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Leo Notes


Atlas Notes

Cristel Notes

 

Leo traveled through the Marrakech 'country side' to recruit troops for the Sa'adian Sharifs religious war against the Portuguese on the coast. As envoy of the Wattaside Sultan, Leo was supposed to advise the Sharif on how to raise his army. Remember that this was at the very beginning of the Sa'adian rise, when the Sultan of Fes saw no threat in their actions.

Leo chose the Marrakech region for the valor of the Berber men who lived there. Indeed, their reputation was that of skillful and trustworthy warriors, unlike the 'nomadic' Arabs who roamed the lands. Remember that Berbers were the people who lived in North Africa prior to its colonization by the Arabs, and who subsequently converted to Islam. Nomadic Arabs were those who had been chased from the Arabian Peninsula and came to settle in North Africa. Both these 'country dwellers' were usually looked down upon by sophisticated urban residents.

This common knowledge of the valor of Berber men is well described in the words of a contemporary historian:

"The heart of (the Saadian army) was composed of Berber men, while Arabs were progressively added on by the recruiting efforts of Mohammed esch Cheik. The Arabs were of questionable loyalty and did not have the same military valor as the disciplined mountain dwellers of the Alas" (Dziubinski, 63)

Leo refers to nomadic Arabs as being "ill-intentioned and treacherous" (99) . For more on their mercenary behavior, read Leo's story on high mountain robbery.

As a consequence of these Arab's actions, life for sedentary Berbers can be quite difficult:

"At the foot of this town there are many large fields, ideal for agriculture. But these people are molested by Arabs and cannot work the fields. They are reduced to growing their plants on the flank of the mountain, between river and town. To earn this right, they must pay the Arabs one third of their revenue." (Leo, 97)