayreddin Barbarossa Hayreddin Barbarossa (, original name: Khiḍr; ), also known as Hayreddin Pasha, Hızır Hayrettin Pasha, and simply Hızır Reis (c. 1466/1483 – 4 July 1546), was an Ottoman corsair and later admiral of the Ottoman Navy. Barbarossa's ...
, an Ottoman corsair who operated in the east while she operated in the west. In 1515, she became the last person in
Muslim history Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abraham (or ''Allah'') as it ...
to legitimately hold the title "al-Hurra" following the death of her first husband Sidi al-Mandri II, who ruled Tétouan. Her marriage to her second husband marks the only time in Moroccan history that a king married away from the capital city Fez, as al-Hurra refused to leave Tétouan.


Early life and family

Sayyida al Hurra was born in
Chefchaouen Chefchaouen (, ) is a city in northwest Morocco. It is the chief town of the province of the same name and is noted for its buildings in shades of blue, for which it is nicknamed the "Blue City". It is situated in a mountainous region in northern ...
around 1491 and 1495 or precisely in 1491, to a prominent
Muslim Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...
family of Andalusian nobles, who were expelled to Morocco after the
fall of Granada The Granada War was a series of military campaigns between 1482 and 1492 during the reign of the Catholic Monarchs, Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon, against the Nasrid dynasty's Emirate of Granada. It ended with the defeat of G ...
, at the end of the
Reconquista The ''Reconquista'' (Spanish language, Spanish and Portuguese language, Portuguese for ) or the fall of al-Andalus was a series of military and cultural campaigns that European Christian Reconquista#Northern Christian realms, kingdoms waged ag ...
and settled in
Chefchaouen Chefchaouen (, ) is a city in northwest Morocco. It is the chief town of the province of the same name and is noted for its buildings in shades of blue, for which it is nicknamed the "Blue City". It is situated in a mountainous region in northern ...
. Her parents were
Ali ibn Rashid al-Alami Abu al-Hassan Ali ibn Moussa ibn Rashid al-Alami (), also known as Sherif Moulay Ali Ben Rachid, was the founder of the city of Chefchaouen, Morocco. He was an Idrisid and descendant of Sufi saint Abd as-Salam ibn Mashish al-Alami.Al-Huwwat, Sulay ...
, the founder and emir of Chefchaouen and Lalla Zohra Fernandez from
Vejer de la Frontera Vejer de la Frontera is a Spanish hilltop town and municipality in the province of Cádiz, Andalusia, on the right bank of the river Barbate. The town of Vejer de la Frontera occupies a low hill overlooking the Straits of Gibraltar and surrounded ...
near Cadiz. A
Sharif Sharīf or Sherif (, 'noble', 'highborn'), also spelled shareef, feminine sharīfa (), plural ashrāf (), shurafāʾ (), or (in the Maghreb) shurfāʾ, is a title used to designate a person descended, or claiming to be descended, from the fami ...
ian, she was a descendant of the Moroccan
Sufi Sufism ( or ) is a mysticism, mystic body of religious practice found within Islam which is characterized by a focus on Islamic Tazkiyah, purification, spirituality, ritualism, and Asceticism#Islam, asceticism. Practitioners of Sufism are r ...
saint Abd al-Salam ibn Mashish al-Alami, and through him of
Hasan ibn Ali Hasan ibn Ali (; 2 April 670) was an Alids, Alid political and religious leader. The eldest son of Ali and Fatima and a grandson of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, Hasan briefly ruled as Rashidun caliphate, Rashidun caliph from January 661 unt ...
. Sayyida al Hurra is not to be confused with Aisha al-Hurra, another female historical figure with Andalusian roots, who played a prominent role during the last days the Emirate of Granada -shortly before Sayyida entered the political scene. Sayyida's childhood was happy and secure, yet clouded by constant reminders of the forced exile from Granada. During her childhood, she was exposed to a first-class education, and involved with the fate of her people. She was fluent in several languages which included
Castilian Spanish In English, Castilian Spanish can mean the variety of Peninsular Spanish spoken in northern and central Spain, the standard form of Spanish, or Spanish from Spain in general. In Spanish, the term (Castilian) can either refer to the Spanish langu ...
and Portuguese. The famous Moroccan scholar Abdallah al-Ghazwani was one of her many teachers. She was married at age 16 to a man 30 years her senior, Sidi al-Mandri II, a grandson or nephew of
Ali al-Mandri Abu al-Hassan Ali al-Mandri al-Garnati (, Portuguese: Alí Almenderim, Almendarim), also known as Almandari, Almandali, Al-Mandri I and Sidi al-Mandri, was the re-founder of the city of Tetouan in Morocco. He was born in Granada, Spain c.1440 and ...
who was a friend of her father and re-founder and governor of the city of
Tétouan Tétouan (, or ) is a city in northern Morocco. It lies along the Martil Valley and is one of the two major ports of Morocco on the Mediterranean Sea, a few miles south of the Strait of Gibraltar, and about E.S.E. of Tangier. In the 2014 Morocc ...
, himself an Andalusian Moorish refugee. She was promised to her husband when she was still a child. Tétouan, a city resurrected by Andalusian exiles after Spanish destruction, became central to the political career of Sayyida later in life.


