Azrou college: how a berber institution shaped Morocco’s elite
Initially designed by the French Protectorate as a key element of Morocco’s “Berber policy,” Azrou college was meant to cultivate a francophone Amazigh elite loyal to colonial authorities. Isolated from nationalist movements in cities like Fès and Rabat, graduates were expected to serve in administration and military roles. History, however, unfolded differently. From its classrooms emerged independence activists, ministers, governors, judges, and even thirteen generals. Some served Mohammed V and Hassan II, while others were caught in the 1971 and 1972 coups. Drawing from Mohamed Benhlal’s research and firsthand accounts of alumni, this institution stands as one of Morocco’s most remarkable talent factories—and a testament to the failure of its original political design.
