Home Region: Maghreb (Africa)

Saadi Sultanate

1554 CE 1659 CE

D G SC WF R

EQ 2020 ma_saadi_sultanate / MaSaadi

Preceding Entity: Add one more here.

[continuity; Principality of Saadi] [continuity] Update here

Succeeding Entity:

No Polity found. Add one here.

Displayed:

Learn more about polity border choices. Map Modern Map only Opacity Year Play rate (y/s)
Hit enter after changing the year or setting the play rate.

General Description

This polity represents the period in which Morocco was ruled by the Saadi dynasty. Although the dynasty itself was founded in 1511 CE, we date the beginning of the polity to 1554, when the Saadis took Fez from their dynastic rivals, the Wattasids, and united Morocco under their rule. As for the polity’s end, it seems most appropriate to date it to 1659, the year the last Saadi monarch was assassinated. Between 1554 and 1591, the boundaries of the Saadi Sultanate coincided with those of modern-day Morocco. Between 1591 and 1618, the Saadi also ruled over the Niger Inland Delta, though their control over this area seems to have been nominal. After the death of Sultan Ahmad Al-Mansur in 1603, the polity entered a period of instability that ultimately led to the loss of their Niger colony. ^[1]
Population and political organization
In the 16th and 17th centuries CE, the Saadis ruled through an Ottoman-style hierarchical regime. ^[2] Atop this hierarchy stood the sultan, followed by the wazir or vizier, usually the crown prince. Then came the sultan’s council, headed by the First Secretary, who fulfilled the roles of secretary of state, majordomo and treasurer. The vice-vizier was in charge of the army and the qadi al-qudat (chief religious judge) headed the judiciary and appointed regional qadis.
The Saadi Sultanate is likely to have had a population of no more than 3 million at its peak. This is based on the earliest available population estimate for Morocco, which dates to the 20th century. According to García-Arenal, ’[t]he figure can hardly have been higher in the late sixteenth century or during the seventeenth, given that the country was subject to regular and devastating epidemics of plague’. ^[3] However, it is worth noting that this estimate does not take into account the population of the Niger Inland Delta.

[1]: (El Fasi 1992, 200-32) M. El Fasi. 1992. ’Morocco’. In General History of Africa, vol. 5: Africa from the Sixteenth to the Eighteenth Centuries, edited by Bethwell Allan Ogot, 200-32. London: Heinemann.

[2]: (García-Arenal 2009, 57-58) Mercedes García-Arenal. 2009. Ahmad Al-Mansur: The Beginnings of Modern Morocco. Oxford: OneWorld.

[3]: (García-Arenal 2009, 41) Mercedes García-Arenal. 2009. Ahmad Al-Mansur: The Beginnings of Modern Morocco. Oxford: OneWorld.

General Variables

Identity and Location

1 Utm Zone

1 Original Name

1 Capital

1 Alternative Name

Temporal Bounds

1 Peak Years

1 Duration

Political and Cultural Relations

2 Supracultural Entity

1 Succeeding Entity

1 Scale of Supracultural Interaction

1 Relationship to preceding Entity

1 Polity Succession

1 Degree of Centralization

Language

1 Linguistic Family

4 Language

Religion

Social Complexity Variables

Social Scale

1 Population of the Largest Settlement

3 Polity Territory

1 Polity Population

Hierarchical Complexity

1 Settlement Hierarchy

1 Religious Level

1 Military Level

1 Administrative Level

Professions

1 Professional Soldier

1 Professional Priesthood

1 Professional Military Officer

Bureaucracy Characteristics

1 Specialized Government Building

1 Merit Promotion

1 Full Time Bureaucrat

1 Examination System

Law

1 Professional Lawyer

1 Judge

1 Formal Legal Code

1 Court

Specialized Buildings: polity owned

1 Market

1 Irrigation System

1 Food Storage Site

1 Drinking Water Supply System

1 Entertainment Building

Transport Infrastructure

1 Road

1 Port

1 Canal

1 Bridge

Special-purpose Sites

1 Mines or Quarry

Information / Writing System

1 Written Record

1 Script

1 Phonetic Alphabetic Writing

1 Nonwritten Record

Information / Kinds of Written Documents

1 Scientific Literature

1 Sacred Text

1 Religious Literature

1 Practical Literature

1 Philosophy

1 Lists Tables and Classification

1 History

1 Fiction

1 Calendar

Information / Money

1 Token

1 Precious Metal

1 Paper Currency

1 Indigenous Coin

1 Foreign Coin

1 Article

Information / Postal System

1 Postal Station

1 General Postal Service

1 Courier

Information / Measurement System

Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)

