Mawlay Ali al-Sharif

Mawlay Ali al-Sharif (Sharif ibn Ali; b. c. 1589 – d. 13 Ramadan 1069/4 June 1659) was the Sharifian leader of the Tafilalt oasis around Sijilmasa in southeastern Morocco, his family claiming descent from the Prophet through Hasan ibn Ali, having migrated from Yanbu in the Hejaz to Tafilalt. Declared amir/sultan of Tafilalt c. 1631, he is regarded as the founder-ancestor of the Alaouite (Filali) dynasty that still governs Morocco; through his sons Mawlay al-Rashid (r. 1664-72) and Mawlay Isma'il (r. 1672-1727) its rule was established. His tomb lies in the mosque-mausoleum complex at Rissani, near the ruins of Sijilmasa; the complex was rebuilt after flood damage in 1955. Identity note: his name must not be confused with the 15th-century earlier ancestor "Ali al-Sharif" who fought the Portuguese; dates and the "founder" attribution are soft in the sources. TDV has no person-specific entry; the dynasty is treated under "Filâlîler"/"Aleviyye (Filâlîler)". (Source: TDV "Filâlîler" and "Aleviyye (Filâlîler)"; Britannica "Alawi dynasty"; en.wikipedia "Sharif ibn Ali".)