1. The Moroccan Ethnic Groups:
An Historical Perspective
Presented by
Mohsine Mahraj

2. IntroductIon
Morocco is a country of multi-ethnic groups
with a rich culture and civilization. Through
Moroccan history, Morocco hosted many
people in addition to the indigenous Berbers,
coming from both East (Phoenicians, Jews and
Arabs), South (Sub-Saharan Africans) and
North (Romans and Vandals). All of which
have had an impact on the social structure of
Morocco. It conceived many forms of beliefs,
from paganism, Judaism, Christianity to Islam.
Each region possesses its own uniqueness,
contributing to the national culture.

3. An overvIew of HIstory

4. • The History of Morocco spans over 12
centuries, without considering the
Classical antiquity. The country was first
unified by the Idrisid dynasty in 780,
representing the first Islamic state in Africa
autonomous from the Arab Empire. Under
the Almoravid dynasty and the Almohad
dynasty, Morocco dominated the Maghreb
and Muslim Spain. The Reconquista
ended Almohad rule in Iberia and many
Muslims and Jews migrated to Morocco.

5. • Under the Saadi dynasty, Morocco would
consolidate power and fight off
Portuguese and Ottoman invaders, as in
the battle of Ksar el Kebir. The reign of
Ahmad al-Mansur brought new wealth and
prestige to the Sultanate, and an invasion
of the Songhay Empire was initiated.
However managing the territories across
the Sahara proved to be difficult. After the
death of al-Mansur the country was
divided among his sons.

6. • In 1666 the sultanate was reunited by the
Alaouite dynasty, who have since been
the ruling house of Morocco. The
organization of the state developed with
Ismail Ibn Sharif. With his Black Guard he
drove the English from Tangier (1684) and
the Spanish from Larache (1689). The
Alaouite dynasty distinguished itself in the
19th century by maintaining Moroccan
independence while other states in the
region succumbed to European interests.

7. • In 1912, after the First Moroccan Crisis
and the Agadir Crisis, the Treaty of Fez
was signed, effectively dividing Morocco
into a French and Spanish protectorate. In
1956, after 44 years of occupation
Morocco regained independence from
France as the Kingdom of Morocco.

8. MoroccAn etHnIc Groups

9. Masmuda
• The Masmuda were one of the largest
Berber tribal confederacies in the
Maghreb, along with the Zanata and the
Sanhaja
• The Masmuda settled large parts of
Morocco, and were largely sedentary and
practised agriculture.
• The residence of the Masmuda
aristocracy was Aghmat in the High Atlas.

10. Masmuda
• From the 10th century the Berber tribes of the
Sanhaja and Zanata groups invaded the lands of
the Masmuda, followed from the 12th century
onwards by Arab Bedouins (Banu Hilal).
• Ibn Tumart united the Masmuda tribes at the
beginning of the 12th century and founded the
Almohad movement, which subsequently unified
the whole of the Maghreb and Andalusia.

11. ZENATA
• Zenata were an ethnic group of North Africa ,
who were an Eastern Berber group and who are
found in Tunisia , Algeria and Rif mountains.
• According to Ibn Khaldoun, the Zenata are one
of the main divisions of the medieval Berbers,
along with Senhaja and Masmuda;
• These tribes, traditionally nomads, were
concentrated in Middle Maghreb that's why they
called " Middle Maghreb " home of Zenata.

12. ZENATA
• The Zenata were known for their
horseriding skill. The Spanish word for
"horserider", jinete, is derived from their
name.
• Their varieties of Berber, collectively
termed Zenati, are spread over a wide
area; for this reason, several languages
are termed "Zenati“

13. ZENATA
• Among these are Beni Snassen (or Ait Iznassen
in Tamazight), a tribe that lives in Northern
Morocco and Algeria, mostly in the mountains
near Berkane called the Beni Snassen
mountains; Sened (now extinct), and some
Saharan oasis languages.
• In the 8th century most Berber and Zenata were
Kharijites and took part in the Maysara revolt
against Umayyad rule. The last Kharijite
rebellion was in the 10th century under Abu
Yazid, and was defeated by the Fatimids.

14. Sanhaja
• The Zenaga or Sanhaja (also Znaga or
Sanhadja; Arabic: ‫ صنهاجة‬Ṣanhājah, Berber:
Iẓnagen) were once one of the largest Berber
tribal confederations of the Maghreb;
• The meaning of the Berber word Iẓnagen is the
oasis people. Its singular form is Aẓnag, which is
frequently used today as a family name by
many. In Berber, the word for "oasis" is Aẓnig or
Amda.
• From the 9th century Zenaga tribes began to
establish themselves in the Middle Atlas range,
in the Rif Mountains and on the Atlantic coast of
Morocco.

