One of the basic ideas taught to Moroccan students in school history classes is that the Idrisid dynasty was the first state in Morocco. However, students who later study history at the university level often encounter a surprising conclusion: many historians argue that the Idrisids did not fully possess the characteristics of a centralized state, but rather ruled a regional emirate.
This raises an important question: why is the Idrisid Emirate still presented as the first Moroccan state in school curricula?
To answer this, we need to examine both the political landscape of early Islamic Morocco and the way Moroccan history was later written.
Morocco Was Not Empty Before the Idrisids
When Idris I arrived in Morocco in 788 CE (172 AH), the region was far from politically empty. Several Islamic political entities had already appeared in the Maghreb following the Berber Revolt of 740 CE (122 AH).
This revolt, led largely by Berber groups inspired by Sufri Kharijite ideology, rejected Arab tribal privilege and emphasized equality among Muslims. According to their interpretation of the famous prophetic tradition — “Listen and obey even if a slave with a raisin-like head is appointed over you” — leadership should belong to the most pious and just individual, regardless of ethnicity.
As a result, several independent emirates emerged in Morocco.
Early Islamic Political Entities in Morocco
The Barghawata Emirate (Tamna Region)
One of the earliest states was the Barghawata Emirate, founded around 744 CE (122 AH) in the region of Tamesna, between present-day Rabat and Safi.
According to medieval geographers such as Ibn Hawqal and Al-Bakri, the Barghawata eventually developed their own religious doctrine, which deviated significantly from orthodox Islam.
The Midrarid Emirate of Sijilmasa
Another important political entity was the Midrarid Emirate, founded in 757 CE (140 AH) in Sijilmasa by Semgu Ibn Wassul, a leader associated with the Berber Revolt.
This emirate followed the Sufri Kharijite tradition and became a major center of trans-Saharan trade, linking Morocco to West Africa.
The Emirate of Nekor
In northern Morocco, in the Rif region, another polity had already appeared: the Emirate of Nekor, founded by Salih ibn Mansur al-Himyari around 710 CE (79 AH).
This emirate is particularly interesting because it predates the Berber Revolt. Historical sources suggest that the Umayyad Caliph Al-Walid ibn Abd al-Malik granted Salih authority over this region under circumstances that remain unclear. Even the famous general Musa ibn Nusayr was reportedly instructed not to interfere in its affairs.
Nekor followed the Maliki school of Sunni Islam, making it one of the earliest political entities in Morocco to adopt the Maliki legal tradition — while Imam Malik himself was still alive.
After the Berber Revolt of 740, Nekor effectively became independent from eastern Islamic authority.
The Idrisids and Their Political Position
The Idrisid Emirate, founded by Idris I in 788 CE (172 AH), emerged after these earlier political formations.
Idris I himself was a descendant of Hasan ibn Ali and belonged to the Zaydi Shiite movement. He had participated in a rebellion against the Abbasid Caliphate led by his brother Muhammad al-Nafs al-Zakiyya.
After the rebellion failed, Idris fled eastward persecution and eventually reached Morocco, where he established his rule with the support of local tribes.
However, the Idrisids did not control the entire territory of Morocco. Their authority existed alongside the other emirates mentioned above.
So how did the Idrisid emirate come to be widely described as the first Moroccan state?
To answer this, we must jump several centuries forward to the Marinid period (1259–1465).
Tribal Solidarity and Religious Legitimacy
According to Ibn Khaldun’s famous theory of state formation, medieval states were usually built upon two pillars:
- Tribal solidarity (ʿasabiyya)
- Religious reform or ideology
This framework helps explain the rise of several major Moroccan dynasties.
The Almoravids
The Almoravid state was built on Sanhaja tribal solidarity combined with a religious reform movement promoting Maliki Sunni Islam. Through this ideology, the Almoravids eliminated competing doctrines and unified Morocco religiously and politically.
