The Problem of Historical Writing in the Contemporary Arab World

Abstract

This study analyses the issue of writing history in contemporary Morocco within the broader context of Arab historiography. It examines the evolution of Moroccan historiography through two major phases: the colonial period and the post-independence era. During the colonial period, European researchers, particularly French ones, produced significant works on Morocco by introducing new methodologies, expanding documentary sources, and adopting an interdisciplinary approach. However, these writings were often influenced by colonial agendas aimed at portraying Morocco as a politically unstable, socially fragmented, and historically backward region, in order to legitimize foreign domination. After independence, Moroccan historians set out to deconstruct these representations and reconstruct a national history based on an internal reading of Moroccan society. Two major intellectual orientations then emerged: the nationalist school, centred on the restoration of historical sovereignty and identity, and the school of social history, inspired by modern scientific methods, notably those of the Annales School and the social sciences. The study highlights the contributions of major figures such as Mohammed Daoud, Mohammed Al-Mukhtar Al-Soussi, Germain Ayache, and Abdallah Laroui, whose work has contributed to the renewal of Moroccan historiography. It concludes that the writing of Moroccan history remains dependent on methodological renewal, the critical use of sources, archival development, and the reconciliation of national identity and scientific objectivity.

Keywords: Moroccan historiography; colonial historiography; writing of history; national history; social history; Abdallah Laroui; Germain Ayache; historical methodology; Morocco; post-independence.

Received Date: February 22, 2026

Accepted Date: March 14, 2026

Published Date: April 02, 2026

Available Online at: https://www.ijsrisjournal.com/index.php/ojsfiles/article/view/635