15. Sanhaja
• With the invasion of the Maghreb by the
Arab Banu Hilal tribe in the 11th century
and the Maqil in the 12th, the Zenaga
were gradually Arabized.

16. AIT ATTA
• The Ait Atta (Tamazight ayt ɛaṭṭa) are a
large Berber tribal confederation of North
eastern Morocco.
• They are divided into "five fifths" (khams
khmas), all said to descend from the forty
sons of their common ancestor Dadda
Atta: these "fifths" are the Ait Ouallal, Ait
Ouahlim, Ait Isfoul, Ait Yazza and Ait
Ounbgi.
• They speak Central Atlas Tamazight.

17. AIT ATTA
• The Ait Atta originated as a political entity
in the Jbel Saghro region in the 16th
century with the founding of their
traditional capital Igherm Amazdar. They
subsequently expanded first northwards,
becoming rivals of the Ait Yafelman, then
southwards, taking control of oases in
Tafilalt and the Draa River. By the 19th
century their raids went as far as Touat in
modern-day Algeria. They resisted the
French entry into Morocco until 1933 .(David
Hart, The Ait Atta of Southern Morocco, p. 14)

18. Ait Waryaghar
• The Aith Waryaghar is an Amazigh tribe of
the Rif region of north-east Morocco.
• The Aith Waryaghar were the main group
which participated in the Rif wars against
the Spanish Protectorate in Morocco at
the beginning of 20th century. The
Spanish authorities considered it the
nucleus of insumisión to the colonial
authority in the Eastern zone of the
protectorate (Battle of Annual).

19. Ait Waryaghar
• During the Rif War of 1921-1926, the
leadership of the Aith Waryaghar was
concentrated in the Al-Khattabi family and,
in particular, in the person of Muhammad
bin Abd el-Krim al-Khattabi. Its centre was
the small locality of Ajdir in the bay of Al
Hoceima.
• (David Hart, The Aith Waryaghar of the Moroccan Rif (Tucson,
Arizona, 1976)

20. Ait Seghrouchen
• The Ait Seghrouchen (Tamazight ayt
səγruššən) are a Berber tribe of east-
central Morocco. They are divided into two
geographically separated groups, one on
the south side of the Middle Atlas and one
on the north side of the High Atlas.
• They speak a Zenati Berber dialect, Ait
Seghrouchen Berber, sometimes grouped
with Central Atlas Tamazight.

21. Ait Yafelman
• The Ait Yafelman (Tamazight: ayt yaf-lman) are
a large Berber tribal confederation of the eastern
High Atlas of Morocco, with their capital at
Imilchil.
• They consist of four tribes: Ait Morghad, Ait
Haddidou, Ait Izdeg and Ait Yahia.
• These tribes created the alliance in the 17th
century to counter the expansion of their Ait Atta
neighbours.
• The Ait Yafelman speak Central Atlas
Tamazight.
• Mezzine, Larbi (1987) (in French). Le Tafilalt, Contribution à l'histoire du Maroc aux XVIIè et
XVIIIè siècles. Rabat.
• Peyron, Michaël (1984). "Contribution à l'histoire du Haut-Atlas Oriental : les Ayt Yafelman" (in
French). Revue de l'Occident musulman et de la Méditerranée 38: 117–135.

22. Chiadma
• Chiadma is a tribe located mainly at the Atlantic
coast in the region between Safi and Essaouira.
They mainly speak Moroccan Arabic with a
special accent. The language factor is the main
difference to the neighbouring tribe further to the
south, Haha.
• The Chiadma celebrate every year a pilgrimage
known as Regraga which lasts 40 days and
includes also some Haha populations.

23. Doui-Menia
• The Doui-Menia or Dawi-Mani` (Arabic ‫يوذوي‬
‫ ,منيع‬are a Banu Hilal Arab tribe of the
Moroccan-Algerian border between Taghit
and the Tafilalt region, centered on Abadla
in the Guir valley.
• They became prominent in the area with
their expansion eastwards around the 17th
century, notably at the expense of the
Ghenanma.

24. Doui-Menia
• they are divided into "five fifths" tracing their
descent to a common ancestor, `Addi el-Meni`i;
• According to Dunn (1977), these are:
• Ouled Djelloul.
• Ouled Youssef.
• Idersa.
• Ouled Bou Anane.
• Ouled bel Giz.

