Battle of the Alcaides

Battle of the Alcaides
	Part of the Moroccan–Portuguese conflicts
Date	1514
Location	Boulaouane, Morocco
Result	Decisive Portuguese victory
Belligerents
Kingdom of Portugal	Sultanate of Morocco
Commanders and leaders
Nuno Fernandes de Ataíde; Martim Afonso de Melo Coutinho; João de Meneses; Iheabenafut	Unknown
Strength
800 cavalry; 1,000 infantry; 400 lances; 50 horses	Unknown
Casualties and losses
Light	2,000 dead; 280 prisoners
	Portuguese forces also received assistance from a "friendly Moor" named Iheabenafut with 1,500 lances.

The Battle of the Alcaides, fought in 1514, was a significant military engagement between the forces of the kings of Fez and Mequinez and the Portuguese defenders, along with their local allies, near the city of Azemmour in the town of Boulaouane.^[1]

Background

During the early 16th century, North Africa was a theater of conflict as various regional powers vied for control and influence. Azemmour, strategically situated along the coast, attracted the attention of the kings of Fez and Mequinez, who sought to expand their dominion in the region.^[2]

Preparation

Anticipating the imminent threat, Portuguese leaders in Azemmour and Safim, including João de Meneses, Martim Afonso de Melo Coutinho, and Nuno Fernandes de Ataíde, coordinated their efforts to defend against the impending assault. They gathered their forces and sought support from local allies to bolster their defenses.

The Battle

When the kings of Fez and Mequinez dispatched their alcaides with a substantial force of cavalry and infantry to lay siege to Azamor, the Portuguese and their allies launched a preemptive strike. Despite being outnumbered, they fought valiantly, engaging the enemy alcaides in fierce combat.

Aftermath

The Portuguese tightened their siege on Marrakesh and the kingdom of Fez. The 16 months that followed the battle of the Alcaides correspond to the period in which Portuguese expansion reached its peak in North Africa and territorial conquest was imminent. Decisive for the victory was the introduction of bodies of Ordenanças, which supported the traditional contingents of royal and seigneurial troops and "peace moors".^[3]

References

^ ^a ^b Said, Maria Manuela Santos Alves on (2016-12-18). "A Batalha de Boulaouane ou dos Alcaides". Histórias de Portugal em Marrocos (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 2024-03-25.
^ Abun-Nasr, Jamil M. (1987-08-20). A History of the Maghrib in the Islamic Period. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-33767-0.
^ "A batalha dos Alcaides (1514), no apogeu da presença portuguesa em Marrocos". Librairie Portugaise & Brésilienne (in French). Retrieved 2024-05-16.

[Maria-1] Said, Maria Manuela Santos Alves on (2016-12-18). "A Batalha de Boulaouane ou dos Alcaides". Histórias de Portugal em Marrocos (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 2024-03-25.

[2] Abun-Nasr, Jamil M. (1987-08-20). A History of the Maghrib in the Islamic Period. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-33767-0.

[3] "A batalha dos Alcaides (1514), no apogeu da presença portuguesa em Marrocos". Librairie Portugaise & Brésilienne (in French). Retrieved 2024-05-16.

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