Sharifism

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Sharifism is a term used to describe the system in pre-colonial

The Saadi dynasty revived Sharifism in the 16th century to assert Arab supremacy in a mostly Amazigh region.^[1] At this time, it competed with and eventually marginalized Sufism to become the main channel of legitimacy and power.^[1] It became particularly important in the "Maraboutic Crisis," referring to the power struggles involving Sufi zawiyas or ribats following the end of the powerful Amazigh dynasties (the Almoravids, the Almohads, and the Marinids), which intensified after the death of Ahmad al-Mansur, when his sons Zidan Abu Maali and Abu Faris Abdallah fought for the throne.^[1][5] Under the Saadi dynasty, the armed Sufi ribats represented a challenge to the Makhzen's authority.^[1] The Saadis sought to absorb the authority of the Sufis by taking over jihad.^[1] They even dug up Muhammad al-Jazuli's body and buried it in a mausoleum in Marrakesh.^[1]

The

Edmund Burke III described Sharifism as "central to Moroccan politics" in the precolonial period.^[3] Prestige, influence, and power in Moroccan society were based on lineage rather than wealth, and families of sharīfī descent were, according to Sahar Bazzaz, "more likely to gain wealth as a result of their noble descent or through access to the patron-client networks of these sharifan families."^[2] Examples of Sharifism in the pre-colonial period include the vast land holdings north of Fes of the shurafā' of Wazzān, the rebellions against the Makhzen led by the sheikhs of the Sharqāwi Sufi order, and the campaign of the pretender al-Jilāli az-Zarhūni.^[2]

19th century changes

The 19th century saw the rise of a new merchant class with unprecedented political influence. This new commercial elite began to supplant traditional hierarchies based on sharīfī lineage,