Makhzen (

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walter ...

: ,

Berber Berber or Berbers may refer to: Ethnic group * Berbers, an ethnic group native to Northern Africa * Berber languages, a family of Afro-Asiatic languages Places * Berber, Sudan, a town on the Nile People with the surname * Ady Berber (1913–19 ...

: ''Lmexzen'') is the governing institution in

Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to A ...

and in pre-1957 Tunisia, centered on the monarch and consisting of royal notables, top-ranking military personnel, landowners, security service bosses, civil servants and other well-connected members of the establishment. The term "Makhzen" is also popularly used in Morocco as a word meaning "State" or "Government".

Etymology

The word ''makhzen'' ( ar, مخزن) literally means "warehouse" in

(from ''khazana'' 'to store up'), where the king's civil servants used to receive their wages; but this usage of the word became in

Moroccan Arabic Moroccan Arabic ( ar, العربية المغربية الدارجة, translit=al-ʻArabīya al-Maghribīya ad-Dārija ), also known as Darija (), is the dialectal, vernacular form or forms of Arabic spoken in Morocco. It is part of the Maghre ...

synonymous with the elite. It is likely a

metonymy Metonymy () is a figure of speech in which a concept is referred to by the name of something closely associated with that thing or concept. Etymology The words ''metonymy'' and ''metonym'' come from grc, μετωνυμία, 'a change of name ...

related to taxes, which the ''makhzen'' used to collect; the term may also refer to the state or its actors, but this usage is increasingly rare and is primarily used by the older generation. It is the origin of the Spanish and Portuguese ''almacén'' and ''armazém'' (with addition of the Arabic definite article), meaning warehouse. It was also incorporated into

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

and Italian as ''magasin'' (meaning 'store') and ''magazzino''. It came into the

English language English is a West Germanic language of the Indo-European language family, with its earliest forms spoken by the inhabitants of early medieval England. It is named after the Angles, one of the ancient Germanic peoples that migrated to the ...

from

Middle French Middle French (french: moyen français) is a historical division of the French language that covers the period from the 14th to the 16th century. It is a period of transition during which: * the French language became clearly distinguished from t ...

as ''magazine'', originally referring to a storehouse for ammunition and later to

publications To publish is to make content available to the general public.Berne Conve ...

. With the "store" meaning, it was also adopted from French into Russian as Магазин and into

Romanian Romanian may refer to: *anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Romania ** Romanians, an ethnic group **Romanian language, a Romance language ***Romanian dialects, variants of the Romanian language **Romanian cuisine, traditiona ...

as ''magazin''. In the Berber culture of Morocco, the Berber equivalent of ''mekhzen'' ('warehouse') would be ''agadir''. Berber tribes also considered the ''agadir'' (warehouse of the tribe's crops and valuables) as a powerhouse guarded and managed through a legal system.

Makhzen in Morocco

The Makhzen is a very ancient notion in Morocco, it roughly coincides with the notion of the feudal state predating the

French protectorate in Morocco The French protectorate in Morocco (french: Protectorat français au Maroc; ar, الحماية الفرنسية في المغرب), also known as French Morocco, was the period of French colonial rule in Morocco between 1912 to 1956. The prote ...

. ''Bilād al-makhzen'' ('the land of the makhzen') was the term for the areas under central government authority, while those areas still run by tribal authority were known as ''bilād as-siba'' ('the land of dissidence'). Hubert Lyautey, who served as resident-general of Morocco from 1912 until 1925 during the era of the protectorate, was a fervent proponent of indirect colonisation, especially in

-speaking areas. Lyautey maintained the role of the Makhzen and even enhanced it by giving important roles to local notables such as Thami El Glaoui. Local notables acted as a relay between the population and the French authorities.

Makhzen in Tunisia

{{see, Makhzen (Tunisia)

References

Deep politics Politics of Morocco Moroccan Arabic words and phrases Human rights in Morocco Oligarchy

Etymology

Makhzen in Morocco

Makhzen in Tunisia

See also

References