Abd el-Ouahed ben Messaoud facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Abd al-Wahid bin Mas'ud bin Mohammed Anun
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| عبد الواحد بن مسعود بن محمد عنون | |
Portrait, c. 1600
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| Nationality | Moroccan |
| Known for | Moroccan ambassador to the Court of Queen Elizabeth I in 1600. |
Abd al-Wahid bin Mas'ud bin Mohammed Anun was an important person from Morocco. He worked for the Moroccan ruler, Sultan Ahmad al-Mansur. In the year 1600, he became an ambassador. An ambassador is like a special messenger or representative from one country to another. Abd al-Wahid bin Mas'ud traveled to England. His main job was to talk with Queen Elizabeth I. He hoped to create a strong friendship, or an alliance, between Morocco and England. This alliance would help them work together.
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Meeting Queen Elizabeth I
Abd al-Wahid bin Mas'ud's visit was not the first time England and Morocco had connected. Years before, in 1551, a ship called The Lion had sailed. Later, in 1585, a group called the Barbary Company was formed. Their goal was to help England and Morocco trade goods with each other. Over time, England and Morocco started to have good relationships. They even formed an alliance.
Why the Ambassador Came to England
In the late 1500s, England had some big wins against Spain. For example, England defeated the powerful Spanish Armada in 1588. Also, the Earl of Essex captured the city of Cádiz in 1597. Because of these victories, the Moroccan ruler, Sultan Ahmad al-Mansur, had an idea. He wanted to send a special message to England. He proposed that Morocco and England team up. Together, they could invade Spain.
Abd al-Wahid bin Mas'ud was chosen for this important mission. He traveled with two other people, al Haji Messa and al Haji Bahanet. They also had an interpreter named Abd el-Dodar. An interpreter helps people speak different languages understand each other. This group pretended to be on a trade trip to Aleppo, but they made a stop in London. The whole group had 16 people. They even brought some prisoners back to England. They sailed on a ship called The Eagle. Abd al-Wahid bin Mas'ud arrived in Dover, England, on August 8, 1600.
Discussions with the Queen
Abd al-Wahid bin Mas'ud stayed in England for six months in 1600. His main goal was to arrange an alliance against Spain. He knew some Spanish. But he spoke to Queen Elizabeth I through his interpreter, who spoke Italian. They met with the Queen on August 19. They had another meeting on September 10.
The Moroccan ruler wanted England to send its ships to help invade Spain. Queen Elizabeth I did not agree to this specific plan. However, she was happy to welcome the ambassador. She also agreed to set up more trade deals between their countries.
Queen Elizabeth and Sultan Ahmad kept talking about working together. Elizabeth asked for a large payment of 100,000 pounds from Sultan Ahmad. This money would help pay for the English ships. Sultan Ahmad then asked for an English ship to be sent to get the money. But they never fully agreed on a plan. Both Queen Elizabeth and Sultan Ahmad passed away within two years of this embassy.
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