I
The Taleb Sidi Brahim, son of Amhammed of Massat, in the province of Sous,
tells the following story about himself: When he was still a child at his
father's house he went to the mosque to read with a taleb. He studied with
him for twelve and a half years. His father gave him bread and kouskous,
and he ate eight deniers' worth a day. I will make known the country of
Massat. It contains seventeen towns. In the middle of these is a market.
The Jews have a refuge in the village of the chief named
Mobarek-ben-Mahomet. He lives with a sheik called
Brahim-Mahomet-Abon-Djemaa. These two chiefs levy a tax on the Jews. They
receive from them four ounces per family at the beginning of each month. If
the festival of the Mussulmans coincides with the Sabbath of the Jews, the
latter pay to each of the chiefs one ounce for a Jew or a Jewess, boy or
girl, little or big. The following are the details of the population of
Massat. It includes 1,700 men. As to the women, little boys or girls, only
the Lord knows their number. There are 1,250 houses. The horses amount to
180. They ride them and make them work like oxen and mules. They also fight
on horseback. The country has trees, vines, figs, cacti, dates, oranges,
lemons, apples, apricots, melons, and olives. There is a river which flows
from there to the sea. The commerce is considerable. There are Jews and
Mussulmans. The number of books in the mosque is unknown, unless it be by
God. The teachers are numerous as well as the pilgrims, the descendants of
Mahomet, and the saints. May God aid us with his blessing!
We will now speak of the tribute which the people of Massat pay yearly to
Prince Mouley-Abd-Er-Rahman. Up to our days they had, for fifty-one years,
given him 5,000 livres of silver. The prince said to them, "You must pay
1,000 livres more." They answered, "By the Lord, we will only give you as
before, 5,000 livres, a slave, a servant, and a horse." The kaid
Abd-el-Cadik, who was caliph of the King of Taroundant, hastened to send
against them forty-five horsemen, and said to them: "You must give me six
thousand livres of silver, and a slave, a servant, and a horse in
addition." They refused and drove away the cavalry, saying, "Return to the
kaid who sent you against us, and say to him that we will not increase our
tribute as he demands." The horsemen returned and arrived at Taroundant.
The kaid asked him, "Tell me what happened to you with the people of
Massat." They answered him, "They read in their assembly the letter that
you sent them, and told us to go back, and that they would pay no larger
sum." The kaid called a council and asked what had better be done with the
people of Massat. The sheiks of the Achtouks answered, "Make complaints to
the Sultan at Morocco." He wrote to the Sultan, asking him to send an army
to destroy the rebels of Massat. The Sultan sent a force of 3,500 horsemen,
to whom he gave for chief, Ettaib Eddin, who rejoined them near the
khalifah of the King at Taroundant. When the royal troops arrived, the
fourth night, he started and led them to the taleb Mahomet of the Aggars,
in the midst of the country of the Achtouks. The taleb said to him: "Return
to Taroundant. Let your lieutenant go with them and we will talk about it."
The kaid answered, "Very well." The chiefs of the Achtouks mounted their
horses and led the army toward the country of Hama, in the mountain which
is between the Achtouks and Ida-Oultit. The troops hastened toward the foot
of the mountain, near the river Alras, in the country of Takourt. The
mountaineers marched against them and fought for three days until the holy
men and the sherifs arrived and quieted them. The mountaineers came down
toward the army. The kaid betrayed them. He seized fourteen of their
leaders and sent them to the kaid at Taroundant. He cut off their heads and
hung them up at the gate. As to the army that was above the river Alras, it
attacked the people of Massat on account of the tribute demanded by the
kaid. It made the onset with cavalry, and destroyed the country. The
natives received them with powder, and they fought half a day. The natives
gained the advantage in the fight. The enemy abandoned their cannons. The
natives slew them until the Sultan's troops retreated. They captured 700
horses. The troops of the Sultan abandoned their baggage except six chests
of silver. Many guns were broken on that day, until the flying invaders
reached, the country of the Achtouks. The people of Massat had for allies
the tribes of Aglou and Tizpit, who equalled them in number. As for the
cannons abandoned the day of the battle, the conquerors took two of them to
their country. They kept them until they were repaid the 6,500 livres of
silver, which had been taken from them. Then they gave back the cannons.
Such is the complete story of that which happened between the tribe of
Massat, the Khalifah of the King, and the neighboring tribes.