25. Doui-Menia
• . By the end of the nineteenth century their
expansion had largely ceased
• They were involved in resistance against
the French conquest of the region.
• Ross E. Dunn, Resistance in the desert: Moroccan responses to French imperialism
1881-1912. Taylor & Francis 1977.
• Robert Capot-Rey, Transformations récentes dans une tribu du Sud-Oranais.
Annales de Géographie 1952, vol. 61, n. 324, pp. 138-142

26. HAHA
• The Hhaha or Iḥaḥan (Arabic ‫ حاحا‬Ḥāḥā) are a
Berber people in the Western High Atlas in
Morocco. They identify themselves as a tribe of
(Chleuh) people, and speak the Tashlhit
language. Their region stretches along from the
city of Essaouira south to the Souss Valley,
mainly on the Atlantic coast.
• Their neighbours to the north are the Chiadma,
who have a similar culture but are Arab
speakers.

27. JEBALA
• Jebala(‫ )جبالة‬and Spanish:Yebala) refers to the
inhabitants of the north-western region of
Morocco.
• The Jebala are of Berber origin; they adopted
the Arabic language in the 12th and 13th
centuries, influenced by Arabic-speaking
neighbor population of Fes, northern Morocco
and Al-Andalus.
• The Jebala speak a non-hilalian Arabic dialect,
which is influenced by the neighboring Berber
languages and by the Spanish language
following the occupation of the area by Spain
during the protectorate era.
• (S. Levy, EDNA (1996), Repères pour une histoire linguistique du Maroc, pp.127-137)

28. Geo-linguistic Space of Jebala

29. MZAB
• Mzab (‫ )مزاب‬is a confederation of tribes in
the Chawiya plain south of Casablanca.
The bulk of Mzab are arabized Berber
tribes, while the rest are of Hilalian Arab
origins.
• Located in the historical breadbasket of
the country (the Chawiya), Mzab's land is
mostly used for wheat production, but is
also famous for sheep husbandry.
• Mzab's land is also nicknamed Al-alwa
• The capital of Mzab is Ben Hmad.

30. MZAB
• Mzab is divided into many smaller tribes,
the most important of which are :
• Hamdawa ‫حمداوة‬
• Khzazra ‫الخزازرة‬
• Oulad Fares ‫اول د فارس‬
• Beni Brahim ‫بني براهيم‬
• Maarif ‫المعاريف‬
• Mkhalkhliya ‫المخلخلية‬
• Oulad Belbagi ‫ اول د بلباجى‬Belbagi

31. Oulad Tidrarin
• The Oulad Tidrarin (Arabic: ‫ )أول د تيدرارين‬is a
Moroccan-Sahrawi tribe of mainly Arab origins,
formerly considered to be of Ansar status. They
speak Hassaniya Arabic. They are Muslims,
belonging to the Maliki school of Sunni Islam.
• The Oulad Tidrarin is one of the oldest Arab
tribes that settled the Saguia el-Hamra their
original home. Many live in the Cape Bojador
area, some on the coast of Saguia el-Hamra,
and some branches live in the south and east of
Mauritania.

32. Oulad Tidrarin
• Oulad Tidrarin can be divided into eleven clans:
• 1. Almkalcha (Lamghalcha)
• 2. Oulad Sidiasin Ben Aalilaassam
• 3. Oulad El Ghazi
• 4. Alabobat (Laaboubat)
• 5. Oulad Sidahmad Boghanbur (Oulad Boughanbour)
• 6. Al Husinat (Lahssinat)
• 7. Oulad Ali (Al Alaouiin)
• 8. Lahmaidat
• 9. Ahl Yara
• 10. Oulad Bousshab
• 11. Lidadssa (Alidadsa)

33. Regraga
• The Regraga are one of three tribes that
formed the population of Essaouira,
Morocco.
• The Regraga came from the Jbel Hadid
mountains and introduced Islam to the
region; the other tribes were the Berber
Haha and the Chiadma.
• These tribes, along with the local large
Jewish community, lived in harmony.

34. Tekna
• The Tekna is a Sahrawi tribal
confederation of Lamta Sanhaja Berber
origins in today southern Morocco, but
traditionally with wider migration routes.
• The Tekna tribes speak Hassaniya Arabic
and the Berber Shilha dialect in varying
degrees.
• They are divided into several berber-
speaking and Arabic-speaking subtribes,
organized into the two rivalling Ait Djemel
and Ait Bella leff, or factions

35. Tekna
• All Tekna are Muslims, belonging to the
Maliki school of Sunni Islam.
• Their traditional lifestyle was partly
nomadic, based on camel and goat
herding, and partly sedentary, controlling
important routes of the Saharan caravan
trade.

36. Thank you for your attention