menu_book Chapter 3

Section 3 of France, Spain and the Riff, Part 1, by Walter Burton Harris. This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Read by Alistair. Chapter 2b. The Riff. Of the ancient history of the Riff, very little is known.

The tribes which inhabited it probably were much as we know them now, determined to prevent the installation of the foreigner in their country. distrustful and treacherous neither the phoenotians nor the romans seem ever to have succeeded in penetrating in land though they had settlements on the coast of this the earliest was russadier the modern malalia renowned for the export of honey which till modern times replaced sugar

and was an important article of commerce the riff honey has always been celebrated and is still exported in small quantities to other parts of Morocco. The town of Badis, of which the ruins still exist on the Hamara coast, was at one time in Roman occupation and reached a certain importance in Arab history. When, in the 7th and 8th centuries of our era, the Arabs invaded Morocco,

they found the rift peopled by two Berber stocks of Hamara, Masmuda and Sinhaja, for it was not until the 13th century that the Zanata incursion took place. The first Islamic state that existed in Morocco was in the tribe of Tempsomen in the Rif, where a lieutenant of Musa bin Nasir by the name Salabem Mansur el-Himyari of the Yemen installed himself and obtained a charter of his rights from the Umayyad Sultan of Damascus in the year 710.

El-Bakri refers to the population of that region as having been converted at that period to Islam. This small independent kingdom lasted 50 years, and its collapse seems to have immediately followed the pillage of its town of Nekor by the Normans in 760. In 1015, the Fatimids took the place by storm, and it was eventually destroyed by Yusuf Ben Tashfin in 1084 during his conquest of northern Morocco.

He was the first ruler who can claim to have brought the Rif into the empire of the Sultans of Morocco. In 1142, the Rifi tribes recognised the Almohad Sultan, Abd el-Mumman ben Ali, but in the following year they rebelled, and the Sultan was forced to lead an expedition in person to crush the revolt. The reconquest of the Rif took several years.

A large number of Rif tribesmen took part in the invasion of Spain. They were present at the victory of Alakos in 1195. and at the defeat of Navas de Telosa in 1212. But their attention was soon turned to events nearer home, for in 1216 the invasion of their country by Abdel Haq Ben Maju,

a Zanata chieftain, and a crushing defeat of the tribesmen in Batawa, near the Wadnikor, brought them under the domination of the Merinids, Beni Merin.

Their rule, however, was no easy one. Revolts were common, and in 1287, Badis, the principal town and port of that part of north Morocco, was sacked by a revolted tribesman and his bands. His rebellion was suppressed and the rebel's head was exhibited in all the towns

of Morocco as far south as Marrakesh. It was the arrival of the Christians upon the coasts of Morocco that brought the rift into historical prominence. In 1415 the Portuguese had taken possession of Ceuta. In 1458, they had landed at Alcazar Suria on the Angera coast of the Straits of Gibraltar, and in 1471 Tangier and Arzala had fallen into their hands. Stirred by the successes of their neighbours, the Spaniards in turn sent expeditions across the Mediterranean.

In 1496 they took Malilia, and in 1508 they occupied the Peñón de Vélez, opposite Badis on the Hamara coast. In 1664, after more than a century of anarchy, the throne of Morocco passed into the hands of the present Alawite dynasty, and Moulay Rashid became the first sultan of that line. By 1680, the rift seems to have entirely passed under the rule of the new dynasty, and furnished the main part of the troops with which Moulay Rashid in 1684 occupied Tangier

after the departure of the British, who had been for 22 years in possession of the place, which formed part of the dowry of Catherine of Braganza on her marriage to King Charles II. Larache was wrested from the Portuguese in 1689 and Arzaila in 1690, and Malay Rashid's authority was sufficiently established to allow him to turn his attention to other parts of Morocco. A revolt of the Rif occurred during the lifetime of his successor, Malay Abdelabin Ismail,

and was not repressed until 1743, when the rebel leader, the Pasha Ahmed bin Ali, who had succeeded in raising all the northern Jabala tribes, was defeated and killed at Alcazar. But the Rifis could not long remain tranquil, their hate of all authority was unquenchable, and more than once in the succeeding years the Sultans had to send expeditions into the country. In the opening years of the 19th century, on no less than four occasions the Sultan,

