“Moulay Abd-Er-Rahman, Sultan of Morocco, leaving his palace of Meknès, surrounded by his guards and his principal officers.” Painting by Eugène Delacroix, 1845.

“Moulay Abd-Er-Rahman, Sultan of Morocco, leaving his palace of Meknès, surrounded by his guards and his principal officers.” Painting by Eugène Delacroix, 1845.

Sultan Mawlay Abd al-Rahman bin Hisham (r. 1822–1859), was a Moroccan sultan of the Alawi dynasty. Ruling Morocco during a difficult period, he spent much of his time putting down local rebellions and keeping the French at bay, notably sending forces in the ultimately failed defence of the Algerian city of Tlemcen and supporting the Algerian resistance movement against French colonial occupation, led by Abd al-Qadir al-Jaza'iri. The Franco-Moroccan War of 1844 also ended in a Moroccan defeat, though no territory was ceded, and the French bombardments of Salé and Rabat did little to dislodge the Sultan’s power. Despite the difficulties he faced, Morocco remained intact under his rule.