Sultan Moulay Ismaïl – the notorious and bloodthirsty king of Morocco, also known as the most prolific father in world history.
According to the “Book of Han,” Liu Shang had more than 120 sons, with the number of daughters unknown. Assuming the number of daughters was equivalent to the number of sons, Liu Shang could have had around 250 children.
However, this number pales in comparison to that of Moulay Ismail, the second king of the Alaouite dynasty of Morocco in the 17th century.
His notoriety in history stems not only from his achievements in conquering and stabilizing Morocco, maintaining independence within the Ottoman Empire, and ensuring political stability and economic prosperity, but also from his nicknames “The Bloodthirsty Tyrant” and “The Most Prolific Father” in the world. His name currently holds the record for the most children ever born to a single individual.
Moulay Ismail – the Powerful King of Morocco
King Moulay Ismail ruled for 55 years.
Sultan Moulay Ismaïl (1645-1727) was contemporaneous with rulers such as Louis XIV of France and Emperor Kangxi of China. They not only shared similarities in literary and military strategies, remarkable achievements, and personality traits, but also ruled during closely overlapping periods. Ismail reigned for 55 years, Louis XIV for 64 years, and Emperor Kangxi for 61 years. Even when observing Kangxi’s nine sons ascend to the throne, one might think that was an excessive number of sons; yet, compared to King Ismail, it was still far less.
Ismail can be described as a prolific reproductive machine. He lived to 91 years old and ruled Morocco for 55 years. He was a king who achieved many significant accomplishments, particularly in establishing a unique and powerful black slave army. Through this unique method, along with regular conscription in the Sahara region, Ismail ensured a steady supply of soldiers.
This formidable army enabled Moulay Ismail to reclaim lost territories in the west, fight against the Turkish forces in the east, and protect Morocco’s territorial integrity. Military strength also brought unprecedented economic prosperity. In 1678, Moulay Ismail led an expedition to conquer Arab tribes and once controlled the middle reaches of the Senegal River. His power was also recognized in the Niger Gulf, trade routes, and supply lines in the Sahara. Travel through the desert at that time was as safe as traveling through Morocco’s plains or England’s highways today. “With trade exchanges, steadily enhancing economic power was not an issue.”
Subsequently, Morocco experienced long tribal wars and succession conflicts, leading to the kingdom’s decline. Some tribes refused to surrender to him, wanting to remain loyal to his grandson. Ismail dedicated nearly 20 years to quelling tribal uprisings, conquering the Ottoman Turks, uniting the kingdom, and helping his people live in peace and prosperity. For this reason, he was dubbed “The King of Warriors.”
Why was King Moulay Ismail able to father so many children?
The Guinness World Records recognizes Sultan Ismaïl as the most “prolific father” in history, with 888 children. However, a French diplomat named Dominique Busnot, who visited Morocco during Sultan Ismaïl’s reign, recorded that the king had as many as 1,171 biological children with four official wives and 500 concubines by 1704.
Researchers previously dismissed Busnot’s figures, claiming they were so large they were implausible, as women can only conceive for a few days each month.
Sultan Moulay Ismaïl.
A group of researchers from the University of Vienna (Austria) recently created computer simulation programs to determine how often Sultan Ismaïl would have needed to engage in “intercourse” to father 1,171 children over 32 years. They astonishingly discovered that not only could this Moroccan king have fathered that many children in such a short time, but he could also have had sexual relations nearly every day for an extended period.
Many scientists previously asserted that Sultan Ismail could not be that productive due to the limited fertility window for women each month.
However, according to the calculations of the scientists, this is entirely possible. They constructed a computer simulation to explore how many times Ismail would need to engage in sexual activity daily to father 1,171 children within 32 years.
The research team accounted for various possibilities regarding the menstrual cycles of the women “intimate” with Sultan Ismaïl, the quality of his sperm, and his aging process.
The results indicated that Sultan Ismaïl would only need to maintain a frequency of “intercourse” of approximately 0.83 – 1.43 times per day with a harem of 65 – 100 women to achieve the record number of children.
The anthropologist Elisabeth Oberzaucher stated: “We are confident in our research findings and assert that King Sultan Ismail had truly superior male capabilities.”
Several hypotheses have been proposed, including the idea that having many concubines significantly increased the chances of conception. Another viewpoint emphasizes the exceptional quality of Sultan Ismail’s sperm.
While King Ismaïl could freely “love” any woman who caught his eye, those concubines who dared to be unfaithful faced horrific and painful punishments.
For unfaithful concubines, Sultan Ismaïl was said to have personally strangled them to death or ordered their breasts to be cut off or their teeth pulled out. Any men who showed interest in his concubines could also face execution.
According to historical records, due to his brutal nature and being a bloodthirsty warrior, Sultan Ismaïl was known to have displayed the heads of about 400 – 1,000 opposing leaders and politicians shortly after ascending to the throne. During his subsequent 55-year reign, he also killed more than 30,000 people outside of battle.
Sultan Moulay Ismaïl (1645-1727) is one of the most significant figures in Moroccan history. He resisted the Ottoman Empire in the years 1679, 1682, and 1695 – 1696. After these bloody conflicts, Morocco’s independence was respected. Sultan Ismaïl also played a crucial role in liberating many ports occupied by Spain and England. He is believed to have mobilized 25,000 slaves to construct the capital in Meknes. He ruled until the age of 80 and died two years later. |
