His death was followed by a period of disorders which only really ceased under Mohammed XVI. (1757-90).
European Intercourse and the Salli Rovers.—Ever since the i6th century commercial relations between Morocco and Europe have been maintained. Though expelled from the other Atlantic ports conquered by her at the end of the 15th century Portugal kept Mazagan up to the year 1769. Ceuta and Melilla were retained by Spain after the loss of her other settlements. She had given Tangier up to England in 1663. Moulay Ismail, who had reconquered Larache from the Spaniards, retook Tangier in 1683. Notwithstanding the piratical raids of the famous Salli rovers (and other pirates) and the many indignities to which thousands of Christians,—sailors, merchants, peasants and even women being often kidnapped on the Spanish or French coasts, even as far as Devon and Cornwall,—were subjected as slaves in Morocco itself, economic intercourse never ceased; and it was considered of sufficient importance to pass over the supplemen tary humiliation of foreign envoys being received on foot and bareheaded by mounted sultans under umbrellas. On the other hand, certain treaty privileges were conceded to foreign merchants, the coming of whom was encouraged by certain sultans at least This was the origin of certain rights confirmed by treaties which survived into the 20th century and became, of late years, the source of many difficulties between the foreign Powers them selves. The Government of Louis XIV., which always took a resolute stand against the Turkish corsairs on the Algerian coast (Algiers was bombarded three times between 1682 and 1687), also despatched a fleet to Salli. A treaty of commerce was signed with Moulay Ismail on the occasion of the first embassy he sent to France (1682). During the first half of the 18th cen tury, Dutch and English trade was to the fore ; the latter profit ing greatly by the warehouses established in Gibraltar after its taking by Sir George Rooke in 1704. But French influence re asserted itself by the bombardment of Larache and Salli (1765), and a new treaty (1767) was concluded, confirming that of 1682 and giving the French Consuls precedence over those of other nations.
The Conquest of Algeria.—With Abd-er-Rahman II. (1822– 59), a new phase begins, to which the conquest of Algeria by France in 1830 soon gave a particular leaning. The Moors re nounced all claim on the kingdom of Tlemcen, a remnant, with the kingdom of Fez and the kingdom of Tunis, of the vast Empire of the Moroccan Almohades. But infractions of the agreements then entered into led to the war of 1844, in which Marshal Bugeaud distinguished himself at the battle of Isly. A bombard ment of Salli in 1859 secured for the French the settlement of various claims. War with the Spaniards followed. Tetuan was taken in 1860.
British Influence in Morocco.—The remainder of the reign of Mohammed XVII. (1859-73) was uneventful. That of his successor, El Hassan (1873-94), was marked by interior troubles, of which he gradually but with difficulty became master. Since 1856, British influence in Morocco had been on the ascent, owing to the talent and the prolonged embassy (1844-85) of Sir Drum mond Hay. He was not in favour of opening Morocco to Euro pean influences, and tried to limit the "protection" accorded, especially by Spain and France, to certain Moorish subjects. The Madrid conference (1880) gave an exactly opposite result. The possibility of registering "protected" Moors in foreign consulates was extended from the towns to the country and foreigners ac quired certain property rights. Great Britain thereupon partly changed her policy. A special British Embassy (1892) tried to obtain an extension of the rights of foreigners, but failed. The following year, incidents in the "Presidios," between the Rifis and the Spaniards, ended in an important Spanish expedi tion (25,000 men) ; and the treaty of 1894, while only conceding insignificant frontier rectifications to Spain, involved the sultan in the payment of some £650,000 indemnity.