The Almohads
The Almohad state relied on the Masmoda tribal confederation, one of the largest groups in Morocco. They introduced the Tumartian doctrine, a unique theological system blending several Islamic traditions and imposed it across their territories.
The Marinids
The Marinid dynasty, however, relied primarily on Zenata tribal solidarity and lacked a strong religious reform ideology.
This created a legitimacy problem. Unlike earlier dynasties, they were not Arabs nor sharifian descendants.
To address this weakness, the Marinids undertook several strategies:
- Encouraging jihad in al-Andalus
- Building madrasas and mosques
- Promoting the prestige of sharifian families
This period saw the beginning of the political sanctification of sharifian lineages in Morocco.
Sharifian families received stipends, and tribes hosting them gained special status.
The Marinid Reinvention of Idrisid History
The Marinids also elevated the status of Fez, their capital. As part of this ideological effort, they promoted the idea that the Idrisids were the first state of Morocco, since Idris II had founded Fez.
During this period, the historian Ibn Abi Zarʿ wrote his famous chronicle:
Rawd al-Qirtas fi Akhbar Muluk al-Maghrib wa Tarikh Madinat Fas
This work was one of the first texts to clearly present the Idrisid dynasty as the first Moroccan state.
Later dynasties claiming sharifian lineage — particularly the Saadians and the Alaouites — adopted and reinforced this narrative.
The Rewriting of Moroccan History
Modern Moroccan historiography continued to rely heavily on the works of Ibn Abi Zarʿ and later historians such as Ahmad al-Nasiri.
During the twentieth century, particularly under the influence of the Moroccan nationalist movement during the French Protectorate, historians sought to reconstruct Moroccan history using modern academic methods.
The nationalist elite, many of whom came from Fez’s urban bourgeoisie, were strongly influenced by Arab nationalism. They sought to demonstrate the deep historical legitimacy of the Moroccan state in response to French colonial narratives.
Although historians knew that political structures had existed in Morocco even before Islam — such as the ancient kingdom of Mauretania Tingitana, which extended from Tangier to the Bou Regreg River and eastward to the Moulouya — these entities did not align with the nationalist vision of Moroccan identity because they were not Islamic.
Therefore, historians focused on identifying the first Islamic state in Morocco.
Among the early Islamic polities:
- Barghawata — considered heretical
- Nekor — Sunni but not sharifian and not linked to Fez
- Sijilmasa — Kharijite
- Almoravids — first truly centralized state but not Arab
The Idrisids, however, fit the desired narrative:
they were Arab, sharifian, and associated with Fez, the symbolic cultural capital of Morocco.
Prominent twentieth-century historians such as Mohamed El-Mennouni and Ibrahim Harakat contributed significantly to Moroccan historical scholarship, though their work was sometimes influenced by the intellectual environment of the nationalist movement.
A Critical Approach to History
For this reason, historians emphasize the importance of critical reading of historical sources.
History should not simply repeat traditional narratives. It requires:
- examining multiple sources
- comparing interpretations
- analyzing context
- understanding the political motivations behind historical writing.
As Ibn Khaldun famously wrote:
“History is not merely information about past events and dynasties. In its inner meaning, it is reflection and investigation, an analysis of the causes and principles of events, and a deep understanding of how societies change.”
So What Was the First State in Islamic Morocco?
According to the view held by many modern Moroccan historians, the first true centralized state in Islamic Morocco was the Almoravid dynasty.
The Almoravids were the first to unify the Moroccan territories under a strong political authority extending from the north to the south of the country, creating a coherent state structure.
Sources
Mohamed Qabli — History of Morocco: Reconsideration and Synthesis (2011)
Lotfi Bouchentouf — The Scholar and the Sultan (2004)
Ahmad al-Nasiri — Al-Istiqsa li Akhbar Duwal al-Maghrib al-Aqsa
Ahmed Azzawi — A Brief History of the Western Islamic World
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