Malai Suleiman, was forced to invade the Rif in 1802, 1810, 1812 and 1813. The last of these expeditions he commanded in person. It was entirely successful and the Rifis were severely punished. For nearly a century they remained quiet, recognising the authority of the sultans, but at the same time asserting to a large measure their own independence. It was an incident which occurred in 1893, the reported desecration of the tomb of Sidi Ares by the Spaniards that set

the Rif ablaze once more and necessitated the presence of an army of 20,000 Spaniards at Malillia. The Rif is in its origin a geographical term, although in Morocco, in the process of time it has acquired a wider signification in that it is now applied to all the country inhabited by the so-called riffy tribes, the Arabic word riff in its literal form implies an edge or a border, and is still in use in other parts of Morocco in that sense. For instance, the outer circle of the

tents of the sultan's camp was always known as a riff. As is so often the case among Arabic-speaking peoples, the word has taken different meanings in different countries. Whereas in Arabia, the term rift infers cultivated land, though not losing the significance of a strip or border. In Egypt, it is used to describe the banks of the Nile. In Morocco, its geographical origin was its application to the seaboard of the Mediterranean, without any reference to cultivation or fertility.

From being originally a geographical expression, it gave its name in time to the Berber tribes who inhabited that region, who in turn passed it on to a far larger district than its original significance warranted. As the groups of coast tribes increased or migrated or federated, they carried with them their acquired title of riffies. Thus, the riff today is best, though perhaps unorthodoxly, described as being the country held by a group or groups of Berber

tribes speaking the riffie dialects of the Tamazerth language. Though technically fault may be found with this definition, it is undoubtedly the best suited for all ordinary purposes, and politically, if not geographically, correct. The name Rif as applied to this region of Morocco has no great antiquity. Neither Ibn Horkul nor El Bakri, who wrote in the 10th and 11th centuries respectively, mention it, though the latter gives a list of the towns therein situated,

and it was probably not till the advent of European invaders and pirates that the name was introduced. It has been suggested that it was applied in its military significance, the Rif coast being considered an outline of defence for the interior of the country, the northern point of resistance against any attack on Fez. In any case, no Berber origin can be given to the name Rif, for it is an Arabic word and could only have been introduced at the

earliest in the first Arab invasion of Morocco in AD 707. El Bakri, though not mentioning the Rif, writes of the neighbouring country of Homara, confusing them in common origin. He gives the limits of the Homara Federation, as extending from a few miles to the east of Tangier to Teguasis on the Mediterranean coast, about 40 miles south-east of Tetouan. The first mention of the name Riff is in a book written in the 14th century by Abdel Haq el-Badisi,

who, as his name implies, was a native of the town of Badis, a town on the Homara coast. He included in the Rift the entire coastal region between Ceuta and the present Algerian frontier. The roared El-Kirtas, which dates from the same period, extends the Rift westward as far as Tangier. The author of this work does, however, make certain, though rather vague, distinctions between the Rift and Homara. Ibn Khaldun, writing a century later, is still less definite,

and Leo Africanus, at the end of the 15th and beginning of the 16th century, scarcely distinguishes between them. He writes, A description of a reef, one of the seven regions of Fez. Westward this region beginneth near unto the straits of Gibraltar,

and extendeth eastward to the river of Nucor, which distance containeth about a hundred and forty miles. northward it bordereth upon the mediterranean sea and stretcheth forty miles southward unto those mountains which lie over against oaga and the territory of fez this region is very uneven being full of exceeding cold mountains and waste deserts which are replenished with the most beautiful and straight trees here is no corn growing They have great store of vines, figs, olives, and almonds. The inhabitants of this region are valiant people, but so excessively given to drinking, that they scarcely reserve the wherewithal

to apparel themselves. Head cattle they have but few, howbeit upon their mountains they have great plenty of goats, asses, and apes. Their towns are but few, and their castles and villages are very homely, built without any plantar or stories, much like to the stables of Europe, and are covered with thatch, or with the back of trees. All the inhabitants of this region have the boils of their throat pipes very great, and are unsivil and rude people. It will be noted that Leo Africanus in

