| Kabyles
Iqvayliyen |
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| Total population | ||||||||||||
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6-9 million (est. ) |
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| Regions with significant populations | ||||||||||||
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| Languages | ||||||||||||
| Kabyle | ||||||||||||
| Religions | ||||||||||||
| sunni islam, Roman Catholicism, Protestantism, atheism |
The Kabyles (Iqvaylyen or Iqbayliyen in Kabyle, pronounced [iqβajlijən])) are a Berber people whose traditional homeland is highlands of Kabylie (or Kabylia) in northeastern Algeria. Kabyle is a Berber language (Kabyle Ṯaqbayliṯ,, ˌθæqβæjˈlɪθ spoken by the Kabyle people Sunni Islam is the largest denomination of Islam. Sunni Islam is also referred to as Ahl as-Sunnah wa’l-Jamā‘h (Arabic Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. Atheism Kabyle is a Berber language (Kabyle Ṯaqbayliṯ,, ˌθæqβæjˈlɪθ spoken by the Kabyle people Berbers are the indigenous peoples of North Africa west of the Nile Valley. A homeland (rel Country of origin and native land) is the concept of the territory ( Cultural geography) to which an Ethnic group This article focuses on the region in Algeria For the ethnic group see Kabyle people. Algeria ( ar [[Arabic]] الجزائر, Al Jaza'ir ælʤæˈzæːʔir Amazigh: ⴷⵥⴰⵢⴻⵔ Dzayer) officially the People's
Their name derives from the name of the mountainous region in the north of Algeria which they traditionally inhabit. Algeria ( ar [[Arabic]] الجزائر, Al Jaza'ir ælʤæˈzæːʔir Amazigh: ⴷⵥⴰⵢⴻⵔ Dzayer) officially the People's Their name means "tribes" (from the Arabic "qaba'il" which is the plural of "qabîlah" قبيلة tribe). They speak the Kabyle variety of Berber. Kabyle is a Berber language (Kabyle Ṯaqbayliṯ,, ˌθæqβæjˈlɪθ spoken by the Kabyle people Nomenclature The term Berber has been used in Europe since at least the 17th century and is still used today Since the Berber Spring in 1980, Kabyles have been at the forefront of the fight for the official recognition of the Berber language in Algeria (see Languages of Algeria) "Al Qabayel" ("tribes"), but its inhabitants call it "Tamurt Idurar" (Land of Mountains) or "Tamurt Leqvayel" (Land of Kabyles). The Berber Spring (in Amazigh: Tafsut Imazighen or simply Tafsut for "Spring" was a period of political protest and civil society activism in Nomenclature The term Berber has been used in Europe since at least the 17th century and is still used today Currently spoken languages Arabic Arabic is the language of 55% of Algeria's population particularly Algerian Arabic spoken by 50 % in addition It is part of the Atlas Mountains and is located at the edge of the Mediterranean Sea. The Atlas Mountains ( Kabyle: Idurar n leṭles جبال الأطلس) is a Mountain range across a northern stretch of Africa extending about 2400
Contents |
Language
The principal language used by this people is Kabyle, used both at home and professionally. Kabyle is a Berber language (Kabyle Ṯaqbayliṯ,, ˌθæqβæjˈlɪθ spoken by the Kabyle people Speakers take pride in the Kabyle language and have resisted using Arabic. French is often also used in both trade and correspondence. French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people
Genetics
The Kabyle are predominantly of European appearance, a fact not lost on their historical foes, e. g. the Spaniards.
- The Y chromosome is passed exclusively through the paternal line. The Y chromosome is the sex-determining Chromosome in most Mammals including Humans In mammals it contains the gene SRY, which triggers The composition of their Y chromosome is: 48% E3b1b (E-M81), 12% E3b* (xE3b1b), 17% R1*(xR1a) and 23% F*(xH, I,J2,K). [1] The North African pattern of Y-chromosomal variation (including both E3b and J haplogroups) is largely of Neolithic origin which suggests that the Neolithic transition in this part of the world was accompanied by demic diffusion of Afro-Asiatic–speaking pastoralists from the Middle East.
It is interesting to note that Adolf Hitler considered the Kabyle's as part of the Aryan race.
