ABSTRACT
Moroccan Jews, like all other Jews in the Islamic empire, were subject to the Pact of ‘Umar, which defined the status of dhimmi. In Morocco, Jews were the only group whose status was based exclusively on the personal protection guaranteed by the sultan himself. Moroccan dynasties enforced the laws of the dhimma with varying degrees of rigidity throughout successive dynasties. Some Jews were able to rise above their co-religionists, thanks to their roles as ambassadors, negotiators, treasurers, advisors, and administrators at the Moroccan royal court. In the long run, this new class of courtiers surpassed their status as dhimmis to become active players in the political, economic, and social life of the state, which led to the emergence of an institution of the Judeo-Moroccan monocratic family, acting exclusively in the ambit of the Makhzan (central government). They facilitated the contact between Moroccan sultans with Europe. This chapter sheds light on the instrumental role of Jewish courtiers as the significant other in the history of Morocco and how they circumvented the constraints of dhimma and paved the way towards high positions that were once forbidden to them.
