… ash-Shaykh, the Rise of the Saadians, and the Emergence of Modern Morocco
"It was in Constantinople, perhaps in 1558, or even years later, that on a certain day a weathered basket containing the rotten head of Mohammed ash-Shaykh toppled from the ancient Walls of Theodosius. It had hung there for a long time. Just how long, no one quite remembered. It tumbled into the refuse that collected along the base, a forgotten memento, uninteresting to even the wild dogs that scavenged there.
Such a spectacle was, for the era, both callous and insipid. Eventually, it would become a dubious distinction for a Moroccan sovereign. In the final analysis, it might be described as a nadir that underscored an audacious life.
Youngest son of Shaykh Mohammed ibn ‘Abd ar-Rahmān, Mohammed ash-Shaykh was born in 1488 in the arid hamlet of Tagmadert, in the Draa Valley of southeastern Morocco. At first, he was called Mohammad el-Aςghar (Berber for ‘The Younger'), but later he cultivated the nickname of Amghar (Berber for ‘tribal leader'), which, in turn, eventually became the Arab equivalent, ash-Shaykh. Moroccan historian Mohammad el-Oufrani described him as an erudite young man, expert in the Qur'an, and with a lively interest in philosophy and poetry. And, as one of his favorite verses would indicate, Mohammed ash-Shaykh also had more than a hint of ambition…"
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