Protégé system

The protégé system (Arabic: نظام المحميين) in Morocco in the late 19th century allowed people working for foreign consuls and vice-consuls certain privileges and legal protections not available to the rest of the population, such as exemption from taxes imposed by the Makhzen and protections from a sometimes arbitrary judicial system. At first the status of protégé was available only to Moroccans—Muslims and Jews—but it was extended to Europeans by the 1860s. The protégé system was a parallel to the capitulatory system in the Ottoman Empire.

Part of a series on the
History of Morocco

Prehistory Acheulean Mousterian Aterian Iberomaurusian Capsian
Classical to Late Antiquity (8th century BC – 7th century AD) Carthaginian Roman Mauretania Mauretania Tingitana Exarchate of Africa
Early Islamic (8th–10th century AD) Muslim conquest Umayyad Caliphate Berber Revolt Emirate of Nekor Emirate of Sijilmasa Barghwata confederacy Idrisid dynasty
Territorial fragmentation (10th–11th century AD) Caliphate of Córdoba Fatimid Caliphate Ifranids Miknasas Maghrawas Arab migrations to the Maghreb
Empire (beginning 11th century AD) Almoravids Almohads Marinids Wattasids Saadis Alawis other political entities Zawiya Dila'iya Principality of Debdou Republic of Salé
Decline (beginning 19th century AD) Franco-Moroccan War Anglo-Moroccan Treaty of 1856 Hispano-Moroccan War Protégé system Treaty of Wad Ras Treaty of Madrid Tangier Crisis Treaty of Algeciras Agadir Crisis Hafidiya Bombardment of Casablanca (1907) French conquest of Morocco
Protectorate (1912–1956) Treaty of Fez French protectorate Spanish protectorate French Conquest Zaian War Rif War Tangier International Zone Emigration of Moroccan Jews Opposition to European control Revolution of the King and the People
Modern (1956–present) Ifni War Sand War Moroccanization Coup d'état attempt in 1971 / in 1972 Moulay Bouazza plot Years of lead Madrid Accords Green March Western Sahara War 2011–2012 protests Hirak Rif Movement Abraham Accords Western Saharan clashes (2020–present)
Related topics Morocco in the 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s History by topic Jewish Economic Military Postal Imperial cities
Morocco portal History portal

The Madrid Conference of 1880 was held at the behest of Sultan Hassan I in response to France and Spain's abuse of the protégé system.