the above description does not include only Homara, but also some of the Jabala tribes inhabiting the region of Tetawan. El Bakiri, who wrote in the 11th century, gives a list of the tribes and towns, though as already stated, he does not mention the word rif. Of the places he describes, little but ruins remain today, though the names can still be recognised and in some cases are still in use. With few exceptions, the tribes occupy the same ground as they did in his

time. The careful studies of the Direction des Affaires Indigènes of the French Protectorate Government have led to the conclusion that the limits of the original rift were as follows. On the west, it bordered with the Hamara and extended eastward as far as the Wadna Corps, which flows into the Mediterranean in Al-Husimas Bay. The Rif, thus limited, contains the following tribes.

Metewa el-Bahar, Beni Sadat, Beni Kanas, Tarzut, Beni Bunissa, Beni Bufra, Beni Gamil, Targist, Beni Seteft, Beni Mezdui, Beni Amat, Bukoya, and Beni Yuria Gel. Although historically this limitation is correct, a large district to the east, part of what is known as Garet, has by the process of time come to be included in the rift,

and should today be considered as forming a portion of that country. It consists of the region lying between the Wadnacor and the Wadkurt, a distance along the coast of about 25 miles. The tribes inhabiting the country between the two rivers are Tempsomen, Beni Saed, Beni Ulucek, Beni Tuzin, Tafasit and Zaniya. In language, customs and appearance,

there is nothing to separate them from the tribes mentioned in El Bakiri's designation of the Riff. But there is still another large district of Garet, lying again to the eastward, and extending as far as the mouth of the Maluya River, which to all intents and purposes today forms a part of the riff. The tribes to be added to the lists already given are six more in number, Beni Sakaar, Beni Buifru, Setut, Metalsa, Ulad Binyahi and Kebdana. To the south, the riff today

can be described as extending over all the Tamazurth-speaking tribes as far as the Wurga Valley. It is with the riff as thus defined, extending from the Maluya to the eastern borders of Amara, and from the Mediterranean to the mountains that lie along the north bank of the Werger, a total length of 120 miles, with an average width of 45 miles, that the French and Spaniards have had to deal in the recent war. The Riff is a country of high mountains, though in

this respect none of the peaks reach the altitude of those of the Atlas further south. Probably the loftiest elevation is little over 7,000 feet above the sea level. The main chain of these mountains forms a crescent extending east and west, the two points reaching the coast in Homara, continuing towards Tetawan and Ceuta, and near Malilia, jutting northward from the central part of this range, are spurs which at several spots reach the sea, ending in bluff cliffs. The mountains

are partially forested but otherwise barren. Their steepness, their exposure and the barrenness of the rocky surfaces render them, except on their lower slopes, unsuitable for cultivation. The valleys, on the contrary, are very fertile and of considerable agricultural value. Orchards of fruit trees and vines abound. Toward the sea certain of the valleys widen, forming little plains of rich alluvial soil, renowned for their crops. It may be that the contrast between the inhospitable

rocky hills and these oases of cultivation has given rise to an exaggerated reputation of the latter, as much for the charm and beauty as for the agricultural wealth, but the riffi, and even the few and far between European travellers who have visited them, are loud in their praises. there is certainly no region in morocco better watered than are the valleys of the western part of the riff though eastward the rainfall is much less and the country more arid the shores of the

bay of al-housemas and the little plain which extends from the sea to the hills watered by the wad necor and the wad gis are an example of the riff at its best and the native cultivates this rich district with ability and untiring labour, while the Arab is a determined destroyer of trees, the riffy plants. He is by nature a gardener, and the majority of the orchards and gardens of Fez, and even Tangier, are tended by men of his race. As a labourer he is renowned, and a great number

of these hard-working and industrious tribes migrate every year into Algeria, as well as into the agricultural districts of Morocco to seek work in harvesting. Were it not for this source of supply, western Algeria would suffer from a dearth of workmen. The Rif is quite incapable of supporting the population it contains, and its inhabitants are largely dependent upon the earnings of members of their families who migrate annually for a period of time. Many, either driven

