14 DAY TRIAL // Sultan Moulay Ismaïl, also known as “Warrior King,” was the second ruler of the Moroccan Alaouite dynasty and reigned from 1672 to 1727. Similar to other rulers, he claimed to be a descendant of Muhammad, the founder of Islam, through his roots to Hassan ibn Ali.
Sultan Moulay Ismaïl of Morocco has become a legend due to his extreme cruelty and brutality, being called “The Bloodthirsty.” However, he is best known as the world's most prolific father, as he has reportedly sired more than 1,000 children.
However, many scientists have doubted that the historical records are correct. They have previously said that it was highly unlikely to have so many children in 32 years, as women are fertile only for a few days a month.
So, a group of experts from the University of Vienna have decided to make an experiment to see if it could have really been possible. They conducted a computer simulation and determined that it was theoretically possible, if the ruler had intimate relationships at least once a day for 32 years.
The Maroccan leader could have set the record for the highest number of offspring fathered by any man throughout history. According to historical records, he fathered a total of 867 children, including 525 sons and 342 daughters, by 1703. But others could have followed until his death in 1727.
The Guinness Book of World Records says that he fathered no less than 888 children and gives him the title for the record number of children that can be verified.
Dominique Busnot, a French diplomat who frequently traveled to Marocco, says the sultan may actually have had more descendants. He says the leader sired 1,171 children by 1704 with four wives and his harem of 500 concubines.
The scientists based their experiment on a variety of models of conception. For example, a series of simulations assumed the menstrual cycles of women did not synchronize, while others assumed they could. The different models also took into consideration the sultan's age and fertility.
“We were as conservative as possible with our calculations, and Moulay could still achieve this outcome,” says study lead author Elisabeth Oberzaucher, an anthropologist at the University of Vienna, cited by Live Science.
The results of the computer simulations show that Moulay Ismaïl needed to have intimate relationships between 0.83 and 1.43 times a day in order to sire 1,171 children in 32 years.
The study also reveals the sultan would have needed a harem of only 65 to 110 women to make it possible.
The researchers also mention the results differed a lot based on the model used. “This really emphasizes to us how important it is to choose the right model for studies of reproduction — you really want to know what kind of women you actually are doing your calculations with,” they say.