Abdelkrim Ragoun, Tetuan of Constantinople

In 1766, the Alawite Sultan Moulay Mohammed ibn Abdullah (aka Mohammed III) sent one of his first ambassadors, Abdulkerim Lagun, to Turkey to meet the Ottoman Sultan Mustafa III. After the start of the Russian aggression, the eighteenth Sultan of the Sharif Kingdom and former Caliph of Marrakesh had the opportunity to express his solidarity with the most powerful Islamic empire of the time.

In 1748, the future Mohammed III had just been appointed Caliph of Marrakesh by his father, Sultan Moulay Abdallah. This nomination would facilitate his accession to the throne in 1757, nine years after his father’s death. Without any opposition, he became the eighteenth Sultan of the kingdom, after Moulay Rachid. As an itinerant king, he was one of the Alawite sultans who chose Rabat as the capital of the empire, but did not reside there permanently.

Holders of a letter of solidarity from Morocco to the Ottoman Empire

The most important mark of his reign was the good diplomatic relations he maintained with almost all the powers of the East or the West, from the Ottoman Empire to the United States of America. To this end, he deployed several ambassadors and consuls, especially in Europe and in the neighboring countries of the Sharif Kingdom. “Sultan Sidi Mohammed increased the number of ambassadors sent to Sweden, England and Constantinople. He always entrusted his messengers with the task of bringing back ship equipment, gunpowder, cannons and bronze,” Roger Coindreau wrote in “Pirates of Saree» (Eddif edition, 2006).

In 1766, the Alawite Sultan chose a good moment to send a trusted man from the city of Tetouan, Abdelkrim Ragoun, to the court of the Ottoman Sultan Moustapha III. According to an article Arabic magazine Al BayanMehmed III preferred to respond to “gifts sent by Ottoman Sultan Mustafa III and Taher ibn Abduslam Slaoui and Taher ibn al-Rabadi” with this nomination.

Moulay Mohammed bin Abdullah and Mustafa III. / Photomontage

There are other versions of the story as to why Abdulkerim Ragon was sent. Published in Morocco Weekly 1997, “The embassy of Raïs Abdelkrim Ragoun in 1766 offered Moroccan support to the Turks in the battle against the Russian fleet”. However, the only undated event that could be Moulay Mohammed ibn Abdullah sending a message of Sharif support to the Ottoman Empire is the attack by pro-Russian Ukrainians on the city of Balta on Ottoman territory shortly before 1768. The date when the Ottoman Empire declared war on Russia, triggering the Sixth Russo-Russian War of 1768-1774.

Thus, Reis Abdelkrim Lagune Taitouani will arrive in Constantinople carrying a royal message that demonstrates the solidarity of the Sharif Empire with the Ottoman Empire. The ambassador will stay in the Turkish capital for a year before returning to Morocco. As Roger Coindreau reports, he will even be “particularly happy in the embassy”.

Bearer of a gift from Mustafa III to Mehmed III

In 1667, Abdelkrim Ragoun Tetouani did not return empty-handed. If it was customary to present a greater gift to the king than what we had just received from them, Mustafa III did not hesitate before deciding to offer a ship to Mehmed III. The Alawite sultan was known for his love for naval equipment and special warships. That is why the Moroccan ambassador returned with a warship and some supplies.

The Ottoman Sultan would also ensure that “masters who were very expert in casting cannons and mortars, bombs and shells, and in building ships” were sent to accompany the important jewels presented to Muhammad bin Abdullah.

Illustration of Constantinople, the capital of the Ottoman Empire. / Dr.

Unfortunately, as with the other ambassadors, little information has been preserved about Abdelkrim Lagún Taituani. But one thing is certain, he was one of the diplomats of Mohammed III who succeeded in stabilizing the turbulent relations between Morocco and the Ottoman Empire, along with Hadj El Khiyat (sent to Turkey in 1761), Tahar Ben Abdeslam Slaoui and Tahar Bennani Rbati (probably sent to Turkey around 1765).