Morocco
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Moha ou Hammou Zayani
Khenifra, Morocco
Archival Overview
Moroccan Amazigh tribal warrior and leader of the Zaian confederation who inflicted the catastrophic defeat of the French army at the Battle of El Herri in 1914, remaining undefeated until his martyrdom.
Biographical Record
Moha ou Hammou Zayani (c. 1857–1921) was the supreme Amghar (chieftain) of the formidable Zaian Berber confederation in the central Middle Atlas. Vehemently opposing the 1912 Treaty of Fez establishing the French Protectorate, he transformed Khenifra into an unassailable bastion of resistance.
On November 13, 1914, French colonial forces under Colonel Laverdure launched a surprise dawn raid on his camp at El Herri. Hammou regrouped thousands of mountain horsemen, encircling and annihilating the French column in France's worst colonial defeat in North Africa. He fought on for seven more years until falling in combat in March 1921 at age sixty-three.
Key Life Milestones
Triumph at the Battle of El Herri
Annihilated colonial invading battalions in the Middle Atlas, preserving Moroccan mountain independence.
Final Stand at Azigza
Fell in battle alongside his veteran warriors, refusing all French peace proposals.
Memorial Guestbook & Tributes
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Final Resting Place
Perpetual MemorialBen Guérir (Khenifra), Morocco