SPAIN VIEWED BY AN 18TH-CENTURY MOROCCAN AMBASSADOR: IBN ‘UṮMĀN AL-MAKNĀSĪ
Keywords:
Morocco, Spain, conflict, reconciliation, modernizationAbstract
This paper analyzes the travel diary of the Moroccan ambassador, Ibn ‘Uṯmān al-Maknāsī, who travelled to Spain between 1779 and 1780, during the reign of Carlos III, in order to approach the vision that the edu- cated and high Moroccan Official had of West. The text reflects the government of Mohamed the IIIrd and his opening relationships politics with Europe. The author expresses his maximum admiration towards the respect for law and order as well as achievements that had led Spain to reach its economical level, without avoiding the great strides in infrastructure, indispensable element for the reform and the progress. At the same time, he did not hesitate to demonstrate his distaste for some religious and sociocultural aspects. However, Islamic monuments and the existence of a morisco community, made it so that Spain did not represent a “complete other” for Muslims. Thus, throughout his trip, al-Maknasi’s reactions oscillate between pride and lament.
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