IN THE COURTS OF THE NATIONS - DataSpace - Princeton ...
IN THE COURTS OF THE NATIONS - DataSpace - Princeton ... IN THE COURTS OF THE NATIONS - DataSpace - Princeton ...
lood money all wrote to the Makhzan in an effort to ensure that they received their due. Many of these claims were settled, either by a local Makhzan official, the sultan, or a sharī‘a court. However, the limited ability of a weak central government to impose its will meant that not all Jews’ petitions resulted in a successful settlement. Nonetheless, the Makhzan clearly felt responsible for addressing Jews’ complaints—a responsibility held towards all subjects of the sultan, regardless of religion. 226
Chapter Six: Collective Appeals to the Makhzan According to [the Jews of Marrakesh], there is only one way to end their suffering; this is to make the state of affairs known to His Majesty [the sultan] and to address their complaints to him. 1 On April 10, 1877, the Jews of Casablanca wrote a letter complaining about the “foul day” on which their qā’id ‘Abdallāh al-Ḥaṣār denied them justice. 2 The Jews of Casablanca described an incident in which “two Jewish women got into a fight in the millāḥ (the Jewish quarter).” The fight spread, first to the women’s husbands as “each woman’s husband came to help his wife.” More Jews joined in, “each trying to restrain his friend” from escalating the fight further. 3 Although the Jews seemed to have things under control, “many of the qā’id’s personal guards came and began attacking the Jews without regard to those who were fighting ... and some Jews were injured.” Finally a number of Muslim bystanders joined in the brawl. When a group of Jews went to ‘Abdallāh’s residence to complain about their ill treatment, he not only refused to hear their plea but imprisoned some of them and put them in chains. A subsequent group of Jews who appealed to ‘Abdallāh were equally unsuccessful; when they asked him to “judge the matter justly” (taḥkumu fīhī bi-’l-ḥaqq), he replied that they would have to pay him to do so. The Jews of Casablanca finally decided to appeal to the sultan for justice; Mawlāy Ḥasan ordered ‘Abdallāh to send the imprisoned Jews to him for judgment. 4 Unfortunately we do not know what happened to ‘Abdallāh or his Jewish prisoners. But the very fact that the Jews of 1 Joseph Halévy, Bulletin de l’Alliance Israélite Universelle, 2ème sémestre 1877. 2 DAR, Yahūd, 15587, Jews of Casablanca to Jews of Tangier, 26 Rabī‘ I 1294. (The Jews of Casablanca originally wrote to the Jews of Tangier, who then passed their letter on to a high-ranking vizier: on the choice of writing to fellow Jews, see below.) 3 Yaruddu kullu wāḥidin ‘an ṣāḥibihi. 4 DAR, Yahūd, 34155, Ḥājj ‘Abdallāh al-Ḥaṣār to Muḥammad Bargāsh, 16 Jumādā I 1294. Al-Ḥaṣār claimed that he had subsequently received orders from a vizier (he did not specify which one) to keep the prisoners in jail, and asked Bargāsh for clarification. 227
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lood money all wrote to the Makhzan in an effort to ensure that they received their due. Many<br />
of these claims were settled, either by a local Makhzan official, the sultan, or a sharī‘a court.<br />
However, the limited ability of a weak central government to impose its will meant that not all<br />
Jews’ petitions resulted in a successful settlement. Nonetheless, the Makhzan clearly felt<br />
responsible for addressing Jews’ complaints—a responsibility held towards all subjects of the<br />
sultan, regardless of religion.<br />
226