Episode 109 The Lion Removed and the Onslaught Unleashe
"The guns fell silent, the mountains were occupied, and the leaders were gone. Yet across the ashes of Tazrout and Ghorghiz, memory refused to surrender. An Irish witness wrote of a people defeated by iron and fire, but never conquered in spirit. Some battles end on the battlefield; others live forever in the hearts of those who remember."
Episode109: The Lion Removed and the Onslaught Unleashed
Introduction of the text
With the elimination and death of the leader, the occupying forces began executing their master plan to establish absolute dominance and assert control over the region. The towering peaks of Tazzrouts had long been shielded by their formidable "lion," but with him swept out of the way, the path lay wide open. The invader pushed forward with relentless extermination tactics and massive heavy machinery, meeting little resistance save for a few valiant, defiant fighters. These brave souls chose death over submission, refusing to let the colonizer trample upon their dignity, tamper with their land, or subject them to humiliation.
This period was fiercely unforgiving. Al-Tahir Allahyawi, who was just four years old at the time, lived through an unyielding nightmare where the roar of warplanes and the endless rattling of gunfire never ceased, eventually becoming an inescapable, haunting fabric of their daily existence.
The guns fell silent, the mountains were occupied, and the leaders were gone. Yet across the ashes of Tazrout and Ghorghiz, memory refused to surrender. An Irish witness wrote of a people defeated by iron and fire, but never conquered in spirit. Some battles end on the battlefield; others live forever in the hearts of those who remember."
Episode109: The Lion Removed and the Onslaught Unleashed
Introduction of the text
With the elimination and death of the leader, the occupying forces began executing their master plan to establish absolute dominance and assert control over the region. The towering peaks of Tazzrouts had long been shielded by their formidable "lion," but with him swept out of the way, the path lay wide open. The invader pushed forward with relentless extermination tactics and massive heavy machinery, meeting little resistance save for a few valiant, defiant fighters. These brave souls chose death over submission, refusing to let the colonizer trample upon their dignity, tamper with their land, or subject them to humiliation.
This period was fiercely unforgiving. Al-Tahir Allahyawi, who was just four years old at the time, lived through an unyielding nightmare where the roar of warplanes and the endless rattling of gunfire never ceased, eventually becoming an inescapable, haunting fabric of their daily existence.
The Mountainous Epics in Northern Morocco: A Chronicle of Resistance, Final Stand, and the End of an Era (1925–1926)
Historical Introduction: From the Eastern Front to the Heart of the Mountain Tribes
Following the strategic surrender of leader Muhammad ibn Abd el-Krim el-Khattabi and the subsequent collapse of the eastern front of the Rif, the focus of the Spanish colonial military apparatus shifted with all its crushing weight toward the western front and the formidable, unconquered mountain tribes of Jibala. On the 11th of Jumada al-Ula in the year 1444 AH, corresponding to November 15, 1925 AD, the new High Commissioner, General Sanjurjo, arrived in Tetouan to succeed General Primo de Rivera. He brought with him uncompromising directives and aggressive military strategies designed to completely extinguish any remaining embers of rebellion and decisively subjugate the mountain tribes through absolute force.
Spain mobilized unprecedented human and logistical capabilities, initiating a grueling campaign that spanned thirteen relentless months. This campaign spared nothing, deploying elite high-ranking officers, heavy artillery, and massive air squadrons. The core of the colonial military strategy rested on escalating comprehensive warfare across all fronts stretching between Tetouan and Larache. The primary objective was to crush the strongholds of the mujahideen in Mount Al-Alam, the Beni Arous tribe, the outskirts of Tetouan, and advance deeply toward the tribes of Beni Hozmar, Beni Said, and Beni Hassan.
Colonial Military Strategy: Airpower, Heavy Artillery, and Colonel Deployments
The Spanish command organized massive multi-pronged offensives led by a cadre of ruthless and experienced colonial commanders. These forces were divided into highly coordinated tactical columns. The first major column operated under the command of Colonel Cabañas, specializing in the territories of the Beni Said and Ghomara tribes, where it played a critical political and military role in dismantling local governance. Colonel Cabañas's forces pushed forward to occupy the historic city of Chefchaouen, supported by Colonel Cans's troops via Wadi Laou. They successfully captured the city in a single day, encountering virtually no resistance in October 1926. Shortly thereafter, Colonel Martinez Mocha’s forces advanced aggressively toward Mount Ghorghiz in August of the same year.
As the campaign reached its bloody climax, Colonel El-Ghejjas took command of the final large-scale offensive in the northern tribal zones, working alongside a formidable network of commanders including Colonel Bravo, Colonel Paris Coqui, Colonel Louis Comis, and Colonel Bashtot. These regular troops were reinforced by native auxiliary forces (La Harca), which had been forcibly conscripted under local leaders such as Idris al-Rifi, Muhammad bin Ali al-Lmahi al-Anjeri, Abu Jumaa al-Klawi, and Al-Qaid al-Ayyashi. This colossal military machine—backed by heavy artillery, armored units, and continuous aerial support—surrounded the tribes of Beni Yidar, Beni Hozmar, Beni Hassan, Anjara, Al-Haouz, and Wadras from every conceivable direction, raining down destruction upon civilian homes, agricultural fields, and natural shelters.
