The Black Guard or ʿAbīd al-Bukhārī were the corps of sub-Saharan African slaves and Haratin slave-soldiers assembled by the 'Alawi sultan of Morocco, Isma‘il ibn Sharif. They were called the "Slaves
The sultan of Morocco with the Black Guard, 1862 painting by Eugène Delacroix
Isma‘il ibn Sharif's mother was a black concubine and members of the Black Guard may have been motivated by a "racial solidarity" with Isma‘il.
A Moroccan Guard by Stefano Ussi
Moroccan Black Guards in 1926
The Haratin, also spelled Haratine or Harratin, are an ethnic group found in western Sahel and southwestern Maghreb. The Haratin are mostly found in modern Mauritania, Morocco, Western Sahara, Senegal
Black Guard
…The Black Guard or ʿAbīd al-Bukhārī (Arabic: عبيد البخاري, lit. 'Slaves of al-Bukhārī') were the corps of sub-Saharan African slaves and Haratin slave-soldiers assembled by the 'Alawi sultan of Morocco, Isma‘il ibn Sharif (reigned 1672–1727). They were called the "Slaves of Bukhari" because…
Haratin woman from Tafilalt, Morocco
Black Guard of Yusef of Morocco
Tassfift, a headband worn by Haratin women
In Mauritania, the use of Haratin girls as servants has attracted the attention of activists.