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TheKhlout (Arabic:خلوط,romanized: Khlūṭ) also written asKhlut,Khlot and historically known asKhult (Arabic:خلط,romanized: Khulṭ) is anArab tribe belonging to theJusham of theBanu Hilal confederacy inMorocco.[1][2][3] They today inhabit theGharb region along with other Arab tribes.[4]
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Originally fromBahrain, the tribe first settled inEgypt thenTunisia. In the twelfth century,Almohad rulerYaqub al-Mansur brought them to Morocco and installed them inTamesna (current dayChaouia) along with the other Jusham tribes. According toIbn Khaldun, the Khlout belonged to the Banu al-Muntafiq.[1][2]
In 1221, the Khlout supported the rival caliphIdris al-Ma'mun against thecaliphAbdallah al-Adil who had the support of another tribe belonging to the Jusham, theSufyan. Idris al-Ma'mun was proclaimed caliph and was then succeeded by his sonAbd al-Wahid II (or al-Rashid). Despite this, because of the misdeeds and violence of the Khlout, Abd al-Wahid II took strong measures against the Khlout chiefs who then rebelled and took the side of the pretenderYahya al-Mu'tasim. The Sufyan, now reconciled with Abd al-Wahid II, attacked the Khlout on the banks of theOum Er-Rbia. The Khlut proclaimed theAndalusianIbn Hud as caliph but Abd al-Wahid II pursued them, drove them back and captured their chiefs. Now defeated, they would take part in the expeditions of the caliphs but their rivalry with the Sufyan continued. This rivalry would later prove fatal to the Almohads when at the siege of Tamzesdekt against theZayyanid rulerYaghmurasen, it brought about the death of the Almohad caliphAbu al-Hasan as-Said al-Mutadid and the defeat of the Almohads.[1]
TheMarinid sultanAbu Thabit treated the Khlout harshly for their violence, but he used them to destroy the power of theRiyah and he then settled them in their land: theAzghar andHabt. They also formed part of theMakhzen where they marriage alliances with the rulers and provided them provincial governors, ambassadors and advisers. They passed into the service of theWattasids and did not support theSaadi dynasty.[1]
Around 1540, they entered the service ofMohammed al-Shaykh and then they rebelled against him to join the Turkish army ofWattasid rulerAbu Hassun. After Mohammed al-Shaykh became the ruler of Morocco, he removed the military controls of the Khlout, introduced the payment of taxes and deported their leader toMarrakesh.[2][3] With the advent ofAhmad al-Mansur, and due to their heroic conduct at theBattle of Wadi al-Makhazin in 1578, Ahmad al-Mansur reintegrated half of the tribe to the army and the makhzen. When the rebel, al-Ayyashi compelled them to march against theChristians ofLarache, he was unable to get their support and was assassinated by them.[1][2][3]
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Under theAlaouites, the Khlout took the side of the petty princelings of Northern Morocco who had made themselves independent under the cover of waging holy war. Moulay Ismail after first reducing them into submission, deprived them of their makhzen tribe status and favoured the establishment of theTlig andBadawa groups in the region who inevitably reduced the power of the Khlout in the land.[1]
According toLeo Africanus, the Khlout were able to put 12,000 cavalry and 50,000 infantry into the field.[1] Writing about the Khlout, he said:[5]
The Muntafiq live in the plains of Azgar and are now called al-Khlot; they pay tributes to the King of Fez, and number 8000 well-equipped cavalry.
Historically the most influential Sufi brotherhoods among the Khlout were theQadiriyya (known as the Jilaniya in theMaghreb),Aissawa and theHamadsha.[6]
Some of the scholars and saints of the tribe include ‘Antar al-Khultī, ʿĪsā ibn al-Ḥasan al-Miṣbāḥī al-Khultī, Abū Yaḥyā al-Khultī and al-Maydhūb or Yaḥyā ibn ʿAllāl al-ʿUmarī al-Khultī.[7]
A famoussaint of the Khlout is Sidi Ali Bu Junun who according to local legend had the ability to control disbelievingjinn, hence the name Bu Junun (lit. 'Possessor/Controller of Jinn-induced Insanity'). He settled in the ruins ofBanasa where hiszawiya remains today which still attracks visitors from theGharb mostly due to mental health related issues.[8]
According toEdouard Michaux-Bellaire [fr] and Georges Salmon, the Khlout are divided into seven fractions:[9]
According toAlfred Le Chatelier, the Khlout are divided into two main fractions: Oulad Hamed and Oulad Zahra. These are further subdivided into El-Bdour, Oulad Zeitoun, Soualah, Ougdjem, Oulad Amran, Dreissa and Outleg.[10]
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