The Black Death was one of the most devastating pandemics in human history. During the mid-14th century, this deadly plague spread across Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa, causing immense demographic and social upheaval.
In the Maghreb, including Morocco, the pandemic struck during the rule of the Marinid dynasty. Although precise statistics are largely absent from medieval sources, historical chronicles describe a catastrophic decline in population, the abandonment of cities, and severe political and economic instability.
This article examines the impact of the Black Death in Morocco during the 14th century, using historical testimonies from scholars such as Ibn Khaldun and Ibn Khatima. It also compares the demographic effects of the plague in Morocco with other regions of the western Islamic world, including Tunis, Tlemcen, and Valencia.
The Lack of Demographic Statistics in Medieval Sources
One of the main difficulties faced by historians studying the Black Death in the western Islamic world is the almost complete absence of reliable population statistics.
Most historical sources rely on descriptive expressions rather than numerical data. Chroniclers often used phrases such as:
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“The plague that swept away entire nations”
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“The devastating epidemic”
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“The great pestilence”
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“The Black Death”
These expressions reveal the immense scale of the catastrophe, but they provide little concrete information about the number of victims.
The absence of numerical records makes it difficult for historians to accurately measure the demographic transformation that occurred in Marinid Morocco during the 14th century.
Nevertheless, the magnitude of the disaster can be inferred from the fact that the plague affected all regions of the inhabited world, both in the East and the West.
Recorded Deaths Among Scholars and Officials
Although medieval sources rarely provide exact numbers, they sometimes mention the deaths of notable individuals, including scholars, officials, and religious figures.
Among those reported to have died during the epidemic were:
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Abdullah al-Randi
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Yahya ibn Yahya ibn Milil, a tax official under the Marinid state
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Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Khamis al-Ansari
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Members of the Sanan al-Susi family
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The mother of Ibn Battuta
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Muhammad ibn Abdullah ibn Abd al-Nur al-Nadrumi
These scattered references indicate that the plague affected all levels of society, including intellectual and administrative elites.
One researcher studying the topic concluded that historians do not possess a single reliable statistical dataset for the demographic losses caused by the plague in the Maghreb.
Ibn Khaldun’s Testimony on the Black Death
One of the most powerful descriptions of the plague’s impact comes from the famous historian Ibn Khaldun.
He described the catastrophe in striking terms:
“In the middle of the eighth century of the Hijra, the devastating plague descended upon both the East and the West. It wiped out entire nations, destroyed generations, and erased many of the achievements of civilization.
Cities and buildings were abandoned, roads disappeared, settlements became empty, and the strength of states and tribes weakened.”
Ibn Khaldun further explained that the plague struck at a moment when many states were already weakened by internal problems. The epidemic therefore accelerated political decline and contributed to the collapse of established powers.
According to his account, the drastic reduction in population led to:
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the abandonment of cities
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the destruction of infrastructure
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the weakening of states
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economic decline
The Demographic Collapse in Morocco
Because medieval Morocco lacked census records, historians cannot determine the exact population losses caused by the Black Death.
Before the publication of Leo Africanus’s Description of Africa, there were virtually no attempts to estimate Morocco’s population.
One modern historical study, however, suggests that the plague may have killed between one-sixth and two-thirds of the population.
Other sources even claim that half of the population may have died during the epidemic.
These estimates are consistent with the demographic impact observed in Europe, where historians believe that roughly one-third to one-half of the population perished during the Black Death.
Comparative Mortality in the Western Islamic World
The Andalusian physician Ibn Khatima provides one of the few historical texts that includes numerical estimates of plague deaths.
He reports the following figures for single days during the epidemic:
| City | Reported Deaths in One Day |
|---|---|
| Tunis | about 1,200 deaths |
| Tlemcen | about 700 deaths |
| Valencia | about 1,500 deaths |
| Mallorca | about 1,252 deaths |
In Almería, another Andalusian city, around 70 people reportedly died in a single day.
These numbers illustrate the devastating speed at which the disease spread.
Ibn Khatima further suggested that in some places three-quarters of the population may have died before the epidemic finally subsided.
Economic and Social Consequences
The demographic catastrophe had profound consequences across the Maghreb.
The plague struck during a period of political instability, particularly during the reign of Abu al-Hasan al-Marini, who was engaged in military campaigns in North Africa.
Several factors worsened the crisis:
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famine and rising food prices
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military defeats
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political unrest
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the loss of soldiers and administrators
For example, historical sources mention that the price of wheat rose dramatically during the epidemic, while social disorder increased.
The plague also affected religious institutions such as ribats and zawiyas, where the number of residents declined so sharply that some communities could no longer hold communal prayers.
The Plague and the Weakening of the Marinid State
Although the Marinid state did not collapse immediately after the plague, the demographic and economic damage contributed to its long-term decline.
The loss of population reduced:
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agricultural production
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tax revenues
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military manpower
Combined with political instability, these effects gradually weakened the Marinid dynasty during the later medieval period.
References
Ibn Khaldun. Al-Muqaddimah (The Introduction to History). Various editions.
Ibn Khatima. Tahsil Gharad al-Qasid fi Tafsil al-Marad al-Wafid (Treatise on the Plague).
Leo Africanus. Description of Africa.
Brignon, Jean; Amine, Abdelaziz; Boutaleb, Brahim; and Martinet, Guy. Histoire du Maroc. Paris: Hatier, 1967.
Talbi, Mohamed. “Effondrement Démographique au Maghreb du XIe au XVe siècle.” Cahiers de Tunisie, vol. 25.
Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani. Badhl al-Ma'un fi Fadl al-Ta'un (A Gift of Aid on the Virtue of the Plague).
Ajmili, Hamid. History of the Western Islamic World: Almoravids, Almohads and Marinids. Lecture materials, Ibn Tofail University, Faculty of Arts and Humanities, Kenitra.
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