Wattasids in the context of "1465 Moroccan revolt"

The 1465 Moroccan revolution was a popular uprising in the city of Fez, which was the capital of Morocco, against Sultan Abd al-Haqq II, the last ruler of the Marinid dynasty, and his Jewish vizier, Harun ibn Batash.

Morocco was in severe crisis in the mid-15th century, including a progressive Portuguese invasion of the country. The theoretical rulers, the Marinids, had little power outside the city of Fez, with large parts of the country in the hands of the Wattasids, a dynasty of viziers. In 1458, Abd al-Haqq regained power from the Wattasids. The sultan then appointed Jews to high-ranking positions in the state, despite opposition from the mostly Muslim citizens of Fez. In most accounts, the actual revolution began in 1465, when a Jewish official abused a female sharif and a preacher, who heard this began calling for a jihad against the Jews, which led to a pogrom against the Jewish community possibly led by Muhammad ibn Imran, the leader of the sharifs of Fez. Abd al-Haqq was either lynched or executed, and Muhammad ibn Imran became ruler of Fez.