Video - The Ruthless King of Morocco: Ismail Sharif

Did you know that looking this man in the eyes was punishable by death? His name was Ismail Sharif, the 18th-century king of Morocco. He ruled with an iron fist and was notorious for his peculiarities. Despite being half black, he enslaved every black person in his empire, including the freed ones. He also built one of the largest prisons for European Christians, where they were shackled to walls and forced to sleep standing up. Ismail Sharif's intolerance extended to everyone; he would execute anyone who looked at him or his 500 women in his harem. To prevent accusations, people had to lie face down when entering his court. Remarkably, he holds a Guinness World Record for fathering the most children in history—888.