History of Morocco

Morocco is a country with a rich culture and history. The way of living of the people here in Morocco was influenced by the country’s ancient culture. But some part of their culture is attained from other culture.

History is very important for us to know how things in a country begin, what are its development from the past and it’s present. Let us get to know more about Morocco. The history of Morocco is a lot of awesome facts as well as special events including the invasion of some foreign countries. The first people to live in Morocco was the Berbers about 3,000 years ago. Their way of living was different. They live as tribes with an unrecognized government. But they have their leaders and those leaders created some rules to be followed by the people.

In order for a country continue to progress they need to have unity. But unfortunately, they are not that united so they were invaded by some foreign countries. The first one to invade Morocco were Phoenicians.  It happened in the twelfth century B.C. During those times, Phoenicians successfully asserted some of the Morocco’s coastal settlements, but then they were defeated by the Carthaginians in the 2nd century B.C.

But then they were conquered by the Romans in 146 BC and took over the area of Morocco. Roman Empire did not last their invasion. Arabs came and took all the control. Arabs introduced Islam to Moroccans. But the Jews also wanted to invade Morocco and by that, they begin to fight. Because of that, they left the country in unsafe and unsteady condition. But luckily, there is this man who leads and governs the country. He is Ahmed I al-Man-sur. Because of him, Morocco starts to rise again. During those time the Jews and the Moors from Spain are designated in Morocco. They share their rich culture as well as their art to Moroccans.

There are several conflicts that happened in the early 15th century. It is between the Spaniards and Portuguese. But Moroccans did not give up and became even stronger. The fight started against the Moroccans and Portuguese. Luckily, Moroccans win and a result they recover and took all the coastal town by the year 1700. But then in 1904, Morocco was divided to France as well as to Spain. The bigger part is received by France. Germany disagreed about the fact that French received a bigger portion. They claim to get some of it. They sent a gunboat to the French. But the fight did not last because of the agreement made by the French allowing the Germans’ demand.

Morocco became an independent country in the year 1950 by the request of its Sultan. At first, their request was not granted. But they did not stop and by the year 1957, Sultan Mohammed became the king of Morocco.  It became now an opportunity for the Moroccans to achieve independence. But in 1953, Sultan was deposed by the French. And in 1956, he returned.  Morocco has finally received the complete independence on March 2, 1956. It was after the signing of a joint declaration in Paris for the replacement of the Treaty of Fez.

In 1961, Mohammed died because of a heart failure. The King was replaced by King Hassan II in the year 1961 and reigned the country until 1991. But his leadership did not turn well because during the year 1960 and 1970 Morocco suffered from political instability. Morocco was deeply in debt because of too much borrowing and over-expanding. It happened in the year 1970. But then, in 1971 and in 1972 Hassan II survived the 2 coup attempts. There was also a riot that was happened in Casablanca in the year 1981.

Unfortunately, Hassan II died in 1999. After that, a new king was presented and it was Mohammed VI. He promised to the Moroccans that he will his best to change all the wrong doings caused by late Hassan II. But as of now, everything has changed, in fact, Morocco is considered have the cleanest human rights records in Africa and the Middle East.

Step by step, Mohammed VI manages and organized a lot of things including the proper election, introduce to some state schools the berber language and most especially the Mudawanna, a legal code that indicates about the protection of women’s right to divorce as well as custody. Aside from that, the tourism in Morocco has developed and he has also forged for strong closer ties with Europe. As of today, Morocco continues to develop more. Morocco’s main industry now is tourism and textiles.

Last 2011, Mohammed VI revised the constitution and a new government was appointed last January 2012. In the year 2013, specifically in the month of January, the government in Morocco has return the changing penal code article allowing the rapist of several underage young girls to avoid prosecution and just marry their victims.

Morocco has cancelled the joint military exercises and demands the planned monitoring as an attack on its authority. This happened last 2013. On the same year, the king designates a new government.

There was a parliamentary election last October 2016. The King chooses Abdelilah Benkirane to be the prime minister for the second term. But sad to say last March 2017, the King dismisses Abdelilah Benkirane because of his failure in forming a coalition government. The King decided to choose former PDJ secretary-general Saad-Eddine El Othmani and became his successor.

There’s a lot of important events that happened in Morocco. And those that was written above is part of the history of the country.