Muley Xeriffe Was The Founder Of The Dynasty Of _Fileli_, From Which
The Present Reigning Family Is Descended.
This country, totally
exhausted by divisions and civil wars, acquired the enjoyments of
peace and plenty, during the reign of this prince, who resided at
Tafilet, and caused the Governors, who were entrusted with provinces,
to rule with equity.
He made it his whole study to render this fickle
and turbulent people happy; the latter part of his reign was perfectly
undisturbed, and his death was universally and justly lamented. He
was succeeded by his eldest son, who was proclaimed, without the
disturbances usual on those occasions, by the name of _Muley Mahomet_.
This prince, equally just and pious with his father, reigned for some
time very peaceably; and from his exemplary conduct would have
continued to do so to his death, to the increasing prosperity of his
subjects, but for his brother, _Muley Arshid_, an ambitious prince,
who, endowed with an intelligent mind, equal to the vast project he
had in contemplation, raised a rebellion, with a view to seize on the
sovereign power. At the head of a numerous party, in a pitched battle,
he was however defeated, and taken prisoner, by his brother _Muley
Mahomet_. But he recovered his liberty, by the aid of a negro slave,
whom he rewarded by striking off his head at the very instant he had
enabled the monster to recover his liberty.
After wandering about for some time, stirring up the minds of the
people to revolt, Muley Arshid fled to the mountains of Rif, where he
offered his services to the Sovereign of those districts, who,
unfortunately discovering the abilities of the stranger, confided to
him the administration of his territories, when, after having by
stratagem and prodigality gained the troops and the people to his
interests, he dethroned and inhumanly butchered his royal
benefactor. He then defeated his brother _Mahomet_, and closely
besieged him in Tafilet, whence that good prince died of grief. To
enumerate the bloody exploits of this prince would extend my letter to
a volume; suffice it therefore to say, that his reign was short, and
the remembrance of it never to be effaced. He died in 1672 of a
fractured skull, in consequence of a fall from his horse.
He was succeeded by his brother _Muley Ishmael_, who distinguished
himself by some brave actions; and his reign would have formed a grand
epoch in the history of this country, had he not stained it by a
succession of tyranny and cruelties, too shocking to dwell upon. He
died in 1727 at the advanced age of eighty-one, leaving behind him a
numerous offspring. This prince, in order to ensure his despotic and
arbitrary power, contrived to form a regular army of foreign soldiers,
which he effected, partly from the negro families, then settled in
Barbary, but principally from a vast number of blacks which he
obtained from the coast of Guinea.
_Muley-Achmet-Daiby_, one of the numerous sons of Ishmael, ascended
the throne of Morocco, and, after reigning two years, died of a
dropsy.
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