Yahya, the berber warrior

He could have changed the course of history, and yet, who remembers Yahya U Ta'fuft? In the 16th century, when this proud Berber became the caïd of Safi under dubious circumstances, it marked the beginning of his unchallenged reign over the Dukkala region. A formidable and undefeated warrior for a decade, he expanded the empire of King Manuel I under Portuguese protection, reaching as far as the gates of Marrakech. Almost conquering the Hintati city in 1517, it ultimately fell to the Zaydanids, the Moroccan dynasty better known as the Saadians. The rest, as they say, is history. But what would have happened if Yahya U Ta'fuft had achieved his goal—and what exactly was that goal? In this century of famine and plague that decimated populations, Morocco was torn between three unequal powers: in the north, a dying Wattasid dynasty; in the south, an emerging Saadian dynasty; and in the Dukkala region, a Portuguese empire with overwhelming firepower. The city of Safi experienced prosperous times under the leadership of Yahya U Ta'fuft, spared for a while from hunger and tribal violence. King Manuel I of Portugal placed his trust in Ta'fuft's human and warrior qualities to safeguard the region—and Portugal's interests. Branded a Judas by some historians for his allegiance to the Portuguese crown, did the young Berber really have a choice? This novel tells the saga of a little-known historical figure and, through him, the incredibly harsh life of a population willing to do whatever it took to survive in the face of adversity. Anas Chraïbi is a Casablanca native with a deep passion for his country's history. This debut novel, also an attempt to shed light on an overlooked historical figure, is part of a trilogy set against the backdrop of Morocco and its society during the vibrant 16th century.