Fortifications

1 Wooden Palisade

1 Stone Walls Non Mortared

1 Stone Walls Mortared

1 Settlements in a Defensive Position

1 Modern Fortification

1 Moat

1 Fortified Camp

1 Earth Rampart

1 Ditch

1 Complex Fortification

Military use of Metals

1 Steel

1 Iron

1 Copper

1 Bronze

Projectiles

1 Tension Siege Engine

1 Sling Siege Engine

1 Sling

1 Self Bow

1 Javelin

1 Handheld Firearm

1 Gunpowder Siege Artillery

1 Crossbow

1 Composite Bow

1 Atlatl

Handheld weapons

1 War Club

1 Sword

1 Spear

1 Polearm

1 Dagger

1 Battle Axe

Animals used in warfare

1 Horse

1 Elephant

1 Donkey

1 Dog

1 Camel

Armor

1 Wood Bark Etc

1 Shield

1 Scaled Armor

1 Plate Armor

1 Limb Protection

1 Leather Cloth

1 Laminar Armor

1 Helmet

1 Chainmail

1 Breastplate

Naval technology

1 Specialized Military Vessel

1 Small Vessels Canoes Etc

1 Merchant Ships Pressed Into Service

Economy Variables (Luxury Goods) Coding in Progress.

Religion Variables Coding in Progress.

Crisis Consequence Cases Coding in Progress.

Power Transitions

9 Power Transition

Instability Events

20 Instability Event

NGA Settlements:

Year Range	Saadi Sultanate (ma_saadi_sultanate) was in:
(1591 CE 1618 CE)	Niger Inland Delta

Home NGA: Niger Inland Delta

General Variables

Identity and Location Saadi Sultanate (ma_saadi_sultanate)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Utm Zone	29 S	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Original Name	Saadi Sultanate	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Capital	Marrakesh	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Alternative Name	Saadi Dynasty	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Temporal Bounds Saadi Sultanate (ma_saadi_sultanate)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More
Peak Years	[1578 CE ➜ 1603 CE]
Loading...

Duration	[1554 CE ➜ 1659 CE]
Loading...

Political and Cultural Relations Saadi Sultanate (ma_saadi_sultanate)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Supracultural Entity	Arabic	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Supracultural Entity	Islamic	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Succeeding Entity	Alaouite Dynasty	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Scale of Supracultural Interaction	[4,500,000 to 5,000,000] km²	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Relationship to Preceding Entity	continuity	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Preceding Entity	continuity; Principality of Saadi [continuity] Update here
Loading...

Degree of Centralization	unitary state	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Language Saadi Sultanate (ma_saadi_sultanate)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Linguistic Family	Indo-European	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Language	Spanish	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Language	Arabic	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Language	Berber	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Language	Portuguese	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Religion Saadi Sultanate (ma_saadi_sultanate)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Social Complexity Variables

Social Scale Saadi Sultanate (ma_saadi_sultanate)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Population of the Largest Settlement	125,000 people	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Polity Territory	447,000 km²	1554 CE 1591 CE
Loading...

Polity Territory	476,000 km²	1591 CE 1618 CE
Loading...

Polity Territory	447,000 km²	1618 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Polity Population	[2,000,000 to 3,000,000] people	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Hierarchical Complexity Saadi Sultanate (ma_saadi_sultanate)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Settlement Hierarchy	4	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Religious Level	3	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Military Level	6	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Administrative Level	5	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Professions Saadi Sultanate (ma_saadi_sultanate)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Professional Soldier	Present	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Professional Priesthood	Present	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Professional Military Officer	Present	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Bureaucracy Characteristics Saadi Sultanate (ma_saadi_sultanate)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Specialized Government Building	Present Inferred	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Merit Promotion	Uncoded Undecided	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Full Time Bureaucrat	Present	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Examination System	Uncoded Undecided	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Law Saadi Sultanate (ma_saadi_sultanate)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Professional Lawyer	Unknown Suspected	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Judge	Present	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Formal Legal Code	Present	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Court	Present Inferred	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Specialized Buildings: polity owned Saadi Sultanate (ma_saadi_sultanate)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Market	Present	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Irrigation System	Present	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Food Storage Site	Present Inferred	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Drinking Water Supply System	Unknown Suspected	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Entertainment Building	Uncoded Undecided	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Transport Infrastructure Saadi Sultanate (ma_saadi_sultanate)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Road	Unknown Suspected	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Port	Present	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Canal	Unknown Suspected	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Bridge	Unknown Suspected	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Special-purpose Sites Saadi Sultanate (ma_saadi_sultanate)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Mines or Quarry	Present	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Information / Writing System Saadi Sultanate (ma_saadi_sultanate)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Written Record	Present	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Script	Present	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Phonetic Alphabetic Writing	Present	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Nonwritten Record	Present	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Information / Kinds of Written Documents Saadi Sultanate (ma_saadi_sultanate)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Scientific Literature	Present	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Sacred Text	Present	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Religious Literature	Present	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Practical Literature	Present	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Philosophy	Present Inferred	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Lists Tables and Classification	Present Inferred	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