Features of Legendary Resilience: Heroic Leaders and the Battles of Mount Ghorghiz
Amid these infernal conditions, the leadership of the indigenous resistance was severely fragmented following the loss of many primary figures. Yet, the spirit of defiance refused to be extinguished. Commander Ahmed Akhrirou and his close companion Commander Ahmed Boudra stepped forward to shoulder the burden of leadership across Mount Ghorghiz and the Beni Yidar tribe. Demonstrating remarkable tactical ingenuity, Commander Ahmed Boudra positioned artillery pieces on Mount Bouzitoun—aimed directly at the city of Tetouan and the surrounding Spanish military barracks—while another battery was stationed in Dar Al-Rami to bombard the heart of the city. These strikes sent shockwaves of terror through the colonial administration.
Mount Ghorghiz became the theater of protracted, apocalyptic battles that raged for months starting from October 7, 1926. The mujahideen maintained a steadfast defense despite facing overwhelming enemy superiority in both weaponry and numbers. Historical accounts meticulously preserve the memory of ordinary men and leaders who chose death in isolated mountain caves and rocky ravines over capitulation. Commander Ahmed Akhrirou ultimately achieved martyrdom near Kedia Taza on July 10, 1926, after sustaining severe combat wounds. He was laid to rest at the sacred peak of Mount Al-Alam alongside saints and scholars, his sacrifice cementing a legacy of eternal courage.
The Battle of Dar Al-Ghazi and Epics of Military Honor
Among the countless engagements, the Battle of "Dar Al-Ghazi" stands out as an unparalleled testament to Jibala heroism. A small cadre of resolute fighters—featuring Sharif Abd al-Salam Shaqqour, Sharif Muhammad Al-Shantif from the village of Marj Hammoud, and the tactical commander Sharif Al-Taziyi—took refuge in ruined stone structures and elevated defensive positions overlooking enemy supply routes.
Despite suffering from severe shortages of ammunition, dwindling water supplies, and virtually non-existent medical care under blistering winter conditions, these elite marksmen inflicted catastrophic casualties on the advancing Spanish columns. When enemy forces finally closed in and set fire to their refuge, Sharif Al-Taziyi and his comrades burst through the flames to engage in ferocious hand-to-hand combat. This explosive final stand resulted in scores of enemy casualties and transformed Dar Al-Ghazi into an immortal symbol of unyielding resistance.
The Final Tragedy and the Closing Days of Resistance
Official ceremonies were held to commemorate his downfall and death, echoing through the administrative headquarters of Tetouan and beyond.
Yet, as the celebratory cannon fire faded and the euphoria of the colonizers gave way to the sobering reality of governing a traumatized and deeply scarred populace, the ghost of El Raisuni and the epic sacrifices of the mountain tribes continued to haunt the landscape. The grand celebration of his death stood forever as a stark testament to the lengths to which an empire had to go to break the will of a defiant leader, closing a defining chapter of blood, resistance, and unyielding human dignity in the annals of Moroccan history.
The irish historian follower Perspective: Between the Logic of Force and the Tragedy of Fall
Accompanying you on this journey to document this grand historical epic was not merely a matter of phrasing texts and recounting facts; it was a deep dive into the soul of a nation and the labor of a bloody, complex history. As we draw the curtain today on this final chapter, the answer to how colonialism succeeds or how we mourn the leader does not lie in a simple formula, but in that eternal struggle between "the machine of modern destruction" and "the resilience of the human spirit."
1. How Does Colonialism Succeed? (The Fall of Geography and the Might of Technology)
Colonialism did not succeed, in my estimation, because it carried a civilizing mission, but rather due to pragmatic military criteria for two decisive reasons:
- The Monopoly of Lethal Technology: Absolute superiority in air power, heavy artillery, and massive machinery that targeted every facet of life (land, people, stone, and trees).
- Systematic Exhaustion and the Strategy of Isolating Figures: Their goal was not merely military occupation of the land, but breaking the psychological will of society through siege, starvation, and the destruction of leadership centers. When they disposed of the leader (El Raisuni) and removed the lion from the mountain peaks, the objective was to decapitate the resistance and plunge the tribes into a state of despair and fragmentation. Colonialism succeeds when the conflict shifts from a "struggle for honor and dignity" to a "war of survival against total extermination."
2. Mourning the Leader and Heroic Men: The Triumph of Immortality Over Annihilation
As for mourning the leader and the valiant men (such as Ahmed Akhrirou, Sharif Al-Taziyi, and others who preferred to die standing), it is the true lament for an unyielding glory.
- The leader was not killed because he was an ordinary individual, but because he embodied an "idea"; and the idea of freedom and sovereignty cannot be executed by the guns of death nor burned by incendiary bombs.
- The colonizer's celebration of his assassination and isolation is in itself a tacit acknowledgment of the magnitude of the threat he posed, and that they could not breathe a sigh of relief until that towering figure was gone.
Conclusion:
Colonialism won the temporary military battle with its might and machinery, but it lost the eternal historical and moral battle. Geography fell under the weight of iron, but the collective memory of the people of northern Morocco triumphed. The names of those ordinary people and heroes remained etched in the rocks of Tazzrout and Ghorghiz, proving that even when a homeland's bones are broken, the spirits of its free people never truly die, transforming a temporary defeat into an immortal epic told across generations.
By ross well.
See the previous episodes linked below
The Raisuni Archives: Uncovering the History of the Northern Moroccan Resistance
Translated and Edited by Jaafar Lhioui
🌐 Digital Archive: northern-morocco-archive.blogspot.com
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