Kabyle people

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Kabyle people
Iqbayliyen (
Sunni Islam[10][11]

The Kabyle people (

ethnic group indigenous to Kabylia in the north of Algeria, spread across the Atlas Mountains, 160 kilometres (100 mi) east of Algiers. They represent the largest Berber population of Algeria and the second largest in North Africa
.

Many of the Kabyles have emigrated from Algeria, influenced by factors such as the

Québec
) and United States.

The Kabyle people speak Kabyle, a Berber language. Since the Berber Spring of 1980, they have been at the forefront of the fight for the official recognition of Berber languages in Algeria.

Etymology

The word 'Kabyle' (Kabyle: Iqbayliyen) is an

exonym, and a distortion of the Arabic word qaba'il (قبائل), which means 'tribes', or 'to accept', which after the Muslim conquest was used for people who accepted the word of the Quran.[16] The term qaba'il was used, and is still somewhat used by various peoples in Algeria to refer to various mountain dwelling tribes, including the Kabyle people.[16][17]

The term used for Kabyles specifically was 'Zwawa' ('Izwawen' in Kabyle, 'زواوة' in Arabic). This appellation has been used since the medieval era for the tribes of Greater Kabylia, and is featured in important medieval ethnographic works like Ibn Khaldun's.[18][19] After the French conquest, the French often confused the term "Arabs" and "Kabyle" thanks to the widespread usage of Kabyle all over the country. Although initially the French used the term Kabyle to refer to all Berbers, it was later specified to mean only the modern Kabyle people during the colonial era,[16] however, Zwawa is still the most used term for Kabyles in areas such as western Algeria.[20]

History

The Kabyles were one of the few peoples in North Africa who remained independent during successive rule by the Carthaginians, the Romans, the Vandals, the Byzantines, and the Ottoman Turks.[21][22][23][24][25] Even after the Arab conquest of North Africa, the Kabyle people still maintained possession of their mountains.[26][27][25]

Fatimid Caliphate

Map of Kutama army campaigns and battles up to the overthrow of the Aghlabids

Between 902 and 909, after being converted to

Abdullāh al-Mahdī Billah, who at the time was imprisoned, was then freed and then accepted as the Imam of the movement and installed as the Caliph, becoming the first Caliph and the founder of the ruling dynasty.[35][36][37] The historian Heinz Halm describes the early Fatimid state as being "a hegemony of the Kutama and Sanhaja Berbers over the eastern and central Maghrib" and Prof. Dr. Loimeier states that rebellions against the Fatimids were also expressed through protest and opposition to Kutama rule.[38][39] The weakening of the Abbasids allowed Fatimid-Kutama power to quickly expand and in 959 Ziri ibn Manad, Jawhar the Sicilian and a Kutama army conquered Fez and Sijilmasa in Morocco.[40]
[39] During the reign of al-Aziz Billah, the role of the Kutama in the Fatimid army was greatly weakened as he significantly reduced their size in the army and included new socio-military groups.[41] In 969 under the command of Jawhar, the Fatimid Kutama troops conquered Egypt from the Ikhsidids, the general Ja'far ibn Fallah was instrumental in this success: he led the troops that crossed the river Nile and according to al-Maqrizi, captured the boats used to do this from a fleet sent by Ikhshidid loyalists from Lower Egypt.[42] The general Ja’far then invaded Palestine and conquered Ramla, the capital, he then conquered Damascus and made himself the master of the city and then he moved north and conquered Tripoli.[43][44] It was around this time period that the Fatimid Caliphate reached its territorial peak of 4,100,000 km2.[45]

Origin and conquests of the Fatimids

Zirid Dynasty

The

Sanhadja Berbers with origins in the Kabyle mountains.[46] During their reign they established their rule over the entire Maghreb and also established rule in parts of Andalusia. They also had suzerainty over the Emirate of Sicily through the Kalbite emirs and later assassinated the ruler and took over the island.[47] When the Emirate of Sicily was split into separate taifas
, Ayyub Ibn Tamim entered Sicily and united all of the taifas under his rule until he left the island.

Hammadid Dynasty

The

Hammadids came to power after declaring their independence from the Zirids. They managed to conquer land in all of the Maghreb region, capturing and possessing significant territories such as: Algiers, Béjaïa, Tripoli, Sfax, Susa, Fez, Ouargla and Sijilmasa.[48][49][50] South of Tunisia, they also possessed a number of oases that were the termini of trans-Saharan trade routes.[51]

Kingdom of Ait Abbas and Kingdom of Kuku

These two Kabyle Kingdoms managed to maintain their independence and participated in notable battles alongside the Regency of Algiers, such as the campaign of Tlemcen and the conquest of Fez. In the early 16th century Sultan Abdelaziz of the Beni Abbes managed to defeat the Ottomans several times, notably in the First Battle of Kalaa of the Beni Abbes.

