Revisiting the Colonial Past in Morocco

Exploring the concept of ‘colonial cultures,’ this book analyses how these cultures both transformed, and were transformed by, their various societies. Challenging both the colonial vulgate, and the nationalist paradigm, Revisiting the Colonial Past in Morocco, examines the lesser known specificities of particular moments, practices and institutions in Morocco, with the aim of uncovering a ‘new colonial history.’

By examining society on a micro-level, this book raises the profiles of the mass of Moroccans who were highly influential in the colonial period yet have been excluded from the historical record because of a lack of textual source material. Introducing social and cultural history, gender studies and literary criticism to the more traditional economic, political and military studies, the book promotes a more complex and nuanced understanding of Moroccan colonial history.

Employing new theoretical and methodological approaches, this volume encourages a re-assessment of existing work and promotes a more interdisciplinary approach to the colonial history of Morocco. Revisiting the Colonial Past in Morocco is a highly topical and useful addition to literature on the subject and will be of interest to students and scholars of History, Imperialism and more generally, Middle Eastern Studies.

Driss Maghraoui is Associate Professor of History and International Relations at Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane. Dr. Maghraoui teaches courses on North African immigration in Europe, modern imperialism and its culture, history of the Arab world, and history and memory in 20th century Europe. Previously visiting professor at Yale and the University of California, Santa Cruz, his most recent publications include Secularism in Morocco: A Stagnant Word in Motion, Northern Africa: Historical Links with Sub-Saharan Africa, Perceptions of External Pressure to Democratization: The Moroccan Case, and The 'Grande Guerre Sainte': Moroccan Colonial Troops and Workers in the First World War.