History	Present	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Fiction	Present Inferred	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Calendar	Unknown Suspected	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Information / Money Saadi Sultanate (ma_saadi_sultanate)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Token	Unknown Suspected	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Precious Metal	Present Inferred	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Paper Currency	Unknown Suspected	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Indigenous Coin	Present Inferred	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Foreign Coin	Unknown Suspected	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Article	Present	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Information / Postal System Saadi Sultanate (ma_saadi_sultanate)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Postal Station	Unknown Suspected	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

General Postal Service	Unknown Suspected	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Courier	Unknown Suspected	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Information / Measurement System Saadi Sultanate (ma_saadi_sultanate)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)

Fortifications Saadi Sultanate (ma_saadi_sultanate)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Wooden Palisade	Unknown Suspected	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Stone Walls Non Mortared	Unknown Suspected	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Stone Walls Mortared	Unknown Suspected	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Settlements in a Defensive Position	Unknown Suspected	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Modern Fortification	Unknown Suspected	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Moat	Unknown Suspected	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Fortified Camp	Present	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Earth Rampart	Present Inferred	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Ditch	Unknown Suspected	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Complex Fortification	Unknown Suspected	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Military use of Metals Saadi Sultanate (ma_saadi_sultanate)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Steel	Present Inferred	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Iron	Unknown Suspected	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Copper	Unknown Suspected	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Bronze	Unknown Suspected	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Projectiles Saadi Sultanate (ma_saadi_sultanate)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Tension Siege Engine	Unknown Suspected	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Sling Siege Engine	Unknown Suspected	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Sling	Unknown Suspected	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Self Bow	Unknown Suspected	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Javelin	Unknown Suspected	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Handheld Firearm	Present	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Gunpowder Siege Artillery	Present	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Crossbow	Present Inferred	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Composite Bow	Present Inferred	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Atlatl	Absent	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Handheld weapons Saadi Sultanate (ma_saadi_sultanate)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
War Club	Present Inferred	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Sword	Present	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Spear	Present	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Polearm	Unknown Suspected	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Dagger	Present Inferred	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Battle Axe	Present Inferred	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Animals used in warfare Saadi Sultanate (ma_saadi_sultanate)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Horse	Present	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Elephant	Absent Inferred	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Donkey	Unknown Suspected	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Dog	Unknown Suspected	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Camel	Present	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Armor Saadi Sultanate (ma_saadi_sultanate)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Wood Bark Etc	Unknown Suspected	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Shield	Present	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Scaled Armor	Present Inferred	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Plate Armor	Present Inferred	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Limb Protection	Present Inferred	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Leather Cloth	Present Inferred	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Laminar Armor	Present Inferred	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Helmet	Present	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Chainmail	Present	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Breastplate	Unknown Suspected	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Naval technology Saadi Sultanate (ma_saadi_sultanate)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Specialized Military Vessel	Present	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Small Vessels Canoes Etc	Present Inferred	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Merchant Ships Pressed Into Service	Present	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Economy Variables (Luxury Goods)

Religion Variables

Moralizing Supernatural Punishment and Reward Saadi Sultanate (ma_saadi_sultanate)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Moralizing Enforcement is Broad	Present	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Moralizing Supernatural Concern is Primary	Present	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Moralizing Enforcement is Agentic	Present	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Moralizing Enforcement in This Life	Present	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Moralizing Supernatural Punishment And Reward	Present	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Moralizing Religion Adopted by Commoners	Present	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Moralizing Enforcement is Targeted	Present	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Moralizing Enforcement in Afterlife	Present	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Moralizing Religion Adopted by Elites	Present	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Moralizing Enforcement of Rulers	Present	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Moralizing Enforcement is Certain	Present	1554 CE 1659 CE
Loading...

Human Sacrifice Saadi Sultanate (ma_saadi_sultanate)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More