Politics Religion and State building (11th – 16th/19th centuries)

Introduction

The occupation of the Moroccan coasts by Spanish or Portuguese Christians was a state of affairs deeply resented by all the local populations. Behind the conquest started in Ceuta in 1415 lay not only the desire to monopolise the spice, gold and slave trade long in the hands of Muslim merchants, but also, for some, the ambition to extend « the kingdom of Christ » and to « free Christendom from the Islamic threat ». The conquerors were taking advantage of internal strife, which got worse after the death in Fes in 1445 of the last Marinid[1] sovereign, setting the scene for wars of succession. The advent of the Banu Wattas[2], did not help immediately to put paid to tribal strife. The indignation and fear inspired by the Iberian threat compounded by the weakness of central power drove the populations in the arms of religious figures, namely the marabouts and the shorfa. Maraboutism[3] and Sharifism[4] became essential trends driving Moroccan political life.

  1. Marinids

    Dynasty that ruled between 1258 and 1420. Their Zenata Berber tribe originally lived in today's Algeria. Marinid rulers are remembered for their interest in Andalusian architecture and scholarship. They opened the first Islamic schools or madrasas. This interest in learning is also borne out by the works of great Maghreb historians such as Ibn Khaldun, Ibn al-Khatib, Ibn Abi Zar. The dynasty was founded by the tribe chief Abu Yahiya who set up his power centre in Fes in 1248, where they built a new town. But Marrakesh would only come under Marinid control in 1269 under his brother Abu Yusuf (1258-1286). The Marinids supported the kingdom of Granada against the Christians but without succeeding in getting the better of them. They extended their control eastwards by taking over Tlemcen (1337) and Tunis (1347). Defeated in Kerwan, their retreat, at first temporary saw them fall back on their heartlands in North-Western Africa.

  2. Banu Wattas or Wattassids (1471-1554)

    A Moroccan dynasty connected to the Marinids who reigned from the middle of the 15th to the middle of the 16th century. It is known for its defence of the land against Iberian (Portuguese or Spanish) inroads.

  3. Maraboutism

    Movement built around the spiritual following of a holy, pious and revered man. But the evolution undergone by Morocco since the middle of the 15th century led the movement to go beyond the personal status of such a founding figure and to become a critical social force party to all the changes experienced by Morocco since the 16th century.

    The marabouts formed in Morocco a caste akin to that of other shorfa in the descent of Muhamad : they enjoyed the same religious prestige and exercised like them a spiritual influence on the rest of the population. The Marabout is a holy man who has dedicated his life to his faith. But, as often happens, the word changed meaning, referring to the historical evolution of the marabouts' role from the 12th century in the evolving proto-state constructions of what would become Morocco.

  4. Sharifism

    Sharifism formed on the word Sharif (plural shorfa), the term refers to the descent of the Prophet Muhammad in the Muslim tradition. But sharifism, as a movement is linked to the politics of Marinid monarchs who used it as a political trump. Sharifism thus took on a mainly ideological hue.

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AccueilAccueilImprimerImprimer Overall coordination by Dominique Avon, Professor at the Université du Maine (France), Translation by Françoise Pinteaux-Jones Paternité - Pas d'Utilisation Commerciale - Pas de ModificationRéalisé avec Scenari (nouvelle fenêtre)