Morocco is divided into four territories—Fez, Morocco, Suse, and Tafiielet. For con venience of administration, the empire is subdivided into 33 governments or districts (" ammala"), each under the superintendence of a " caid," whose chief duty it is to col lect the imposts; but the semi-independent tribes arc ruled by their own chiefs, and scarcely acknowledge thn authority of the sultan. The government is purely despotic, and in the absence of written laws, the will of the sultan and his subordinates decides everything. The public officials eke out their allowances by practicing extortion on those under their charge, and are in turn plundered by their superiors. sovereign of Morocco, called by `Europeans the emperor of Morocco, is known among his subjects as sultan, and asspmes the titles of emir-nl-mumenin, or "prince of is hereditary and kludifelt-allahlfichalkihi, or "vicegerent of God upon earth." The title s hereditary in the male line, hut does not necessarily descend to the eldest son.
Education consists in learning to read, write, and recite portions of the. Koran, and this quantum of education is pretty generally diffused among the people, but the art of printing is unknown, and the arts and sciences are at a very low ebb.
The only industrial arts prosecuted to any considerable extent are the manufactures of caps, fine silks, and leather. In the production of this last, the Moors far surpass Euro peans, and are able to render any kind of leather extremely soft and white, by the use, it is said, of two species of plants found in the country, and unknown to Europeans. They also excel in the production of brilliant colors in leather. The yellow leather is made in Morocco proper, the green in Tafilelet, and the red in Fez. There is an impor tant caravan trade between Morocco and Sudan, and also with Mecca and the Levant. The principal exports are wool, hides, grain, cattle and sheep, leather, salt., etc.; and the imports, cotton, linen, and muslin goods. sugar, tea, coffee, hardware, gold dust, indigo, ivory, etc. Mules, horses. and camels form the internal means of transport.. Much of the Arabian trade is carried on by coasting vessels between Tangier and Egypt, as the carriage across the desert is very costly. At the present time, two-thirds of the entire trade of Morocco is in the hands of British merchants.
The army consists of between 20,000 and 30.000 men, of whom one-half are negroes; thereIs also a sort of militia, amounting to S0,000 or 100,000 men. which is occasionally
called out. The navy is now insignificant; but in former times, especially in the 16th and 17th centuries, it was very formidable to the maritime powers of Europe, and was chiefly occupied in piratical expeditions. See RIFF.
The history of Morocco is, generally speaking, similar to that of the rest of Barbary (q.v.) down to the end of the 13th century. About that time, it was formed into a monarchy, and, notwithstanding internal divisions, enjoyed considerable prosperity, and the confines of the empire were extended as far south as Timbuetoo. This empire fell to pieces, and was succeeded in 1647 by that of the sherifs of Tafilelet, who conquered both Morocco proper and Fez, and united the whole country under one government. This is the present ruling dynasty. In the middle of the 17th c. the empire of Morocco embraced part of the present province of Algeria, and extended south as far as Guinea, where it came into collision with the Portuguese settlements. . Since the commencement of the 19th c. the rebellions of the wild mountain tribes, the disturbances in Algeria, and difficulties with foreign states, caused by the aggressions of the Riff pirates, have greatly retarded the well-conceived measures of the various rulers for the development of the resources and increase in civilization of Morocco. In 1814 the slavery of Chris tians was abolished; and in 1817 piracy was prohibited throughout Morocco. In 1844 Morocco took part in the war of Abel-el-Rader against the French, the course of which Tangier was bombarded and Mogadore occupied; but peace was concluded in the same year. In 1851 and 1856 complications took place with France concerning some French vessels which had been plundered by the Rill pirates, but in each case compensa tion was given by the sultan. In 1859 the Spanish government, smarting under a series of similar outrages, demanded compensation, and also an apology for an insult to the Spanish flag at Ceuta; and on the sultan's disclaiming all responsibility for these acts, war was declared by Spain, Oct. 22, 1859, and a large force under marshal O'Donnell invaded Morocco. Two battles were fought, several ports were bombarded, and Tetuan taken, and on Mar. 25, 1860, the sultan yielded. A treaty was accordingly signed, April 27, 1S60, by which the sultan ceded some portions of his territory, piastres tow'rds the expense of the war, and granted several commercial privileges to Spanish merchants.