Guich

Guich tribes, Gish tribes, or Jaysh tribes (Arabic: ڭيش, romanized: gīsh or Arabic: جيش, romanized: jaysh / jīsh, lit. 'Army'), or sometimes Makhzen tribes, were tribes of usually Arab origin organized by the sultans of Moroccan dynasties under the pre-colonial Makhzen regime to serve as troops and military garrisons, as well as to protect the outskirts of the capital and suppress rebellions. They were usually cantoned in their own lands and maintained a state of perpetual military mobilization. The contingents were formed in order to be loyal to the sultan only instead of to other local interests, but they often maintained a coherent group identity long after the death of the sultan and were sometimes the source of political instability. The historical guich system took shape primarily under the reign of the 'Alawid sultan Mawlay Isma'il, although variations of similar military organisations were used by prior rulers and dynasties. The major historical guich tribes were the Cheraga, the Udayas, the Cherarda, and the Bwakher. The guich constituted one of the main parts of the Moroccan army.

History

Tribal governments before the 17th century

Prior to the reign of Mawlay Isma'il, most historical dynasties in Morocco generally rose to power via a particular tribe or coalition of tribes whose interests were aligned with the ruling elite. The Almoravids, Almohads, and Marinids, for example, each originated from, and were largely supported by, particular Amazigh (Berber) tribal confederations, such as the Lamtuna, Masmuda, and Zenata (respectively). These groups provided the mainstay of the dynasties' military forces, and were mostly paid through the sharing of loot after victories. However, given the limits of such recruitment, rulers with enough resources began to recruit military contingents made up of slaves and foreign mercenaries in order to remain militarily effective.