Zayanes

A Berber woman of the Zayane tribes, 1955

Zayanes (Central Atlas Tamazight: Aẓayyi (singular), Iẓayyan (plural); Arabic: زيان, romanized: Zayān) are a Berber population inhabiting the Khenifra region, located in the central Middle Atlas mountains of Morocco.

History

Zayanes tribes are known for their attachment to ancestral land and for their tenacity as warriors, especially during the colonization, led by Mouha ou Hammou Zayani. Thus they have prevented many invaders from easily seizing Khénifra. Despite the French defeat in the Battle of El Herri, 13 November 1914, the colonizers were determined not to abandon the fight against the Zayanes, but concerned French troops in invading Morocco in coming face to face with the Zayanes.

Zayan Confederation
1877–1921
Zayanes territories.
Zayanes territories.
CapitalKhenifra
Religion
Islam
History 
• Established
1877
• Disestablished
1921
Succeeded by
French protectorate in Morocco
Today part ofMorocco

Geography

The tribes of Zayanes live in the Middle Atlas mountain range in the area of Khénifra. The Zayanes belong to a large tribe that twice a year wanders toward Azaghar [fr], where the climate is milder in contrast to Adrar where the winter is very severe.

The Zayanes speak Central Atlas Tamazight (Tazayit), which is one of the Berber languages.

The Zayanes enjoy goat's and ewe's milk as well as Ahriche. The latter is a dish of tripe, usually consisting of ganglion, caul, lung or heart of an animal wound with intestines on a stick of oak and cooked on hot coals. Ait Harkat (Aït Lahcen Ousaïd)

Socio-political organisation

The zayanes are divided into two major tribes:

References

  1. ↑ Roux, Arsène (2016) [1951]. "Quelques remarques sur la formation des noms de tribus chez les berbérophones du Maroc". In Ameur, Meftaha; Boumalk, Abdallah; Chaker, Salem (eds.). Un berbérisant de terrain: Arsène Roux (1893-1971) : écrits et inédits (in French). Institut royal de la culture amazighe. p. 108. ISBN 978-9954-28-214-4. aẓayyi, pl. iẓayyan, nom d'une tribu berbérophone du Maroc central
  2. ↑ مسكين, يونس. "معركة الهري.. أكبر هزائم الفرنسيين في جبال الأطلس المغربية". الجزيرة نت (in Arabic). Retrieved 7 October 2026.
  3. ↑ Qitab. "Moha Ou Hammou Zayani Amahzoune, la saga d'un grand guerrier". Telquel.ma (in French). Retrieved 7 October 2026.
  4. ↑ "TRT عربي - معركة الهري.. عندما انتصرت قبائل زيان المغربية على الأطماع الفرنسية". www.trtarabi.com (in Arabic). Retrieved 7 October 2026.
  5. ↑ Guillaume, Augustin (1946). Les Berbères marocains et la pacification de l'Atlas central (1912-1933). Paris: J. Peyronnet. pp. 32–42. Retrieved 3 October 2026.
  6. ↑ Assafah, Said (March 2023). "THE DYNAMICS OF SOCIAL NORMS AND VALUES AMONG EDUCATED RURAL YOUTH A SOCIOLOGICAL STUDY IN THE FIELD OF THE ZAYAN TRIBES IN THE PROVINCE OF KHENIFRA AS A CASE STUDY" (PDF). Rimak International Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences. 5 (2): 220–222.

General references