The Battle of Alcazar, the Mediterranean, and the Moor

I n the summer of 1578, in the North African town of El-Ksar el-Kebir, two Moors and their factions fought for rule over the Moroccan domains of Marrakech and Fez. 1 Abd el-Malek, the ruler at that time was the legitimate head of state, next in line after his brother. Abd el-Malek was challenged, however, by his brother’s son, Mulai Mohammed el-Meslokh, who had usurped power in 1574 and been ousted in 1576. As the conflict unfolded, Abd el-Malek enlisted the support of the Turks, while Mulai Mohammed sought aid from the Portuguese king, Don Sebastian, who was backed also by Spain, Rome, and a wayward Englishman, Thomas Stukeley. The final battle—what the Renaissance would know and critics come to know as “the battle of Alcazar”—restored the legitimate line. Abd el-Malek died from illness during the conflict, but his brother, Ahmed el-Mansur, succeeded and ruled from 1578 to 1603. Sebastian and Stukeley were killed, and the dispossessed Mulai Mohammed drowned on the battlefield, his recovered body was flayed, stuffed, and displayed as part of the triumphant progress of the restored regime. 2 These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.