Ba Ahmed Explained

Ahmed bin Mūsa ash-Sharqī
أحمد ابن موسى الشرقي
Birth Date:1840
Blank1:Religion
Data1:Sunni Islam
Nickname:Ba Ahmed
Death Place:Marrakesh, Morocco
Death Date:13 May 1900
Birth Place:Marrakesh, Morocco
Monarch2:Mawlay Hassan I
Office:Grand Wazir of Morocco
Termend2:1900
Termstart2:1879
Office2:Chamberlain of the Sultan
Termend:1900
Termstart:1894
Native Name Lang:ar
Death Cause:Heart failure

Ahmed bin Mūsa, known as Ba Ahmed, was (Grand Wazir) of Morocco and de facto ruler of the kingdom between the 1894 and 1900. He became the country's true regent, after enthroning the son of Hassan I, Abd al-Aziz, as sultan, who was a child at the time, despite there being older siblings. Ba Ahmed's rule, as the rule of Mawlay Hassan before him, of whom his was grand vizier, continued to entangle Morocco in financial and political crisis, with catastrophic reforms to the tax and duty systems, and deepened the dependency of the throne —who could hardly collect any taxes— on foreign powers to quell rebellions, pay soldiers and servants and ultimately stay in power.[1] He died in 1900.

Ba Ahmed's descendants, as members of the French colonial elite with strong links to the palace, continue to this day to play a key role in the political and economic life of Morocco. One of his grandsons, Chakib Benmoussa, has held several high profile posts under the current king of Morocco, Mohammed VI, who appointed him first as CEO of one his companies (SONASID) then as Minister of the Interior then head of the Conseil Economique et Social and then ambassador to France.

Described as a "short and fat man", he was responsible for expanding the Bahia Palace begun by his father.[2] [3]

Notes and References

  1. News: Barbe. Adam. Quand la France colonisait le Maroc par la dette. 9 February 2017.
  2. Book: Searight, Susan. Maverick Guide to Morocco. registration. 28 October 2012. 1 November 1999. Pelican Publishing. 978-1-56554-348-5. 404.
  3. Book: Wilbaux, Quentin. La médina de Marrakech: Formation des espaces urbains d'une ancienne capitale du Maroc. L'Harmattan. 2001. 2747523888. Paris.