IN THE COURTS OF THE NATIONS - DataSpace - Princeton ...

for permission to inform the foreign consuls that the sultan always ensures justice for all his
subjects. 128
The Makhzan also expressed its commitment to the equal treatment of Jews and Muslims
in internal correspondence intended only for Makhzan officials. For instance, in 1880, Mawlāy
Ḥasan sent a letter to Muḥammad Bargāsh in which he expressed displeasure at the news that
many of his governors and other local officials were not treating Jews justly. 129 The sultan noted
that his Jewish subjects were entitled to the same rights from the Makhzan as Muslims. 130
Mawlāy Ḥasan wrote this letter in the context of discussing the increasing numbers of Jews who
were appealing to foreigners (including international Jewish organizations and consular officials)
when they were abused or were to unable to resolve their legal disputes. 131 Although this letter
was not addressed to these foreigners directly, his language was clearly intended to counter their
claims that Jews were treated unjustly under Islamic rule.
Similarly, in late 1892, Mawlāy Ḥasan wrote a letter to one of the qā’ids of Marrakesh,
named Muḥammad. 132 The sultan rebuked Muḥammad for mistreating the Jews of that city and
ordered him “to treat them just as he does Muslims.” 133 Mawlāy Ḥasan specified that
Muḥammad should judge the Jews’ “Makhzanī” claims (meaning those legal cases which fell
128
DAR, Yahūd, 32716, Muḥammad Bargāsh to Mawlāy Ḥasan, 10 Dhū al-Qa‘da 1297. See also DAR, Fez, 6070,
?? to John Drummond Hay, 3 Rabī‘ I 1294: here, the author informed Hay that “the sultan sees his subjects, both
Jews and Muslims, as his children and does not want harm to come to them (sayyidunā naṣarahu Allāh yanẓuru
ra‘īyatahu min al-muslimīna wa-’l-yahūdi mithlu awlādihi wa-lā yarḍā lahum al-ḍurur).”
129
DAR, Yahūd, 15118, Mawlāy Ḥasan to Muḥammad Bargāsh, 22 Jumādā II 1297.
130
Lahum mithlu mā lil-muslimīna min al-ḥaqqi ‘alaynā (ibid.).
131
The sultan instituted a new policy whereby Jewish subjects of the Makhzan had to first bring their complaint to
Moroccan authorities, through Bargāsh, before the sultan would entertain the intercession of foreigners on their
behalf. Three months later, Bargāsh reported that he was inundated with complaints sent by Jews (DAR, Yahūd,
24355, Muḥammad Bargāsh to Mawlāy Ḥasan, 15 Ramaḍān 1297).
132
DAR, Yahūd, 18151, Mawlāy Ḥasan to Qā’id Muḥammad, 7 Jumādā II 1310. See also DAR, Yahud, 18152,
Muḥammad Mufaḍḍal Gharrīt to Jews of Marrakesh, 7 Jumādā II 1310, in which Gharrīt informed the Jews that the
sultan had ordered the qā’id in question to treat the Jews as he treats the Muslims.
133
‘Āmilhum bi-mithli mā tu‘āmilu bihi man ilā naẓarika min al-muslimīn (DAR, Yahūd, 18151, Mawlāy Ḥasan to
Qā’id Muḥammad, 7 Jumādā II 1310).
364