Martinus Rørbye: A seated Kabyle.

The Kabyle were relatively independent of outside control during the period of

Kingdom of Ait Abbas, and the principality of Aït Jubar.[52] Kabylia was the last part of northern Algeria to be colonised by the French during the years 1854–1857, despite vigorous resistance.[53] Such leaders as Lalla Fatma N'Soumer continued the resistance as late as Mokrani
's rebellion in 1871.

French colonists invented the Kabyle myth in the 19th century which asserted that the Kabyle people were more predisposed than Arabs to assimilate into "French civilization." Lacoste explained that "turning the Arabs into invaders was one way of legitimizing the French presence".[54]

Lalla Fatma N'Soumer of Tariqa led the resistance against French colonization 1851–1857.

Kabyle villages were ruled through an indirect administration based on the preservation of Kabyle traditional political institutions such as the village’s assemblies djemaas, this institution played a central role in the Kabyle’s self-governing.[53] The djemaas would resolve disputes between the village’s inhabitants and edict the customary law rules.[53] French officials confiscated much land from the more recalcitrant tribes and granted it to colonists, who became known as pieds-noirs During this period, the French carried out many arrests and deported resisters, mainly to New Caledonia in the South Pacific. Due to French colonization, many Kabyle emigrated to other areas inside and outside Algeria.[55] Over time, immigrant workers also began to go to France.

In the 1920s, Algerian immigrant workers in France organized the first party promoting Algerians independence. Messali Hadj, Imache Amar, Si Djilani Mohammed, and Belkacem Radjef rapidly built a strong following throughout France and Algeria in the 1930s. They developed militants who became vital to the fighting for an independent Algeria. This became widespread after World War II.

Since Algeria gained independence in 1962, tensions have arisen between Kabylie and the central government on several occasions. In July 1962, the FLN (National Liberation Front) was split rather than united. Indeed, many actors who contributed to independence wanted a share of power but the ALN (National Liberation Army) directed by Houari Boumédiène, joined by Ahmed Ben Bella, had the upper hand because of their military forces.[citation needed]

In 1963 the FFS party of Hocine Aït Ahmed contested the authority of the FLN, which had promoted itself as the only party in the nation. Aït Ahmed and others considered the central government led by Ben Bella authoritarian, and on September 3, 1963, the FFS (Socialist Forces front) was created by Hocine Aït Ahmed.[56] This party grouped opponents of the regime then in place, and a few days after its proclamation, Ben Bella sent the army into Kabylie to repress the insurrection. Colonel Mohand Oulhadj also took part in the FFS and in the Maquis (fr) because he considered that the mujahideen were not treated as they should be.[57] In the beginning, the FFS wanted to negotiate with the government but since no agreement was reached, the maquis took up arms and swore not to give them up as long as democratic principles and justice were[clarification needed] a part of the system. But after Mohand Oulhadj's defection, Aït Ahmed could barely sustain the movement and after the FLN congress on April 16, 1964, which reinforced the government's legitimacy, he was arrested in October 1964. As a consequence, the insurrection was a failure in 1965 because it was hugely repressed by the forces of the ALN, under Houari Boumédiène. In 1965 Aït Ahmed was sentenced to death, but later pardoned by Ben Bella. Approximately 400 deaths were counted amongst the maquis.[56]

In 1980, protesters mounted several months of demonstrations in Kabylie demanding the recognition of Berber as an official language; this period has been called the Berber Spring. In 1994–1995, the Kabyle conducted a school boycott, termed the "strike of the school bag". In June and July 1998, they protested, in events that turned violent, after the assassination of singer Matoub Lounès and passage of a law requiring use of the Arabic language in all fields.

In the months following April 2001 (called the

Arouch, and neo-traditional local councils. The protests gradually decreased after the Kabyle won some concessions from President Abdelaziz Bouteflika
.

On 6 January 2016, Tamazight was officially recognized in Algeria's constitution as a language equal to Arabic.[58]

Geography

Regions of Kabyle settlements in Algeria

The geography of the Kabyle region played an important role in the people's history. The difficult mountainous landscape of the

Bejaia
provinces served as a refuge, to which most of the Kabyle people retreated when under pressure or occupation. They were able to preserve their cultural heritage in such isolation from other cultural influences.

