Algeria faced significant challenges in the early 19th to 20th century, and during this period of European colonization and internal upheaval, several remarkable Algerian figures rose to prominence. These individuals played crucial roles in various aspects of Algerian society, ranging from resistance against colonial rule. And here are ten of the most famous Algerian of this period:
- Ahmed Bey (1784-1851):
Photo of Ahmed Bey (source: Wikipedia)
Ahmed Ben Mohamed El Sherif Ben Ahmed El Qaly, known as Ahmed Bey, governed east Algeria from 1826 AD to 1848. He was born in 1786 in Constantine, and when he grew up he played a great role in the resistance against French forces. Ahmed Bey adopted a strong strategy as he surrounded himself with experienced and influential men from tribal and prestigious families, fortified his capital Constantine by building trenches and barracks, recruited men for resistance from the regular army, and reorganized authority by appointing himself as Pasha instead of Dey Hussein. He also attempted to intensify national unity to fight together against the occupation.
After a long fight and a great resistance. Algiers had fallen into the hands of the french. After the fall of Algiers, Ahmed Bey returned to Constantine and focused on organizing resistance there, fortifying the city and seeking support from the Ottoman Sultan. He rejected French offers to remain as Bey (Governor) of Constantine and engaged in internal confrontations, demonstrating resilience and strategic foresight in the face of occupation. After the fall of Constantine, Ahmed Bey withdrew to Auras mountain where he persistently engaged in a sort of low-intensity conflict. He died in 1851 under mysterious circumstances and was buried in Algiers.
- Emir Abdelkader (1808-1883) :
Photo of Prince Abdelkader (Photo source: BBC)
Abd al-Qadir Ibn Muhyi al-Din ibn Mustafa, also known as Emir Abd al-Qadir , was born in 1807. He is regarded as one of the greatest leader in the Algerian contemporary history and a key figure in its resistance against French colonization. He also was a proponent of peace and solidarity across diverse ethnicities and religious beliefs. Following the fall of Oran in 1831, chaos ensued, prompting elders and scholars of the region to seek a leader. They settled on Sheikh Muhyi al-Din who led the first resistance in 1831. Later on, due to his old age he entrusted his son Abd Al-Qadir to take on the duties. He achieved significant military and political victories, causing the French to reconsider their expansionist plans due to the resolute resistance. He was the first leader in history to create a moving capital “Zmala”, as he tried to move and relocate a lot across Eastern and western Algeria leading the French to chase after his capital from one place to another in order to destroy his state. Which was impossible due to the prince’s smart strategies.
However, The Emir’s resistance efforts were hindered by internal and regional conflicts, leading to his surrender in 1847. Following his release from captivity in 1852, he initially settled in Istanbul before moving to Damascus in 1855. In 1860, he played a role in addressing sectarian tensions between Muslims and Christians in the Levant. He passed away on May 26, 1883, in the outskirts of Damascus at the age of 76, and his remains were later moved to Algeria in 1966
3. Lalla Fatma N’soumer(1830-1863):
Portrait of Lalla Fatma Nsoumer drawn by an artist (source: Wikipedia)
Lalla Fatima Muhammad Bin Isa, commonly known as Fatima N’Soumer, was born in 1830 in Ain El Hammam, Algeria, during the French occupation. She was living in her father’s house, who was a prominent Sufi figure. She later moved to the village of N’Soumer. There, she studied Quran and Islamic Studies. At the age of twenty, she joined Sherif Boubaghla’s armed resistance and declared war on French colonialism to defend the region of Djurdjura. She led the resistance against French forces, achieving notable victories in several battles.
Fatima defeated the French in the Battle of July 18, 1854, causing them to withdraw, leaving behind over 800 dead, including 25 officers, in addition to 371 wounded. She was nicknamed “La Jeanne d’Arc du Djurdjura” as she reminded the french of their national heroine Jeanne d’Arc. Despite facing overwhelming struggles, she remained defiant. However, in 1857, she was captured and imprisoned, where she succumbed to illness and died in 1863.