Career


Governor of Tétouan

An intelligent woman, Al Hurra learned much whilst assisting her husband in his business affairs. She was a de facto vice-governor, with her husband entrusting the reins of power to her each time he made a trip outside the city. When he died in 1515, the population, who had become accustomed to seeing her exercise power, accepted her as a governor of
Tétouan Tétouan (, or ) is a city in northern Morocco. It lies along the Martil Valley and is one of the two major ports of Morocco on the Mediterranean Sea, a few miles south of the Strait of Gibraltar, and about E.S.E. of Tangier. In the 2014 Morocc ...
, giving her the title of ''al-Hurra''. A (central) power vacuum emerged amidst the Moors influx into Morocco, meanwhile the city of Tétouan blossomed under its new citizens, leading to the creation of its own administration. From Tétouan al-Hurra held a strategic position not only for helping Moorish refugees, but also in enabling the city to become a privateering hub.
Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...
and Portuguese sources describe al-Hurra as "their partner in the diplomatic game". Some historians believe that the unusual "degree of acceptance of al Hurra as a ruler" could be attributed to "Andalusian familiarity with female inheriting power from
monarch A monarch () is a head of stateWebster's II New College Dictionary. "Monarch". Houghton Mifflin. Boston. 2001. p. 707. Life tenure, for life or until abdication, and therefore the head of state of a monarchy. A monarch may exercise the highest ...
families in Spain such as
Isabella I of Castile Isabella I (; 22 April 1451 – 26 November 1504), also called Isabella the Catholic (Spanish: ''Isabel la Católica''), was Queen of Castile and List of Leonese monarchs, León from 1474 until her death in 1504. She was also Queen of Aragon ...
." Others believe that al-Hurra succeeded as governor because she was "the undisputed leader of pirates of the western Mediterranean". According to the Moroccan historian Muhammad Ibn Azzuz Hakim she was ‘the only woman to have held sovereign power in Morocco". In 1541, she accepted a marriage proposal from Ahmed al-Wattasi, a
Sultan Sultan (; ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be use ...
of the Moroccan
Wattasid dynasty The Wattasid dynasty (, ''al-waṭṭāsīyūn'') was a ruling dynasty of Morocco. Like the Marinid dynasty, its rulers were of Zenata Berber descent. The two families were related, and the Marinids recruited many viziers from the Wattasids. T ...
, who traveled from Fez to
Tétouan Tétouan (, or ) is a city in northern Morocco. It lies along the Martil Valley and is one of the two major ports of Morocco on the Mediterranean Sea, a few miles south of the Strait of Gibraltar, and about E.S.E. of Tangier. In the 2014 Morocc ...
to marry her. Her marriage with him was the only recorded instance of a Moroccan king marrying outside of his capital. This occurred because al-Hurra was not ready to give up her role as ruler of Tétouan or even to leave the city for the marriage ceremony, forcing al-Wattasi to come to her. Although she gained political support through this new alliance, Sayyida al-Hurra insisted on showing everybody that she was not going to give up governing Tétouan despite being married to the Sultan. Besides the unique choice for the location of their marriage ceremony, it was an uncommon practice for a man to marry a widowed woman. It was her power, resources, and diplomatic expertise to help strengthen unity in the northern region, that offered the sultan security. Sayyida al-Hurra lived a life of adventure and romance. She appointed her brother Moulay Ibrahim as vizier to Ahmed al-Wattasi, Sultan of Fez, and this placed the Rashidis as major players in the effort to unify Morocco against the fast-growing powers of Spain and Portugal.


