Republic of Salé 1627-1668 (Morocco)

Republic of Bouregreg, República de Salé, República de las Dos Orillas

Last modified: 2014-04-19 by klaus-michael schneider
Keywords: sale | zulfiqar | crescents(3) | crescent(with human face) | bloody flag |
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• Introduction of the Republic of Salé
• The Flags
• Zulfiqar Flag
• Tricolour
• Crescent Flag
• Bloody Flag

• Morocco

Introduction of the Republic of Salé

The Republic of Salé was an ephemeral city state at the mouth of the Bou Regreg river, founded by Moriscos. Its main commercial activities were the Barbary slave trade and piracy. The republic traces its origins back to the beginning of the 17th century with the arrival of approximately 3,000 wealthy Moriscos from Hornachos (Extremadura, Spain) in 1609, and afterwards by another 10,000 expelled Moriscos from Andalusia. They settled down in Salé and in the medina of Rabat, located on the opposite bank of Bou Regreg.
The Dutch pirate Jan Janszoon aka Murad Reis became the "Grand Admiral" from 1624 to 1627, when he left Salé. The remaining Moriscos didn't recognize the authority of the Sultan Zidan al-Nasir for economical reasons and proclaimed a republic. Their council was contolled by Hornacheros until 1630. After clashes with the other Moriscos, called Andalusians, the power was divided between both groups. By the early 1660s, the republic was embroiled in civil war with an Islamic religious school of the Berbers of Dila and eventually Sultan Al-Rashid of Morocco of the Alawite dynasty ended the independence of the republic in 1668.
Source: Leïla Maziane: "Salé au XVIIe siècle, terre d'asile morisque sur le littoral Atlantique marocain", in Cahiers de la Méditerranée, no 79, 2009
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 16 Apr 2014

The Flags

Zulfiqar Flag

Flag#1:
The book [noh71] shows as flag #261, captioned «Sallee», as green Zulfiqar yellow with white blades pointing upward.
Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg, 21 Jan 1999

It is a green flag with an upright white zulfiqar having a yellow hilt. (see image above)
Sources:
(1) Diderot & D'Alembert, Encyclopedia, edition 1680; image no.233;
(2) Bowles's Universal Display of the Flags of all Nations, 1783
(3) Norie & Hobbs: Illustrations of the Maritime Flags of all Nations, 1848
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 16 Apr 2014

Tricolour

Flag#2:
It is a yellow over white over red tricolour. In the white stripe of this ogival pennant are three yellow crescents shifted to the hoist.
Source: Diderot & D'Alembert, Encyclopedia, edition 1680; image no.231

Crescent Flag

Flag#3:
It is a red ogival pennant. A yellow, vaning crescent with human face is shifted to the hoist.
Sources: (1) Diderot & D'Alembert, Encyclopedia, edition 1680; image no.233 and (2) Bowles's Universal Display of the Flags of all Nations, 1783

Bloody Flag

Flag#4:
It is a dark red nearly triangular pennant, also called the Sallee Rouge or Sallees Bloody Flag.
Sources: Bowles's Universal Display of the Flags of all Nations, 1783
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 16 Apr 2014

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