Abu al-Qasim al-Zayyani

Who was Abu al-Qasim al-Zayyani?

Abu al-Qasim al-Zayyani or, in full, Abu al-Qasim ibn Ahmad ibn Ali ibn Ibrahim al-Zayani was a historian, geographer, poet and statesman from Morocco. He undertook diplomatic missions to the Ottoman court and engineered government attempts to bring tribes under central authority. His writings include several historical accounts of the Ottoman and Alaouite dynasties. Al-Zayani wrote fifteen works in the field of history and geography. Some authors even consider him the greatest historian of Morocco.

His grandfather was an Islamic scholar who was brought to Meknes by Sultan Isma'il of the Alaouite Dynasty. Among his grandfather's work was a book on Berber genealogy.