Barbary piracy

Coming from Andalusian beginnings, Sayyida became a true symbol for the Northern Moroccan frontier in the ongoing struggle against the Iberian expansionism. She could neither forget nor forgive the humiliation of being forced to flee
Granada Granada ( ; ) is the capital city of the province of Granada, in the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada (Spain), Sierra Nevada mountains, at the confluence ...
. In her wish to take revenge on the "Christian enemy", she turned to piracy. She made contact with the legendary Ottoman admiral
Hayreddin Barbarossa Hayreddin Barbarossa (, original name: Khiḍr; ), also known as Hayreddin Pasha, Hızır Hayrettin Pasha, and simply Hızır Reis (c. 1466/1483 – 4 July 1546), was an Ottoman corsair and later admiral of the Ottoman Navy. Barbarossa's ...
of
Algiers Algiers is the capital city of Algeria as well as the capital of the Algiers Province; it extends over many Communes of Algeria, communes without having its own separate governing body. With 2,988,145 residents in 2008Census 14 April 2008: Offi ...
. Piracy provided a quick income, "booty and ransom for captives", and also helped to keep alive the dream of returning to
Andalusia Andalusia ( , ; , ) is the southernmost autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in Peninsular Spain, located in the south of the Iberian Peninsula, in southwestern Europe. It is the most populous and the second-largest autonomou ...
. She was well respected by her Christian enemies as a "queen" who had power over the western
Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern Eur ...
, and over the release of Portuguese and Spanish captives. For example, in ''The Forgotten Queens of Islam'' Fatima Mernissi mentions Spanish historical documents of 1540, according to which there were negotiations "between the Spaniards and Sayyida al-Hurra" following a successful pirating operation in
Gibraltar Gibraltar ( , ) is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory and British overseas cities, city located at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula, on the Bay of Gibraltar, near the exit of the Mediterranean Sea into the A ...
in which the Muslim pirates took "much booty and many prisoners".


Later life

After she had ruled for 30 years, her son-in-law Muhammad al-Hassan al-Mandri, who was the governor of
Fnideq Fnideq () is a town in northern Morocco, on the Mediterranean coast of M'diq-Fnideq Prefecture, north of the city of Tétouan. The town is also known under the Spanish name Castillejos. It is the closest Moroccan ''urban commune'' to the Spanish ...
, overthrew her in October 1542. According to the ''
Yemen Times The ''Yemen Times'' () was an independent English-language newspaper in Yemen. The paper was published twice weekly. History 1990–1999 The ''Yemen Times'' was founded in 1990 by Abdulaziz al-Saqqaf, an economics professor at Sanaa Univer ...
'', "she was stripped of her property and power". Accepting her fate, al-Hurra retired to
Chefchaouen Chefchaouen (, ) is a city in northwest Morocco. It is the chief town of the province of the same name and is noted for its buildings in shades of blue, for which it is nicknamed the "Blue City". It is situated in a mountainous region in northern ...
, from where she dedicated her time to religious work. It is said that she died in 1552, near her father's house in Chefchaouen.


Legacy

Female historical figures such as Sayyida al-Hurra, despite their prominence are often reduced to historical footnotes, or even written out of history. Specifically the way she is represented in historical sources becomes clear in the ambiguity of documentation on specific events. As such, one could argue that her story is part of a bigger trend where historical female narratives and representations have been reconstructed. In a 2024 study that attempts to revise this case study, local Moroccan historians points this lack of documentation to the fact that "Arab historians were not interested in writing about her during her own time, although she has continued to be known in her home city." Moreover, suggesting that society upheld traditional gender roles, an thus not celebrating female leadership. A factor that was specific to the 16th century and Early Modern period, was a sentiment instilled by Judeo-Christian monotheistic religions that women were physically and intellectually inferior to men. This can also explain how this era was "no place where women could construct distinctive identities, or forge their names in history like their male counterparts". Regardless, she made a name for herself in both the Islamic world and the Western society, for her nautical dominance and her time as governor of Tétouan stand as lasting testaments to her legacy. One of al-Hurra's (family's) physical legacy's and places where she is actively remembered, is the Qasbah, a former fortress built as defence against the Portuguese threat, that belonged to her father.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sayyida, al Hurra 1490s births 1552 deaths 16th-century Moroccan people 16th-century Moroccan women 16th-century women rulers African women in war Barbary pirates (people) 16th-century pirates Moroccan female pirates Islam and women Moroccan pirates People from Chefchaouen People from Tétouan Moroccan royal consorts 16th-century slave traders Women slave traders