The area supported local dynasties (Numidia, Fatimids in the Kutama periods, Zirids, Hammadids, and Hafsids of Bejaïa) or Algerian modern nationalism, and the war of independence. The region was repeatedly occupied by various conquerors. Romans and Byzantines controlled the main road and valley during the period of antiquity and avoided the mountains (Mont ferratus).[59] During the spread of Islam, Arabs controlled plains but not all the countryside (they were called el aadua: enemy by the Kabyle).[60]

The Regency of Algiers, under Ottoman influence, tried to have indirect influence over the people (makhzen tribes of Amraoua, and marabout).[61]

The French gradually and totally conquered the region and set up a direct administration.

The Djurdjura chain
Topographic map of Kabylia.

Algerian provinces with significant Kabyle-speaking populations include

Bordj Bou Arreridj, and Jijel. Algiers
also has a significant Kabyle population, where they make up more than half of the capital's population.

The Kabyle region is referred to as Al Qabayel ("tribes") by the Arabic-speaking population and as Kabylie in French. Its indigenous inhabitants call it Tamurt Idurar ("Land of Mountains") or Tamurt n Iqbayliyen/Tamurt n Iqbayliyen ("Land of the Kabyle"). It is part of the Atlas Mountains and is located at the edge of the Mediterranean.

Culture and society

Language

Main article: Kabyle language

The Kabyle

Afro-Asiatic family. It is the largest Berber language in Algeria.[62] It was spoken by 3 million people in 2004[63] and has significant Arabic, French, Latin, Greek, Phoenician and Punic substratum, with Arabic loanwords representing 22.7% to 46%[64] of the total Kabyle vocabulary, with many estimates putting it at about 35%.[65] Many Kabyles also speak Algerian Arabic and French
.

During the first centuries of their history, Kabyles used the Libyco-Berber writing system (ancestor of the modern Tifinagh). Since the beginning of the 19th century, and under French influence, Kabyle intellectuals began to use the Latin script. It is the basis for the modern Berber Latin alphabet.

After the

Neo-Tifinagh
, but its use remains limited. Kabyle literature has continued to be written in the Latin script.

Religion

The Kabyle people are mainly

Muslim, with a small Christian minority.[66] Many Zawaya exist all over the region; the Rahmaniyya
is the most prolific.

Catholics of Kabyle background generally live in France. Recently, the Protestant community has had significant growth, particularly among Evangelical denominations.[67]

Literature

The Kabyle people have a rich history of

imusnawen.[68]

Economy

The traditional economy of the area is based on

olive trees) and on the craft industry (tapestry or pottery). Mountain and hill farming is gradually giving way to local industry (textile and agro-alimentary). In the middle of the 20th century, with the influence and funding by the Kabyle diaspora, many industries were developed in this region. It has become the second most important industrial region in the country after Algiers.[citation needed
]

Politics

Demonstration by Kabyles in Paris in April 2016

The Kabyle have been fierce activists in promoting the cause of Berber (Amazigh) identity. The movement has three groups: those Kabyle who identify as part of a larger Berber nation (

Kabylists
).

  • Two political parties dominate in Kabylie and have their principal support base there: the
    Algerianist
    .
  • The Arouch emerged during the
    Black Spring
    of 2001 as a revival of the village assembly, a traditional Kabyle form of democratic organization. The Arouch share roughly the same political views as the FFS and the RCD.
  • The
    Movement for the Autonomy of Kabylie (MAK) also emerged during the Black Spring, It claimed the right for a regional autonomy of Kabylie. On 21 April 2010, MAK proclaimed a Provisional Government of Kabylie in exile (ANAVAD). Ferhat Mehenni was elected president by the National Council of the MAK.[71] In 2013, MAK officially became an independentist movement and changed its name to the Movement for the Self-Determination of Kabylie
    .

Diaspora

For historical and economic reasons, many Kabyles have emigrated to France, both for work and to escape political persecution. They now number around 1 million people.[72][73] Some notable French people are of full or partial Kabyle descent.

