Mohammed V of Morocco facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mohammed Vمحمد الخامس |
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| Amir al-Mu'minin | |
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Mohammed V in 1953
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| King of Morocco | |
| Reign | 14 August 1957 – 26 February 1961 |
| Successor | Hassan II |
| Prime Ministers |
See list
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| Sultan of Morocco | |
| Reign | 30 October 1955 – 14 August 1957 |
| Predecessor | Mohammed Ben Aarafa |
| Reign | 17 November 1927 – 20 August 1953 |
| Predecessor | Yusef |
| Successor | Mohammed Ben Aarafa |
| Born | 10 August 1909 Fes, Morocco |
| Died | 26 February 1961 (aged 51) Rabat, Morocco |
| Burial | Royal Mausoleum, Rabat, Morocco |
| Spouse | Lalla Hanila bint Mamoun Lalla Abla bint Tahar Lalla Bahia bint Antar |
| Issue | Princess Fatima Zohra Hassan II Princess Aicha Princess Malika Prince Abdallah Princess Nuzha Princess Amina |
| House | Alaouite dynasty |
| Father | Yusef |
| Mother | Lalla Yaqut |
Mohammed V (born 10 August 1909 – died 26 February 1961) was a very important leader in Morocco. His full name was Sidi Mohammed ben Yusef. He was the Sultan of Morocco from 1927 to 1953. After being in exile, he returned in 1955 and became Sultan again. In 1957, he became the King of Morocco and ruled until 1961. He was part of the Alaouite dynasty, a royal family that has ruled Morocco for a long time.
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About Mohammed V
Mohammed V was one of the sons of Sultan Yusef. His mother was Lalla Yaqut. When his father died, Mohammed V became Sultan on November 18, 1927. He was only 17 years old at the time.
He married Lalla Hanila bint Mamoun in 1925. Later, in 1929, he married Lalla Abla bint Tahar. She gave birth to his son, Hassan II, who would later become king.
The Berber Dahir Law
In 1930, when Mohammed V was 20, he signed a law called the Berber Dahir. This law changed how the legal system worked in parts of Morocco where Amazigh languages were spoken. It kept the old legal system in other parts of the country.
Even though he signed it, this law made many Moroccans very upset. They felt it divided their country and was unfair. This anger helped start the Moroccan Nationalist Movement, a group that wanted Morocco to be independent.
Meeting at the Anfa Conference
During World War II, Sultan Mohammed V went to a big meeting called the Anfa Conference in Casablanca. In January 1943, he met privately with the US president Franklin Delano Roosevelt Jr. and the UK Prime Minister Winston Churchill.
At this meeting, President Roosevelt told the Sultan that the world would be very different after the war. He hinted that countries like Morocco would become independent. Mohammed V's 14-year-old son, Hassan II, was also there. He later said that Roosevelt told his father, "Ten years from now your country will be independent."
Protecting Moroccan Jews
During the Holocaust, there are different stories about what Mohammed V did to help the Jewish community in Morocco. However, most experts agree that he was kind and protective towards them.
Mohammed V reportedly refused to sign laws from the Vichy government that would have harmed Moroccan Jews. These laws aimed to send the country's 250,000 Jews to Nazi concentration camps in Europe. The Sultan believed that all people in Morocco were his subjects, including the Jews. He did not want to see them hurt.
Even though some anti-Jewish rules were put in place, Mohammed V is still highly respected by Moroccan Jews. They believe he protected their community from the Nazi and Vichy French governments. Jewish groups have honored him for his actions.
The Revolution for Independence
Sultan Mohammed V was a key leader in Morocco's fight for independence. This movement is also known as the Revolution of the King and the People. It grew stronger after the protests against the Berber Dahir law.
His strong support for the Proclamation of Independence of Morocco made him a national hero. In 1947, he gave a very important speech in Tangier. In this speech, he called for Morocco to be independent, without directly naming the countries that ruled it.
Exile and Return
On August 20, 1953, the French rulers in Morocco forced Mohammed V and his family to leave the country. They were sent to Corsica and then to Madagascar in 1954. This was because he was a strong symbol of Morocco's independence movement.
While he was away, his cousin, Mohammed Ben Aarafa, was put on the throne by the French. Many Moroccans did not like this. There were protests and even a bombing in Casablanca.
Mohammed V returned from exile on November 16, 1955. He was welcomed back as Sultan. In February 1956, he successfully talked with France and Spain to gain Morocco's independence. In 1957, he changed his title from Sultan to King.
Death
King Mohammed V passed away on February 26, 1961, at the age of 51. He died after having a small operation.
Legacy
Many places in Morocco are named after Mohammed V to honor him. These include the Mohammed V International Airport and the Stade Mohamed V in Casablanca. There are also many universities and public areas named after him. Almost every city in Morocco has an Avenue Mohammed V.
In 2007, there was a discussion about having Mohammed V recognized as one of the Righteous Among the Nations. This is a special honor given to non-Jews who risked their lives to save Jews during the Holocaust.
Family Life
Mohammed V had three wives. His first wife was Lalla Hanila bint Mamoun. They married in 1925 and had their first daughter, Lalla Fatima Zohra.
His second wife was his cousin, Lalla Abla bint Tahar. They married in 1929. She was the mother of five of his children: the future King Hassan II, Lalla Aicha, Lalla Malika, Moulay Abdallah, and Lalla Nuzha. She died in 1992.
His third wife was Lalla Bahia bint Antar. She was the mother of his youngest daughter, Lalla Amina.
Awards and Honors
Mohammed V received many awards and honors from different countries:
- Legion of Honour from France (1927)
- Order of Charles III from Spain (1929)
- Order of Liberation from France (1945)
- Legion of Merit from the United States (1945)
- Imperial Order of the Yoke and Arrows from Francoist Spain (1956)
- Order of Idris I from the Kingdom of Libya (1956)
- Order of the Hashemites from the Kingdom of Iraq (1956)
- Order of Umayyad from Syria (1960)
- Order of Merit from Lebanon (1960)
- Order of the Nile from Egypt (1960)
- Order of Al-Hussein bin Ali from Jordan (1960)
- King Abdulaziz Decoration from Saudi Arabia (1960)
Images for kids
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The young sultan sitting with the former French résident général, Hubert Lyautey, in 1930.
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Sultan Sidi Mohammed V with his son, the future King Hassan II, in a replica Panhard, 1930
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Prince Hassan stands behind Sultan Mohammed V seated with Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill during the 1943 Casablanca Conference.
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Moulay Hassan and his father, Sultan Mohammed V in 1950
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King Mohammed V of Morocco in 1957
See also
In Spanish: Mohamed V de Marruecos para niños
