BLACK SOCIAL HISTORY: SLAVERY IN MOROCCO:

In Morocco African troops of slave played a very important part in the military life of the State and the King of Morocco employed slaves in his army up to 15,000 slaves trained as fighting troops to help defend his rule and up to today they have help to maintained their rule in Morocco. In the late 17th century Mawlay Ismail commanded his officials to enslaved thoes who were free, including the Haratin ( meaning free blacks or freed ex-slave)  This command violated the most Salient Islamic Legal Code regarding the institution of Slavery which states it is "illegal to enslave fellow Muslim".

This controversy caused a heated debate and overt hostility between the "Ulama"  ( Muslim Scholars)  and Mawlay Isma'il.  Official Slave registers were created to justify the legality of the enforced buying of slaves from their owners and the enslavement of the Haratin. An equation of Blackness and slavery was being developed to justify the subjection of the free Muslim black Moroccan.  To prove the slave status of the black Moroccans, the officials in charge of the slavery project established a fricitional hierarchy of categories of Slaves. This project therefore constructed a slave status for all black people in Morocco even those who were free.