20th century – 20th century
French colonial Africa and Morocco
The politique d’association was a French colonial theory of indirect administration that aimed to preserve and improve the institutions of conquered peoples while respecting their past. Although discussed broadly for colonial governance, its most serious African application occurred in Morocco under Louis-Hubert Lyautey. There, the French preserved the forms of the Sherifian state and assigned civil controllers an advisory relationship to Muslim judicial officials.
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The Story
French colonial theorists distinguished association from the older ideal of political assimilation. The policy was presented as a form of indirect administration that would preserve the institutions of conquered peoples while improving their governance. Its intellectual formulation became prominent around the turn of the twentieth century and received an officially sanctioned appearance through colonial writing and policy statements.
In Africa, the policy was applied most seriously in Morocco. This was connected to the authority exercised by Louis-Hubert Lyautey, the Resident-General who governed the protectorate’s initial years with limited metropolitan restriction. The French preserved the forms of the Sherifian state, while local administration was organized in a manner comparable to the advisory relationships proposed by Lugard in Northern Nigeria.
The French contrôleur civil was expected to guide rather than directly supervise the cadi, a Muslim official whose magisterial functions operated according to the shari’a. A similar arrangement existed in the Spanish-controlled zone, where the cadi was guided by the Spanish counterpart of the civil controller. The Moroccan example therefore combined institutional preservation with colonial oversight, even though French practice south of the Sahara diverged sharply from this theory.
20th century – 20th century
French colonial Africa and Morocco
The politique d’association was a French colonial theory of indirect administration that aimed to preserve and improve the institutions of conquered peoples while respecting their past. Although discussed broadly for colonial governance, its most serious African application occurred in Morocco under Louis-Hubert Lyautey. There, the French preserved the forms of the Sherifian state and assigned civil controllers an advisory relationship to Muslim judicial officials.
Continue exploring
The Story
French colonial theorists distinguished association from the older ideal of political assimilation. The policy was presented as a form of indirect administration that would preserve the institutions of conquered peoples while improving their governance. Its intellectual formulation became prominent around the turn of the twentieth century and received an officially sanctioned appearance through colonial writing and policy statements.
In Africa, the policy was applied most seriously in Morocco. This was connected to the authority exercised by Louis-Hubert Lyautey, the Resident-General who governed the protectorate’s initial years with limited metropolitan restriction. The French preserved the forms of the Sherifian state, while local administration was organized in a manner comparable to the advisory relationships proposed by Lugard in Northern Nigeria.
The French contrôleur civil was expected to guide rather than directly supervise the cadi, a Muslim official whose magisterial functions operated according to the shari’a. A similar arrangement existed in the Spanish-controlled zone, where the cadi was guided by the Spanish counterpart of the civil controller. The Moroccan example therefore combined institutional preservation with colonial oversight, even though French practice south of the Sahara diverged sharply from this theory.
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