The bases of Sultan’s power in Alawi Morocco during XVII-XVIII centuries: the triumph of military force or the search of consensus?

The actual problem of state-building and legitimization of power in the Middle East and North Africa in the precolonial period on the example of Morocco is of particular interest, as it allows us to examine a political model that was formed in the western periphery of Arab-Muslim world. The purpose of this research is to analyse the concept of power that developed during the rule of Alawi dynasty (since 1631), which is still in power in Morocco. Based on the Arab chronicles, the article examines the major elements of legitimating ideologies used by Alawi monarchs during the XVII-XVIII centuries. Moroccan sultans were sharifs - descendants of the Prophet Muhammad, and were the object of veneration in Moroccan society. The Sharifi baraka (a hereditary blessing power) and noble origin thus became the main factors in the legitimacy of their rule. The study shows how the idea of sacred power of the Sharifi sultans was combined with elements of the Sunni political doctrine which did not recognise the divine nature of power. The study also gives the author’s assessment of the discussion about the role of military force and coercion in Sultan’s domination which has been taken in Moroccan historiography. It is concluded that Alawi sultan used violence in dealings with his subjects but it wasn’t the only base of his power. Moreover, the Alawis have managed to legitimise this violence and make it a part of the Sharifi concept of power.