It was from Rissani that the Filali (from whom the ruling Alawite dynasty is descended) swept north to supplant to Saadians as the ruling dynasty in Morocco. It did not happen overnight; the founder of the dynasty, Moulay Ali ash-Sharif, began expanding his power in the early 17th century in a series of small wars with neighboring tribes. His sons continued a slow campaign of conquest, but Moulay ar-Rashid was only recognized as sultan in 1668. Moulay ar-Rashid’s brother and successor, the deranged and violent Moulay Ismail, later became the uncontested ruler of Morocco, and emphasized his power by establishing a new capital at Meknes.