Contents

Masmuda

Part of a series on the
History of Morocco
Prehistory Acheulean Mousterian Aterian Iberomaurusian Capsian
Classical to Late Antiquity (8th century BC – 7th century AD) Carthaginian Roman Mauretania Mauretania Tingitana Exarchate of Africa
Early Islamic (8th–10th century AD) Muslim conquest Umayyad Caliphate Berber Revolt Emirate of Nekor Emirate of Sijilmasa Barghwata confederacy Idrisid dynasty
Territorial fragmentation (10th–11th century AD) Caliphate of Córdoba Fatimid Caliphate Ifranids Miknasas Maghrawas
Empire (beginning 11th century AD) Almoravids Almohads Marinids Wattasids Saadis Alawis other political entities Zawiya Dila'iya Principality of Debdou Republic of Salé
Decline (beginning 19th century AD) Franco-Moroccan War Anglo-Moroccan Treaty of 1856 Hispano-Moroccan War Protégé system Treaty of Wad Ras Treaty of Madrid Tangier Crisis Treaty of Algeciras Agadir Crisis Hafidiya Bombardment of Casablanca (1907) French conquest of Morocco
Protectorate (1912–56) Treaty of Fez French protectorate Spanish protectorate French Conquest Zaian War Rif War Tangier Protocol Tangier International Zone Opposition to European control Revolution of the King and the People
Modern (1956–present) Ifni War Sand War Moroccanization Coup d'état attempt in 1971 / in 1972 Moulay Bouazza plot Years of lead Madrid Accords Green March Western Sahara conflict 2011–2012 protests Hirak Rif Movement Abraham Accords
Related topics Morocco in the 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s History by topic Jewish Economic Military Postal Imperial cities
Morocco portal History portal
v t e

The Masmuda (Arabic: المصمودة, Berber: ⵉⵎⵙⵎⵓⴷⵏ^[1]) is a Berber tribal confederationofMorocco and one of the largest in the Maghreb, along with the Zenata and the Sanhaja.^[2] Today, the Masmuda confederacy largely corresponds to the speakers of the Shilha (Tachelhit) Berber variety, whereas other clans, such as Regraga have adopted Arabic.^{[citation needed]}

History[edit]

The Masmuda settled large parts of Morocco, and were largely sedentary and practised agriculture. The residence of the Masmuda aristocracy was Aghmat in the High Atlas mountains. From the 10th century the Berber tribes of the Sanhaja and Zanata groups invaded the lands of the Masmuda, followed from the 12th century onwards by Arab Bedouins (see Banu Hilal).

Ibn Tumart united the Masmuda tribes at the beginning of the 12th century and founded the Almohad movement, which subsequently unified the whole of the Maghreb and Andalusia.^[3] After the downfall of the Almohads, however, the particularism of the Masmuda peoples prevailed once more, as a result of which they lost their political significance.

By the 16th century, due to the occupation of many of their former lands by the Banu Hilal and the Banu Ma'qil, the Masmuda were mostly restricted to the more mountainous regions of their former domains.^[4]

Sub-tribes[edit]

Prior to the arrival of the Banu Hilal in the late 12th century, the Masmuda were divided largely into three groups: the Ghumara in the north, the Barghawata in the central part of Morocco, and the Masmuda proper in the south.^[4]

The anonymous author of the Kitāb Mafāk̲h̲ir al-Barbar (roughly translates as "The Book of the Glories of the Berbers"), a work compiled in 1312,^[5] lists the sub-tribes of the Masmuda as: Haha, Regraga, Warika (Ourika), Hazmira, Gadmiwa, Henfisa, Hezerga, Doukkala, Hintata, Maghous, and Tehlawa.^[6]

In the north, the Masmuda were generally part of the Ghumara, along with two smaller tribes mentioned by the 11th-century writer al-Bakri: the Aṣṣada, settled between Ksar el-Kebir and Ouazzane, and another tribe settled near Ceuta.^[4]

In the south, they were divided widely into two groups: the Masmuda of the plains (north of the Atlas mountains) and the Masmuda of the mountains. In the plains, the main groups were: the Dukkala, the Banu Magir, the Hazmira, the Ragraga, and the Haḥa.^[4] The Masmuda of the mountains occupied the High Atlas and the Anti-Atlas mountain regions. In the High Atlas mountains, from east to west, the main groups were: the Glawa, the Haylana (or Aylana), the Warika (or Ourika), the Hazraja, the Aṣṣadan (including the Maṣfiwa, the Maghous, and the Dughagha or Banu Daghugh tribes), the Hintata (including the Ghayghaya tribe), the people of Tinmal, the Ṣawda (or Zawda), the Gadmiwa, and the Ganfīsa (including the Saksawa or Saksiwa),Banu Wawazgit (tifnoute).^[4] In the Anti-Atlas and Sous regions, the Masmuda tribes included: the Saktana, and the Hargha. Other tribes are mentioned by the 12th-century writer al-Idrisi, but their names are difficult to decipher in existing manuscripts.^[4]

According to Ibn Khaldun, the Haskura or Hasakira group, who were ultimately of Sanhaja origin and also settled in the Atlas mountains, were often associated with Masmuda due to their support of the Almohad cause. Their main tribes were the Zamrawa, the Mughrana, the Garnana, the Ghujdama, the Faṭwaka, the Maṣṭawa, the Hultana, and the Hantifa.^[4]

References[edit]

See also[edit]

• Banu Dānis (Masmuda clan in al-Andalus)
• Hintata