Black Morocco: A History of Slavery, Race, and Islam

by Chouki El Hamel

Black A History of Slavery, Race and Islam  chronicles the experiences, identity, and agency of enslaved black people in Morocco from the sixteenth century to the beginning of the twentieth century. It demonstrates the extent to which religion orders society but also the extent to which the economic and political conditions influence the religious discourse and the ideology of enslavement. The interpretation and application of Islam did not guarantee the freedom and integration of black Moroccan ex-slaves into society. It starts with the Islamic legal discourse and racial stereotypes that existed in Moroccan society leading up to the era of Mawlay Isma'il (r. 1672-1727), with a special emphasis on the black army during and after his reign. The first part of the book provides a narrative relating the legal discourse on race, concubinage and slavery as well as historical events and developments that are not well known in printed scholarship and western contexts.  The second part of the book is conceptually ambitious; it provides the reader with a deeper sense of the historical and sociological implications of the story being told across a long period of time, from the seventeenth to the twentieth centuries.  Though the strongest element of theses chapters concerns the "black army," an important component of the discussion is the role of female slaves.  One of the problems the historian faces with this kind of analysis is that it must rest on a limited "evidentiary base." This book has broadened this base and clarified the importance of female slaves in relation to the army and Moroccan society at large. The emphasis on the political history of the black army is augmented by a close examination of the continuity of black Moroccan identity through the musical and cultural practices of the Gnawa.

Black Morocco  redefines the terms of the scholarly debate about the historical nature of Moroccan slavery and proposes an original analysis of issues concerning race, concubinage and gender, with a special focus on their theoretical aspects.  The Moroccan system of racial definition was clearly "racialist" and was in fact a curious inversion of the Western racist model. Whereas in the western model "one drop" of black blood identifies one as black, in the Moroccan model, "one drop" of white blood identifies one as Arab (i.e., privileged).  This process helped create a"nationalist" Moroccan Arab majority and at the same time subjugated black ancestry (i.e., those without the "one drop" of Arab blood), seen as having more bearing on the historical antecedents of slavery.  Black Morocco  offers a new paradigm for the study of race in the region that will transform the way we approach and understand ethnicity and racial identities in North Africa and most crucially it helps eliminate the culture of silence -- the refusal to engage in discussions about slavery, racial attitudes, and gender issues.

Genres: History, Islam, Morocco, Africa, Nonfiction, Race, Religion

354 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2012

Reviews

[Sarah Shaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. One of the best and most readable sources for my research I've found yet. Fascinating history very well organized and presented.

[Susannah Poteet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this for a paper and really really enjoyed it! It offers a great insight into how race has been constructed in Morocco, and also offers a great general history of Morocco. Highly recommend!

[Tiffany · Rating 5 out of 5]

A comprehensive and meticulously research book on the history of slavery in Morocco. El Hamel argues against the prominent apologetic discourse that slavery in North Africa was benign. He convincingly argues that blacks were enslaved in Morocco because of racism and that they continue to be marginalized in Moroccan society. My favorite section was about the Gnawa (also mentioned in Fatima Mernissi’s book, Dreams of Trespass)—their music, religion, and dances.

[Ahmed Louaar · Rating 3 out of 5]

ملاحظات عامة حول الكتاب:
واضح في البداية أن الكاتب قرآني، وهو ينفي أن العبودية أصيلة في الشريعة الاسلامية التي جاءت في القرآن، لكن الفقهاء هم من رسخوها.
من ناحية ذكر الوجود التاريخي للعبيد السود في المغرب، فقد ابدع الكاتب في ذلك، ورسم جيد صورة العبيد والمعتقين السود الذين تم اعادة استعبادهم في جيش البخاري. وكان ختام الكتاب حول طائفة الغناوة الصوفية واصولها وكيف حافظوا من خلال أغانيهم على ذاكرتهم الجماعية

[Adina · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thoughtful exploration of a previously under-explored topic, Black Morocco provides a useful framework for comparing the experiences of enslaves people and their legacies across cultures. I also particularly appreciate El Hamel's analysis of the religious justifications for slavery within their historical context.

[Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful research to add to historiographical account of Moroccan slavery, statebuilding, and identity formation. Highly recommended for scholars of North Africa/Africa Sahara region.

[Jindřich Zapletal · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book covers the story of black Moroccans starting from the creation of Moulay Ismail's slave army at the end of 17th century to abolition of slavery to modern times. This is a very attractive topic and the author treats it in a comprehensive way, with a rich bibliography including many primary sources. The book has no direct competitor in English as far as I know.

The author decided to include many things which are only tangentially relevant to the topic, such as a (very, very extensive) Quranic exegesis regarding slavery or the dirty details of military history of Morocco. There is also plenty of identity politics fodder. If instead the author discussed a biography or two rather than leaving them in Arabic references, we would all be much wiser for it. In the chapter on Gnawa, which is more ethnography than history, the author clearly does not feel at home, and there are better treatments available. A motivated reader should clean up all that mess and come up with a more focused story for him/herself.

[Nabil · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very comprehensive study on race and slavery in Islam, but particularly in Morocco and the historical consequences of political decisions stemming from the 17th century. Could have been a bit shorter if the auhtor didn't give a thorough walk-through on each of the historical episodes of the country. Was hoping to find more material concerning slavery in the late 20th century, given the many western newspapers' articles dealing with subject back then, and some more insight of how slavery was really abolished.
Passionate read.

[غبار · Rating 2 out of 5]

sigh, thought i'd like this more the second time around but hisham aidi's critique is convincing: https://www.scienceopen.com/hosted-do...