Shaping the Nation through Its North-African Other: The Castilianization of Spain and the Hispano-Moroccan War

Abstract: This article examines the advancement and resistance of Castilianization around the Hispano-Moroccan War (1859-1860) in Spain, devoting special attention to how different authors utilized competing historicisms and Orientalized characterizations of Moroccans to articulate their own vision for contemporary Spain. The discussion centers first on a salient example of Castilian-centric nationalism, which predicated Spanish unity on homogeneity; and then examines an alternative version of Spanish patriotism, one that celebrated Castile without equating it to the essence of the nation. The conclusion offers a nuanced understanding of the second model, which constituted a means to negotiate the integration of regional identities within Spain whereby different modes of being become alternatively the protagonists of the nation's story depending on the needs of the community.