The Black Guard of Meknes: Moulay Ismail's Slave Army

When you think of Moulay Ismail, the Alaouite sultan who built Meknes and ruled for 55 years, you might picture palaces and fountains. But his most enduring and controversial creation was the Abid al-Bukhari, an army of enslaved Black soldiers whom he called his 'slaves of God.' This army was not a footnote; it was the backbone of his power. In this episode, Lucas traces how Ismail, after consolidating Morocco from Fez to Tafilalt, turned to the Sudan for soldiers who owed loyalty to no tribe but him. We'll explore the horrendous conditions of the slave caravans across the Sahara, the brutal training regime at the Heri es-Souani granaries, and the pivotal role these soldiers played in crushing revolts in the Atlas and holding off the Ottomans. But we'll also reckon with the moral cost: the human ledger of an empire built on captured lives. How did Ismail acquire 150,000 enslaved soldiers, and what happened to them after his death? And how does their legacy echo in Morocco's social fabric today? This is the story of the Black Guard—a force that built a dynasty and a system that still scars. #BlackGuard #AbidalBukhari #MoulayIsmail #Meknes #AlaouiteDynasty #MoroccanHistory #SultanIsmail #HeriesSouani #SaharaTrade #Slavery #BerberRevolt #OttomanEmpire #17thCentury #NorthAfrica #FexingoHistory #EmpireBuilding #Morocco #History Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo