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

Black Morocco: A History of Slavery, Race, and Islam (African Studies Book 123)

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

Black Morocco redefines the terms of the scholarly debateÂ about the historical nature of Moroccan slavery and proposes an originalÂ analysis of issues concerning race, concubinage and gender, with a specialÂ focus on their theoretical aspects.Â The Moroccan system of racialÂ definition was clearly "racialist" and was in fact a curious inversion of theÂ Western racist model. Â Whereas in the western model "one drop" of blackÂ blood identifies one as black, in the Moroccan model, "one drop" of white bloodÂ identifies one as Arab (i.e., privileged).Â This process helped create a"nationalist" Moroccan Arab majority and at the same time subjugated blackÂ ancestry (i.e., those without the "one drop" of Arab blood), seen as havingÂ more bearing on the historical antecedents of slavery.Â It offers a newÂ paradigm for the study of race in the region that will transform the way weÂ approach and understand ethnicity and racial identities in North Africa andÂ most crucially it helps eliminate the culture of silence -- the refusal toÂ engage in discussions about slavery, racial attitudes, and gender issues.
Country USA
Brand Cambridge University Press
Manufacturer Cambridge University Press
Binding Kindle Edition
ReleaseDate 2014-02-27
Format Kindle eBook

Country	USA
Brand	Cambridge University Press
Manufacturer	Cambridge University Press
Binding	Kindle Edition
ReleaseDate	2014-02-27
Format	Kindle eBook

Black Morocco: A History of Slavery, Race, and Islam (African Studies Book 123)

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