Notable people

Main article: List of Kabyle people

Sport

Zinedine Zidane

Business

Cinema

Music

Paint

Politics

Science

Literature

See also

Notes and references

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  5. ^ "Rapport du Comité consultatif pour la promotion des langues régionales et de la pluralité linguistique interne (2013)". www.culture.gouv.fr (in French). Retrieved 25 December 2022.
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  7. ^ "Knowledge of languages by age and gender: Canada, provinces and territories, census divisions and census subdivisions". Census Profile, 2021 Census. Statistics Canada Statistique Canada. 7 May 2021. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  8. ISBN 978-0195139778
    . Retrieved 21 December 2017.
  9. ^ https://www.britannica.com/topic/Kabyle-people
  10. ^ https://www.algeria.com/blog/insight-into-the-kabyle-people-of-algeria/
  11. ^ https://minorityrights.org/communities/amazigh/
  12. ^ "Centre de Recherche Berbère – Ecriture: Libyque & tifinagh". www.centrederechercheberbere.fr. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
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  15. ^ Amazigh-state relations in Morocco and Algeria Archived 2020-03-23 at the Wayback Machine
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  18. ^ Chachoua, Kamel (2000). Zwawa et zawaya: l'islam "la question kabyle" et l'État en Algérie. Autour de la Rissala, épître, "Les plus clairs arguments qui nécessitent la réforme des zawaya kabyles", d'Ibnou Zakri (1853–1914), clerc officiel dans l'Algérie coloniale, publiée à Alger, aux Editions Fontana en 1903 (in French). Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales.
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  20. ^ Mustapha, Tidjet. Dictionnaires des patronymes Algériens (PDF) (in French and ber). Algiers: Office des publications universitaires. p. 64. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 November 2024.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
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  27. ^ Field, Henry Martyn (1893). "The Barbary Coast By Henry Martyn Field: Pg 93".
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  38. ^ Halm, Heinz (2014). "Fāṭimids". In Fleet, Kate; Krämer, Gudrun; Matringe, Denis; Nawas, John; Rowson, Everett (eds.). Encyclopaedia of Islam, THREE. Brill Online. ISSN 1873-9830.
  39. ^ a b Muslim Societies in Africa: A Historical Anthropology – Roman Loimeier Indiana University Press,
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  42. ^ Lev, Yaacov (1979). "The Fāṭimid Conquest of Egypt — Military Political and Social Aspects". Israel Oriental Studies. 9: 315–328. ISSN 0334-4401.
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  44. ^ The Asiatic Journal and Monthly Register for British India and Its Dependencies, Volume 24 Black, Parbury, & Allen,
  45. ^ Turchin, Peter; Adams, Jonathan M.; Hall, Thomas D (December 2006). "East-West Orientation of Historical Empires". Journal of World-Systems Research. 12 (2): 222. ISSN 1076-156X
  46. ^ A History of Africa – J.D. Fage: Pg 166
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  51. ^ Nomads and Crusaders, A.D. 1000–1368 By Archibald Ross Lewis
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  57. ^ Said Malik Cheurfa ⵣ (3 August 2011), Révolte de Hocine Ait Ahmed et Mohand Oulhadj en 28 septembre 1963 par Malik Cheurfa.flv, retrieved 22 April 2019[dead YouTube link]
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  59. ^ "Ebook LA KABYLIE ORIENTALE DANS L'HISTOIRE – Pays des Kutuma et guerre coloniale de Hosni Kitouni". www.harmatheque.com. Retrieved 29 November 2016.
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  66. ^ Abdelmadjid Hannoum, Violent Modernity: France in Algeria, Page 124, 2010, Harvard Center for Middle Eastern studies, Cambridge, Massachusetts.Amar Boulifa, Le Djurdjura à travers l'histoire depuis l'Antiquité jusqu'en 1830 : organisation et indépendance des Zouaoua (Grande Kabylie), Page 197, 1925, Algiers.
  67. ^ Lucien Oulahbib, Le monde arabe existe-t-il ?, page 12, 2005, Editions de Paris, Paris.
  68. ^ Mammeri, Mouloud (1980). Poèmes kabyles anciens.
  69. ^ https://www.euronews.com/2012/05/12/election-hit-by-irregularities-says-algerian-opposition-leader Archived 2020-12-17 at the Wayback Machine, Euronews, "Election hit by irregularities, says Algerian opposition leader", www.euronews.com, 12 May 2012, accessed 5 October 2020
  70. ^ "Mohcine Belabbès : "Si le tribunal me convoque, je répondrai présent"". Algérie Patriotique (in French). 29 September 2020. Retrieved 7 July 2023.
  71. ^ www. kabylia-gov.org, Kabylia Government website
  72. ^ Salem Chaker, "Pour une histoire sociale du berbère en France" Archived 2012-11-12 at the Wayback Machine, Les Actes du Colloque Paris – Inalco, Octobre 2004
  73. ^ James Minahan, Encyclopedia of the Stateless Nations: D-K, Good Publishing Group, 2002, p.863. Quote: "Outside North Africa, the largest Kabyle community, numbering around 1 million, is in France."
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