al-Muzawwar b. Bu Ghannam

المزوار بن بو غنام

Leader of the tribes around Tlemcen against Ottoman influence, who wished to back his son-in-law the prince Mulay Ahmad, Spain's ally 1. The Sa'di Muhammad al-Shaykh then charged him with mediation to Spain: his first letter to the Count of Alcaudete, governor of Oran, went out early Rabi' I 963/January 1555, announcing receipt of the count's letters and the sharif's and his son Abdallah's pleasure at a Spanish embassy to arrange a joint campaign against the Ottomans 2.

Depth

At a glance

Roles
military · Diplomat
Era
The Gunpowder Empires
Region
Maghreb
Review
Draft Completeness 2/5 · Help complete it

Summary

Leader of the tribes around Tlemcen; an enemy of Ottoman influence who became the Sa'dis' intermediary to Spain 3.

The Spanish mediation

Muhammad al-Shaykh charged him with the Spanish channel; his first letter went to the Count of Alcaudete, governor of Oran, in early Rabi' I 963/January 1555, announcing receipt of the count's letters and the sharif's and his son Abdallah's pleasure at the coming embassy for the joint campaign 2.

Connections

Explore the connections

Opposed
Hasan b. Khayr al-Din Barbarossa
Allied with
Muhammad al-Shaykh al-Sa'di

People and things also explored

Abdallah al-Ghalib bi'llah al-Sa'di· Salih Reis· Battle of Mostaganem (965/1558)· the Sa'di attack on Tlemcen (963/1556)· Great Siege of Malta (973/1565)· Siege of Oran and Mers El Kébir (971/1563)· Abd al-Aziz b. Abbas· Abd al-Malik al-Mu'tasim bi'llah al-Sa'di

Sources

  1. al-Dawla al-Uthmaniyya — Ali Muhammad al-Salabi (2001) , p. 230
  2. al-Dawla al-Uthmaniyya — Ali Muhammad al-Salabi (2001) , p. 241
  3. al-Dawla al-Uthmaniyya — Ali Muhammad al-Salabi (2001) , p. 230-241
Cite this page

islam.museum contributors. “al-Muzawwar b. Bu Ghannam”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/person/al-muzawwar-ibn-bu-ghannam/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Last updated 2026-10-23.

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Wing

People

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Related

Abdallah al-Ghalib bi'llah al-Sa'di

Muhammad al-Shaykh's son and successor. His challenge to the Ottoman admiral — 'the sultan of the West will dispute Egypt's mahmal with you and come to you in Egypt' — showed, in al-Salabi's reading, his rejection of the Ottoman caliphate and his own ambition for the imamate. After his father's murder in 964/1557 he crushed the revolts of Mawlay Uthman in the Sous, Mawlay Umar in Debdou and Mawlay Abd al-Mu'min in Marrakesh, massacred three brothers who refused the bay'a to his son Muhammad al-Mutawakkil — sending Mawlay Umar, Abd al-Mu'min, Abd al-Malik and Ahmad al-Mansur fleeing to Tlemcen and Algiers — met Hasan b. Khayr al-Din inconclusively at Wadi al-Lin near Fez, and agreed to hand Badis to Spain in exchange for defence of Morocco's shores.