Aḥmad al-Kardūdī and His Journey to Spain (1885). Political and Cultural Dimensions

The article is devoted to Aḥmad al-Kardūdī, a Moroccan official in the second half of the nineteenth century, and his state and diplomatic activities, with particular emphasis on the account he wrote for Sultan Al-Ḥasan I (ruled 1873–1894) from the 1885 expedition to Spain, which had been published for the first time in 1963 under the title At-Tuḥfa as-saniyya li-al-Ḥaḍra al- Ḥasaniyya bi-al-Mamlaka al-Iṣbanyūliyya [Shining Gift for His Majesty Al- Ḥasan about the Kingdom of Spain]. This report often is included into Arab travel literature. It is not only a report on the tasks that the ruler set before the diplomatic mission of which Al-Kardūdī was a member, but also an image of the social and political consciousness of Moroccan elites associated with power of the West in times of active attempt at reforms undertaken by the ruler. Unfortunately, these attempts had little effect. The delegation was received in audience by Regent Maria Krystyna, also visited the capital of Spain and the most important Andalusian cities, but the author himself, probably on the orders of the Sultan, was also very interested in the military achievements of the Spaniards. The Gift, written in rhyming and rhythmic prose, can be treated as a literary work (although the author probably did not intend to), and simultaneously an example of an original, official, court document in the shape of a diplomatic report addressed to the ruler.

Morocco and the Arab World During the Reign of Hasan II (1961–1999)

Relations with the Arab world formed one of the main lines of Morocco’s foreign policy in the post-independence period. In this respect, much attention was paid to relations with the Maghreb countries, especially Algeria and Mauritania. The paper’s main goal is to present and analyse relations of the Kingdom of Morocco with other Arab states during the rule of King Hasan II (1961–1999) in light of the events in the Middle East and North Africa. One of the key trends in the Moroccan foreign policy of that time was based on the aspiration to reclaim lands perceived as historical parts of the kingdom and to reinforce the sovereign statehood. Such plans were not welcome by the other states of the region and often led to disputes, such as the Western Sahara conflict. Considering the attitude of the Moroccan authorities towards the Arab-Israeli conflict, relations with Israel are also depicted in the work.