Chapter 24, The Birth of the Eldest Son

Wave after wave, one never fully subsides before another rises.

Entering the 19th century, the major powers fiercely competed for the North African market, increasingly placing the Moroccan Government in an unfavorable international position.

In the 1840s and 50s, an influx of cheap European goods flooded into Morocco, impacting the economy of the Kingdom of Morocco.

In an attempt to reverse this trend, the Moroccan Government raised tariffs, and in 1852, the average import tariff in the Kingdom of Morocco increased by 20%, with the intention of protecting the local market through high duties.

Clearly, this damaged the interests of the major European powers. In December 1856, the British forced the Moroccan Government to sign the "Anglo-Moroccan Treaty".

Through the treaty, the British obtained extraterritorial rights, trade rights throughout Morocco, and reduced tariffs to 10% of the commodity prices.