Organization
The sole duty of the guard is to provide for the security and safety of the King and royal family of Morocco. Formerly known as the Cherifian (because the King is a decendant of the Prophet Mohammad ) Guard, the name was changed to Royal Guard after Morocco gained its independence in 1956. The Guard was also unofficially referred to as the Black Guard because its members were formerly recruited from the Harratines, a black people from the southern part of the Sharifian Empire (as Morocco was called before the French colonial period). The Harratines are no longer part of the Royal Guard today.
The Guard is currently organized as a Brigade of 6,000 troops as follows;
- 4 Infantry Battalions, each of 25 officers and 1,000 troops.
- 2 Cavalry Squadrons.
The King is always accompanied by units of the Royal Guard whenever he is on Moroccan soil. All members of the Royal Guard wear a red beret. Red full dress uniforms of traditional style (white in summer) are worn by both cavalry and infantry on ceremonial occasions.
The King is also protected by two other units of the Royal Moroccan Army. They are, however, not an official part of the Royal Guard. These are:
- The Elite Parachute Brigade headquartered in Rabat (number of troops unknown).
- The Light Security Brigade of 2,000 troops.
The Royal Guard traces its origins to the prestigious Black Guard that was created in 1088 by the Almoravid ruler Yusuf ibn Tashfin as his personal guard. This recruitment tradition was continued by the Almohads through the 15th century. The Alaouite Sultan Moulay Ismail reorganized the Black Guard into permanent infantry and cavalry units at the beginning of the 18th century. He called upon Bambara men who had just converted to Islam, making them take an oath of service on the collection of hadith of the Imam Bukhari. For this reason they were also known as the "Army of Bukhara" or the Boukharis.
Read more about this topic: Moroccan Royal Guard
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