New book delves into the history of the Anjara tribe

“Beit Al-Hikma” Publications in Tetouan published a book entitled “The Anjra Tribe and the Spanish Occupation 1912-1956” by the researcher, Professor Said Aghzil.

Data about the publication indicated that “this book is 565 pages long, divided into two sections; the first sheds light on the general context of the Spanish occupation of northern Morocco and the Anjra tribe, and in the second the researcher addresses the Spanish occupation of the Anjra tribe and colonial policy, in addition to a general introduction and a documentary appendix.”

In his introduction to the book, Abdel Hafeez Hamman considered that the researcher’s choice of the Anjara tribe has its importance and significance, pointing out that it goes back to the location, position and role of this tribe in the history of northern Morocco and Moroccan history in general.

He added that from this standpoint, research into the history of Moroccan tribes has become an important area of ​​interest for researchers and those interested in Moroccan history in order to develop our understanding of the past and present of the Moroccan tribe.

The first section of the book includes four chapters in which researcher Agzel relied on the methodology of moving from the general to the specific. The first chapter was devoted to establishing a conceptual basis for the relationship between the tribe and the Makhzen in general, while the second chapter was devoted to the position of Morocco in the Spanish colonial plans. In the third chapter, he addressed northern Morocco within the context of the Spanish imperial project. The fourth chapter included a description of the general situation of Jbala and Anjra before the Spanish occupation.

Regarding the second part of the book, the researcher addressed in the first chapter the direct Spanish occupation of the Anjera tribe, revealing the new reality represented by the imperial project as an advanced colonial system compared to its predecessors in the past centuries. The second chapter was devoted to the Anjera resistance to the Spanish occupation, highlighting the role of the tribe’s scholars in urging jihad, and shedding light on the heroes and leaders of the resistance in the tribe. The third and final chapter discussed the Spanish colonial policy and its impact on the Anjera tribe from a political, economic and social perspective.

The same data stated that all of these axes were studied by researcher Aghzil, relying on various and diverse sources of abundant documents that he obtained from the Spanish archives, in addition to historical sources that combined the writings of foreign travelers, Spanish military reports, pictures, Moroccan and foreign research and studies, which came with a new approach to this northern Moroccan tribe, thus adding to the historical field a study of great importance.

It is worth noting that researcher Saeed Aghzil works as a professor at the Regional Center for Education and Training Professions in Tangier. In 2016, he obtained a doctorate in advanced public law – specializing in political science and international relations. In 2019, he obtained a doctorate in literature – specializing in contemporary history from the Faculty of Arts and Humanities in Tetouan.