to do so by the poverty of their land, or to escape from the blood feuds which render the life of the riffies so insecure, settle in other parts of the country, but so persistent is the type, they assimilate ill with the other tribesmen, and their families remain riffies in appearance and in language, even after long spells of exile extending over several generations. With regard to climate, the different parts of the riff vary largely. In the western districts,

the rainfall is larger than in the eastern, whereas at Tetouan, 665mm of rain fall in the year. Malillia receives only 465 millimetres. Further east again, near the mouth of the Wad Malillia, the yearly rainfall is only 340 millimetres, while 20 miles south of Malillia, in the interior of the rift, it is as low as 315 millimetres. MM Solaria at Shartan, in an interesting study of the rift climate, divide the country into four

climatic divisions of 1. Oceanic type, 2. Mountain type, 3. Mediterranean type, and 4. Semi-arid type. The first covers the Rif and Jabala country which is exposed to and influenced by the Atlantic Ocean. The climate is described as much resembling that of Portugal. A rather prolonged period of rain with a fall from 600 to 800 millimetres and a dry summer. The temperature is mild, the humidity of the air considerable. The second category, mountain type, is confined

to the higher ranges, where snow falls heavily in winter and where the vegetation is scarce. The third, Mediterranean type, refers to the northern slopes of the mountains which face the sea along the rift coast. Here, the influence of the Atlantic is found to be much diminished, and the dry season is more prolonged. The rainfall is less. The fourth, semi-arid type, corresponds with regions that fall under the influence of the Sahara, where the desert winds

are felt. The annual rainfall descends to about 300 millimetres, with consequent aridity. The botany of the rift has yet to be studied, and beyond the principal varieties of trees and shrubs, little is known. On the mountaintops of Hamara and in the riff, the cedar flourishes. At a less altitude are found the cork oak and evergreen oaks, the Aleppo pine, the thuya and juniper, the lentiscus and the myrtle. In the valleys along the riverbeds, the willow, the poplar and the

tamarisk grow. It appears from the photographs taken from the air that the cedar forest which commences on the Hamara mountains to the south of the Wadlau, extends throughout that tribe as far east as Targhist in the central Riff. It is remarkable that many of the shrubs and plants, particularly the Cistus ladni folius and varieties of heath, which flourish in these districts of the Spanish zone, are not found in the neighbouring French protectorate. But as a general rule it can

be stated that the vegetation of the whole region north of the arc of the Riffian mountains is analogous to that of the Mediterranean shore of Spain. The explanation is not only the similarity of climate, but also the fact that in comparatively recent times, Andalusia and the Riff were connected.

The Jubala Mountains, influenced by the Atlantic and Mediterranean slopes toward the north coast, have another aspect. The Palmetto, Chamarops humilis, abounds, interspersed with thyme, cistus of several varieties, and lavender. The higher hills are often covered with wild olives, lentiscus, and here and there with juniper and oaks.

The most noticeable feature of the rivers of the Riff is the speed of their currents. They maintain, as a rule, right down to the sea, the impulsion they have received by their precipitous descent from the mountains. The melting snow and the action of sea cloud abundantly supply these streams, and the valleys of the Riff are well watered. Often they are torrents rushing through deep ravines. The same characteristics mark the rivers that flow southward to the Werka and eventually to the Cebu.

The whole of this part of North Africa, as also southern Spain, bears evidences of vast geological changes. The country seems to have taken its present formation at the end of the tertiary period, previous to which the outlet of the Mediterranean into the Atlantic had been, first through Andalusia, following the present valley of the Guadalquivir, and later to the south of the Riffian Mountains, where now lies the Kuala de Teza,

with its plain extending to the Algerian frontier. The Riff and the Iberian chain of southern Spain were won, until a great subsidence tore them apart and opened up a new and deep channel, which is nowadays known as the Straits of Gibraltar. It is almost a shock to read in the work of an authority that, geologically, this rift was only a small accident.

It seems, at all events, to have had some importance, and may perhaps have altered the history of the world. One is perhaps permitted to wonder whether, if suddenly the Straits of Gibraltar were filled up again, and Spain and Morocco joined, the accident would again be described as a small one. End of section 3