4. Amoud Agh Al-Mukhtar (1859-1927):
A postage stamp representing the resistance of Sheikh Amoud (source: Algérie poste’s official website)
Sheikh Amoud Ag Al-Mokhtar, born around 1848 in the Djanet oasis in southern Algeria, is a symbol of Tuareg resistance against French colonization in the Algerian desert and played a major role in stopping France’s efforts to expand southward in Algeria. His first battle altered the French advance for two decades. Sheikh Amoud led the resistance against the French army, prompting colonial authorities to try numerous approaches to control the desert region, all in vain. Despite reconciliation offers, the Tuareg resistance leader adamantly refused any compromise with the enemy, supported by the inhabitants of the Hoggar and Tassili regions, demonstrating the determination of the desert tribes to defend their territory and resist foreign invasion. Sheikh Amoud eventually relocated to Ghadames, Libya, as the relentless advance of the French army heavily armed with modern weapons forced him to leave the region, where stayed until his death in 1928.
5. Abdelhamid Ben Badis (1889-1940):
Abdelhamid Ben Badis (source: Elbassair magazine)
Abdul Hamid bin Muhammad bin al-Makki bin Badis was born on December 4th, 1889, in the city of Constantine, Algeria. Ibn Badis received his initial education in religious sciences and the Arabic language in his hometown, and in 1910, he moved to Tunis, where he continued his education at the Zitouna Mosque for a year before returning to Algeria.
In his hometown of Constantine, he began giving a series of lessons at the Grand Mosque. However, the French administration banned him from continuing the lessons. He performed the Hajj in 1913, and during his three-month stay in Medina, he met Sheikh Bashir Al-Ibrahimi, one of the prominent Algerian scholars at that time. Together, they founded the Association of Algerian Muslim Scholars. Which later became a strong weapon against the colonizers.
Ibn Badis used the press to spread his ideas, criticizing France and its colonial methods, and explaining the principles of Islamic politics, by founding the “Al-Muntaqid” newspaper in 1925, of which he became the editor-in-chief, followed by “Al-Shihab” in the same year. In 1931, he founded the Association of Algerian Muslim Scholars, assuming its presidency, and adopted the saying “Islam is our religion, Arabic is our language, Algeria is our homeland”. Imam Abdelhamid Ben Badis passed away on April 16, 1940, in his hometown of Constantine. Later on, the Algerian government declared the day of his death on the 16th of April as “knowledge Day,” celebrated annually in his memory.
6. Malek Bennabi (1905-1973):
Malek Bennabi (source: Echorouk online)
Malik Bennabi is a modern Algerian thinker known for his insightful works on intellectual and civilizational matters. He is also a writer and an islamic philosopher, born in 1905 during the french colonization in Tebessa. He successfully graduated from an institute as a certified judicial assistant in 1925.
When working in a court, he had the opportunity to interact with the simple ordinary class of his people and began to gain a clearer understanding of the situation in his country. In 1946 He started writing a series of books discussing the Muslim society in particular with the first book titled the Quranic phenomenon. After the declaration of Algerian war in 1954 against the France occupation, Malek Bennabi took refuge in Egypt in 1956 where he wrote his book Afro-asiatisme. In 1960 he wrote his first book in Arabic titled the ideological struggle and he continued writing in Arabic since then. In 1963 he went back to Algeria after its independence and was appointed the director of higher education and resigned in 1967 to dedicate himself to writing and seeking knowledge until his death in 1973. Malek Bennabi’s influence is evident in countries like Malaysia and Indonesia, where they apply his ideas on the ground .
7. Ahmed Ben Bella (1916-2012):
Ahmed Ben Bella as the president of Algeria (source: BBC)
He was born on December 25, 1916, in the city of Maghnia, Algeria. Ben Bella was one of the leaders of the Algerian independence war against France, and he served as the first Prime Minister of the country and the first elected President of the Algerian Republic.
Ben Bella joined the French army in 1937, served in World War II, and rose to the rank of officer. However, he rebelled against colonial rule, especially after the events of May 8, 1945, where more than 45.000 Algerians were killed by the French army. He founded the Special Organization with his revolutionary comrades, and established the National Liberation Front and launched the armed struggle against the French colonizers.
