Once its rule firmly established in the cities and plains (after it had imposed
its protectorate on Morocco in 1912), France set out to extend its rule to the
mountains and to eliminate El Hiba (a pretender to the throne in the name of
the Jihad, the saintly war against the Christian invaders), but without engaging
its own troops that were held aside to face a possible German attack . Thus,
France was led to bring into play the ‘grand caids’, and to enhance
the practices of the Makhzen described elsewhere (See
Caidalism) by providing the three caids of the Haouz that it had chosen (Glaoui,
Gundafi, Mtuggi) with more weaponry with better performances.
The following quotations are very cynically explicit with respect to France's Grand caids policy.
1. Colonel Justinard who was one of the prominent actors of this policy, in the French Intelligence Service said: « this policy of saving French forces and using indigenous forces that is called policy of the grand caïds…Because of their geographical location as Atlas doormen and their relationship with the Souss tribes, these great leaders were perfect political and physical bridgeheads. It’s them who will act south of the Atlas to curb El Hiba ” ( in le Caïd Goundafi). 2. And colonel Lamothe, another prominent actor in the French Army, wrote: "The policy of the grand caïds? We, French minded people, are too often prone to under estimate its outcome and exaggerate its shortcomings and abuses. I acknowledge that these shortcomings and abuses, even reduced to their true proportion, are real and condemnable. But they cannot compare with the advantages and facilities that the existence of the grand caïds has brought about….(remember that) The leading principles of our policy are: no involvement of our forces in the Souss, no territory occupation south of Marrakech and no military action south of the Atlas….”
France was more
successful than the Makhzen (See Caidalism), because in less than 25 years it
reached its goals: subduing the rebellious tribes and eliminating El Hiba
. It even reached beyond its original aims, since not only had it kept under
control the tribes, but had also enrolled them to help it defeat the Germans.
The ‘grand caids’ policy that originated in the Haouz (region) of
Marrakech was extended afterwards throughout Morocco.
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