Bou Hmara
Encyclopedia
Bou Hmara also spelled Bou Hamara or Bouhmara : (the one who owns a she-ass) (c.1860-1909), a rogui or pretender to the throne of Morocco
. His real name was Jilali ben Driss Zirhouni al-Youssefi (from his birthplace of Ouled Youssef:fr:Ouled Youssef in the Zerhoun area near Fes
).
He originally held the position of secretary to Moulay Omar, brother of Sultan Moulay Abdelaziz
, but after some intrigues at the royal court was imprisoned. After release, he went to Algeria
, from whence he returned (riding a she-ass) to Taza
in the northeast of Morocco
with the idea of impersonating Moulay Mohammed, another brother of the Sultan. Moulay Mohammed was venerated by the Moroccan public as a saintly figure, but although still alive and well, he kept to the royal palace in Fes
and was almost never seen in public. Under this assumed identity, Bou Hamara proclaimed himself Sultan of Morocco. This was at the end of 1902, when he was about 40 years old.
He is said to have ruled ruthlessly in Taza
and the surrounding area of the Rif
and Nekor
. He persecuted the Jews
, who had to take refuge in neighbouring areas. He is said to have executed some of his opponents by soaking the victims in petrol, then setting them alight at night.
While ensconced in Taza
, he was able to repel all attempts by the Sultan's army to invade his domain. However, by 1909, he had enlarged his area of control, and could not retain the loyalty of all the many different tribes it encompassed. In addition, he had alienated some of these tribes by selling mining concessions to Spanish interests.
By then the Sultan was Moulay Abdelhafid
, a more vigorous ruler than Abdelaziz. Abdelhafid first attempted to discredit Bou Hamara by taking the real Moulay Mohammed to a public mosque; but this caused a near riot and was not repeated. Fearing that Bou Hamara was expanding towards Fes
, Abdelhafid sent another army against him, armed with cannon manned by French artillery instructors. During the resulting battle, the cannon were used to shell a religious shrine where Bou Hamara had taken refuge, and he was captured.
Bou Hamara's men were either decapitated on the spot, or taken hostage. It is said that 400 prisoners began the march to Fes
but only 160 arrived, the remainder having been ransomed. Once at Fes
, one-fifth of the captives were punished at a public mutilation, a hand and opposing foot being cut off (hirabah
), and the others imprisoned.
Bou Hamara himself was for some time kept imprisoned in a small cage in which he could not stand. There are conflicting stories about how he was eventually executed. The most popular has it that he was thrown to the lions in the Sultan's menagerie, then shot when they proved too slow to kill him. Another account says that, too weak to hold himself upright, he was propped up in a metal tub normally used for the lions' feed, allowed to recite the shahada
, then immediately shot in the head with a pistol. In both accounts, the body was later burned with the assistance of curtains from the Sultan's harem.
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
. His real name was Jilali ben Driss Zirhouni al-Youssefi (from his birthplace of Ouled Youssef:fr:Ouled Youssef in the Zerhoun area near Fes
Fes
Fes or Fez is the second largest city of Morocco, after Casablanca, with a population of approximately 1 million . It is the capital of the Fès-Boulemane region....
).
He originally held the position of secretary to Moulay Omar, brother of Sultan Moulay Abdelaziz
Abdelaziz of Morocco
Abdelaziz of Morocco , also known as Mulai Abd al-Aziz IV, served as the Sultan of Morocco from 1894 at the age of sixteen until he was deposed in 1908. He succeeded his father Hassan I of Morocco...
, but after some intrigues at the royal court was imprisoned. After release, he went to Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
, from whence he returned (riding a she-ass) to Taza
Taza
Taza is a city in northern Morocco, which occupies the corridor between the Rif mountians and Middle Atlas mountains, about 120 km east of Fez. It is located at 150 km from Nador, and 210 km from Oujda...
in the northeast of Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
with the idea of impersonating Moulay Mohammed, another brother of the Sultan. Moulay Mohammed was venerated by the Moroccan public as a saintly figure, but although still alive and well, he kept to the royal palace in Fes
Fes
Fes or Fez is the second largest city of Morocco, after Casablanca, with a population of approximately 1 million . It is the capital of the Fès-Boulemane region....
and was almost never seen in public. Under this assumed identity, Bou Hamara proclaimed himself Sultan of Morocco. This was at the end of 1902, when he was about 40 years old.
