Muhammad IV of Morocco
| Muhammad bin Abd al-Rahman محمد بن عبد الرحمن | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Muhammad IV ben Abd al-Rahman of Morocco, shown surrounded by the Black Guard, receiving the John Hay Drummond Hay and British Delegation of Tangier at the royal palace in Fes. | |||||
| Sultan of Morocco | |||||
| Reign | 1859–1873 | ||||
| Coronation | 28 August 1859 | ||||
| Predecessor | Abd al-Rahman | ||||
| Successor | Hassan I | ||||
| Born | 1803 Fes, Morocco | ||||
| Died | September 16, 1873 (aged 70) Marrakesh, Morocco | ||||
| Burial | |||||
| Spouse | Lalla Safiya bint Maimun bin Mohammed al-Alaoui Lalla Ahnya al-Arusiya Jeanne Lanternier | ||||
| Issue | 18 children, including: Hassan bin Mohammed 'Arafa bin Mohammed | ||||
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| House | 'Alawi | ||||
| Father | Abd al-Rahman bin Hisham | ||||
| Mother | Lalla Halima bint Sulayman al-Alaoui | ||||
| Religion | Maliki Sunni Islam | ||||
Mawlay Muhammad bin Abd al-Rahman (Arabic: محمد بن عبد الرحمن), known as Muhammad IV (Arabic: محمد الرابع), born in Fes in 1803 and died in Marrakesh in 1873, was the Sultan of Morocco from 28 August 1859 to 16 September 1873 as a ruler of the 'Alawi dynasty. He was proclaimed sultan in 1859 after the death of his father, Abd al-Rahman.
His reign saw a series of reforms to modern military equipment and organization and also the introduction of new technology, like the steam engine and the expansion of printing, mostly in religious instruction books, but also those in engineering and science. He aimed to counter European influence on Morocco even before his reign started; Ottoman Algeria had just been conquered by France in 1830, and military losses in the Battle of Isly (commanded by him) with France in 1844 made him realise that he needed to replicate the tactics of the Europeans. Despite important reforms, this failed during the disappointing defeat against Spain in the 1860 Battle of Tetuan, after which the resulting Treaty of Wad Ras imposed an indemnity payment twenty times the government's budget. He was succeeded by his son Hassan I.