Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Victory Is Sweet: The Saadians
Much of Portugal (including Lisbon) had been under Muslim rule during the 12th century,
and now the Portuguese were ready for payback - literally. The tiny, rugged kingdom
needed steady supplies of food for its people and gold to fortify its growing empire, but
Morocco stood in the way. No nation could wrest overland Saharan trade routes from the
savvy Berber warriors who'd controlled key oases and mountain passes for centuries. In-
stead, the Portuguese went with tactics where they had clear technical advantages: naval
warfare and advanced firearms. By systematically capturing Moroccan ports along the
Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts, Portuguese gunships bypassed Berber middlemen in-
land, and headed directly to West Africa for gold and slaves.
Global Voices Morocco provides a roundup of Moroccan news and opinion online, including
English translations of bloggers' responses to Moroccan news at
www.globalvoicesonline.org/-/
Sugar Caravans
Once trade in the Sahara began to dry up, something had to be done. Entire inland com-
munities were decimated, and formerly flush Marrakesh was wracked with famine. The
Beni Saad Berbers - now known to history as the Saadians - from the Drâa Valley took up
the fight against the Portuguese. With successive wins against European, Berber and Otto-
man rivals, the Saadians were able to reinstate inland trade. Soon the Saadians were in con-
trol of such sought-after commodities as gold, slaves, ivory, ostrich feathers and the must-
have luxury for trendy European royals: sugar.
The Saadians satisfied European sugar cravings at prices that make today's oil and co-
caine cartels look like rank amateurs. With threats of full-scale invasion, the Saadians had
no problem scaring up customers and suppliers. The most dangerous sugar-dealer of all
was Saadian Sultan Ahmed al-Mansour ed-Dahbi, who earned his names Al-Mansour (the
Victorious) for defeating foes from Portugal to the Sudan, and Ed-Dahbi (the Golden) for
his success in bilking them. This Marrakshi Midas used the proceeds to line his Badi Palace
in Marrakesh from floor to ceiling with gold and gems. But after the sultan died, his short-
lived successor stripped the palace down to its mudbrick foundations, as it remains today.
The Saadian legacy is most visible in the Saadian Tombs, decked out for a decadent after-
life with painted Carrara marble and gold leaf. The Saadians died as they lived: dazzling
beyond belief and a touch too rich for most tastes.