He is said to have ruled ruthlessly in Taza
Taza
Taza is a city in northern Morocco, which occupies the corridor between the Rif mountians and Middle Atlas mountains, about 120 km east of Fez. It is located at 150 km from Nador, and 210 km from Oujda...
and the surrounding area of the Rif
Rif
The Rif or Riff is a mainly mountainous region of northern Morocco, with some fertile plains, stretching from Cape Spartel and Tangier in the west to Ras Kebdana and the Melwiyya River in the east, and from the Mediterranean Sea in the north to the river of Wergha in the south.It is part of the...
and Nekor
Nekor
Nekor is a town in the Rif of Morocco. It was the capital of the medieval Kingdom of Nekor, and was founded by Emir Idris ibn Salih between 749 and 761 AD, and became the capital in the reign of his son Said ibn Idris It was sacked by the Vikings sometime between 859 and 862 AD, and destroyed...
. He persecuted the Jews
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
, who had to take refuge in neighbouring areas. He is said to have executed some of his opponents by soaking the victims in petrol, then setting them alight at night.
While ensconced in Taza
Taza
Taza is a city in northern Morocco, which occupies the corridor between the Rif mountians and Middle Atlas mountains, about 120 km east of Fez. It is located at 150 km from Nador, and 210 km from Oujda...
, he was able to repel all attempts by the Sultan's army to invade his domain. However, by 1909, he had enlarged his area of control, and could not retain the loyalty of all the many different tribes it encompassed. In addition, he had alienated some of these tribes by selling mining concessions to Spanish interests.
By then the Sultan was Moulay Abdelhafid
Abdelhafid of Morocco
Abdelhafid of Morocco was the Sultan of Morocco from 1908 to 1912 and a member of the Alaouite Dynasty. His younger brother, Abdelaziz of Morocco, preceded him...
, a more vigorous ruler than Abdelaziz. Abdelhafid first attempted to discredit Bou Hamara by taking the real Moulay Mohammed to a public mosque; but this caused a near riot and was not repeated. Fearing that Bou Hamara was expanding towards Fes
Fes
Fes or Fez is the second largest city of Morocco, after Casablanca, with a population of approximately 1 million . It is the capital of the Fès-Boulemane region....
, Abdelhafid sent another army against him, armed with cannon manned by French artillery instructors. During the resulting battle, the cannon were used to shell a religious shrine where Bou Hamara had taken refuge, and he was captured.
Bou Hamara's men were either decapitated on the spot, or taken hostage. It is said that 400 prisoners began the march to Fes
Fes
Fes or Fez is the second largest city of Morocco, after Casablanca, with a population of approximately 1 million . It is the capital of the Fès-Boulemane region....
but only 160 arrived, the remainder having been ransomed. Once at Fes
Fes
Fes or Fez is the second largest city of Morocco, after Casablanca, with a population of approximately 1 million . It is the capital of the Fès-Boulemane region....
, one-fifth of the captives were punished at a public mutilation, a hand and opposing foot being cut off (hirabah
Hirabah
Hirābah is an Arabic word for “piracy”, or “unlawful warfare”. Hirabah comes from the root hariba, which means “to become angry and enraged”. The noun harb Hirābah is an Arabic word for “piracy”, or “unlawful warfare”. Hirabah comes from the root hariba, which means “to become angry and...
), and the others imprisoned.
Bou Hamara himself was for some time kept imprisoned in a small cage in which he could not stand. There are conflicting stories about how he was eventually executed. The most popular has it that he was thrown to the lions in the Sultan's menagerie, then shot when they proved too slow to kill him. Another account says that, too weak to hold himself upright, he was propped up in a metal tub normally used for the lions' feed, allowed to recite the shahada
Shahada
The Shahada , means "to know and believe without suspicion, as if witnessed"/testification; it is the name of the Islamic creed. The shahada is the Muslim declaration of belief in the oneness of God and acceptance of Muhammad as God's prophet...
, then immediately shot in the head with a pistol. In both accounts, the body was later burned with the assistance of curtains from the Sultan's harem.