In the Shadow of the Sultan

Since the 9th century, Morocco has been ruled by a sultan-king who has monopolized the levers of power. This longevity invites questions about the institutions and social processes that bolster the monarchy's stability. This collection of 12 articles approaches the question of power by bringing together scholarship on Moroccan political culture as seen from a variety of disciplinary perspectives and historical moments. Focusing primarily on popular understandings of authority, the studies encompasses themes of sainthood, ceremony, submission, tolerance, violence, sexuality, gender and intergenerational conflict. They offer an account of the means by which the Moroccan monarchy has mastered the symbols of power and public representations.