Ben Bella played an important political role in leading the National Liberation Front, while organizing weapon shipments to Algeria. In 1956, he was arrested by French military authorities during peace negotiations with Prime Minister Guy Mollet, when French fighter jets intercepted his plane from Rabat to Tunis on October 22, in what was referred to as “The airplane hijacking incident”. He was imprisoned until the conclusion of the Evian agreements. After the independence he was elected by majority as the president of the Algerian Republic in 1963, until he was overthrown by Defense Minister Houari Boumediene. He continued his political activities throughout the years, until he was admitted to the military hospital and died on April 11, 2012, in Algiers at the age of 96. Ben Bella was highly charismatic and considered one of the symbols of Arab nationalism and the international anti-colonial movement.
8. Larbi Ben M’hidi (1923-1957):
Larbi Ben Mhidi famous smile after he got arrested (source: Algérie presse service)
Mohamed Larbi Ben M’hidi, the martyr, was born in 1923, in the province of Oum El Bouaghi eastern Algeria. In 1942, Larbi joined the ranks of the People’s Party, showing great interest in political and national affairs, resulting in his arrest for 21 days in prison. Upon release, he adopted a more aggressive stance, supporting violence against colonial occupiers. Meanwhile, Ben M’hidi joined the armed branch of the Algerian People’s Party, known for its strong anti-colonial stance. By 1949, at just 26 years old, he was in charge of the military division in Setif, and then the organization’s responsible for the Constantine-Annaba-Tebessa region.
In March 1954, the Revolutionary Committee for Unity and Action was established, and Ben Mhidi was among its prominent members. He was also an active member of the historic Group of Twenty-Two and one of the six leaders who created and prepared the text of the November 1st, 1954 statement directed to the French army. Larbi became the first commander of the Western region. After that, the historic Soummam Conference was held, during which a new strategy for the revolution was created to develop its presence and get international support. On February 23, 1957, El-Arabi Ben M’hidi was captured by the French in the capital. He was subjected to various forms of torture and abuse, yet his endurance and refusal to yield remained unwavering. As a result, the decision to assassinate Mohamed Larbi Ben M’hidi was made by the French government in 1957.
10. BAYA (1931-1998):
One of Baya’s paintings titled “La dame aux roses” (source: Musée de l’Institut du monde arabe)
Baya Mahieddine, an Algerian painter who played a significant role in the 20th-century art world, especially in Algeria, France, and the Arab world. She is known for her pioneering artistic style, which became popular globally. Fatma Haddad, also known as Baya Mahieddine, was an Algerian artist of Kabyle origin. Born on December 12, 1931, in Algiers.
From a young age Baya began sculpting small clay figures of animals and imaginary characters. Marguerite Camina, a woman recognized baya’s talent provided her with drawing tools, leading to her drawings being exhibited by Aimé Maeght. Baya’s art leaned towards simplicity and naivety, she defied traditional categorizations in the art world. Her works exhibited a somewhat Cubist style, and some suggest her vision influenced Picasso’s “Women of Algiers” series. Baya’s works were first exhibited to the French public at the Maeght Gallery in 1947, and received praise for their spontaneous, and naive qualities, which were unfamiliar to the French audience. Picasso himself admired her work and invited her to collaborate, greatly influencing her artistic development. Baya’s art, characterized by vibrant colors and childlike innocence, attracted attention from French surrealists like André Breton.
After gaining independence, Baya returned to Algeria, married the renowned Andalusian musician Mahfoud Mahieddine, and resumed her artistic career under the encouragement of the director of the Algerian Museum. Her works were exhibited in Algeria, Paris, and the Arab world. Baya Mahieddine passed away on November 9, 1998, leaving behind a legacy of innovative and captivating artwork.
Conclusion:
The rich history of Algeria stands as a testament to the remarkable contributions of great individuals, from leaders and revolutionists who guided the nation through turbulent times to the resilient thinkers who pioneered advancements in art, literature, and knowledge, each figure left an undying impact on Algeria’s collective memory. Their stories kept them in the minds and hearts of many, inspiring generations to come.
Written by Nassira Saadallah – freelance blogger & communication specialist