Religion
- The region is overwhelmingly Sunni Muslim , but there is also a Roman Catholic community, outnumbered by non-confessional people. Sunni Islam is the largest denomination of Islam. Sunni Islam is also referred to as Ahl as-Sunnah wa’l-Jamā‘h (Arabic Despite this, the main Berberist political parties (the Front of Socialist Forces and the Rally for Culture and Democracy) are both secular. Berberism ( Amazigh: Timmuzgha) is a political-cultural movement found mainly in Kabylia, Algeria and later in Morocco. A political party is a Political organization that seeks to attain and maintain political power within Government, usually by participating in electoral The Socialist Forces Front ( Front des Forces socialistes, FFS is a Social democratic and Secularist Political party in Algeria. The Rally for Culture and Democracy ( French: Rassemblement pour la Culture et la Démocratie, RCD) is a Political party in Algeria Secularism is generally the assertion that governmental practices or institutions should exist separately from Religion or religious beliefs These two parties together garner nearly 80% of the vote in the region.
Economy
The traditional economy of the area is based on arboriculture (orchards, olive trees) and on the craft industry (tapestry or pottery). Arboriculture ('ɑːbərɪkʌltʃə is the cultivation of trees and shrubs An orchard is an intentional planting of Trees or Shrubs maintained for Food production. The Olive ( Olea europaea) is a Species of small Tree in the family Oleaceae, native to the coastal areas of the eastern Tapestry is a form of Textile art. It is woven by hand on a vertical Loom. Pottery is the Ceramic ware made by potters It also refers to a group of materials that includes Earthenware, Stoneware The mountain and hill farming is gradually giving way to local industry (textile and agro-alimentary).
Politics
- Two political parties dominate in Kabylie and have their principal support base there: the FFS, led by Hocine Aït Ahmed, and the RCD, led by Saïd Sadi. The Socialist Forces Front ( Front des Forces socialistes, FFS is a Social democratic and Secularist Political party in Algeria. Hocine Aït Ahmed (in Kabyle: Ḥusin Ait Ḥmed (b 20 August 1926 in Ain El Hammam, Kabylie) is an Algerian politician The Rally for Culture and Democracy ( French: Rassemblement pour la Culture et la Démocratie, RCD) is a Political party in Algeria Saïd Sadi ( Kabyle: Saεid Saεdi) (born 26 August 1947 in Aghribs, near Azazga) is an Algerian Psychiatrist Both parties are secularist, Berberist and "Algerianist". Secularism is generally the assertion that governmental practices or institutions should exist separately from Religion or religious beliefs Berberism ( Amazigh: Timmuzgha) is a political-cultural movement found mainly in Kabylia, Algeria and later in Morocco. In Algerian politics Algerianist is a political label given to Algerian nationalists whose aim is to make of Algeria a real Nation-state and not just a political
- The Arouch emerged during the Black Spring of 2001 as a revival of a traditional Kabyle form of democratic organization, the village assembly. The Arouch share roughly the same political views as the FFS and the RCD.
- The MAK (Movement for the Autonomy of Kabylie) also emerged during the Black Spring, and is a political association that militates for the autonomy of Kabylie.
History
Middle Ages
The Fatimid dynasty of the 10th century originated in Petite Kabylie, where an Ismaili da'i found a receptive audience for his millennialist preaching, and ultimately led the Kutama tribe to conquer first Ifriqiya and then Egypt. For the Egyptian city see Ismaïlia. The Ismāʿīlī ( Urdu: إسماعیلی Ismāʿīlī, Arabic: الإسماعيليون Da‘wah usually denotes proselytizing of Islam. The Arabic دعوة da‘wah means literally "issuing a summons" The Kutama were a Berber tribein the region of Jijel a member of the great Bavares orientaux confederation of the Maghreb In medieval history, Ifriqiya or Ifriqiyah (إفريقية was the area comprising the coastal regions of what are today western Libya, Tunisia This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. After taking over Egypt, the Fatimids themselves lost interest in the Maghreb, which they left to their Berber deputies, the Zirids. The Maghreb (المغرب العربي al-Maġrib al-ʿArabī) also rendered Maghrib (or rarely Moghreb) meaning "place of Sunset The Zirids (زيريون were a Berber dynasty originating in Petite Kabylie among the Kutama tribe that ruled Ifriqiya (in modern day Eastern The Zirid family soon split, with the Hammadid branch taking over Kabylie as well as much of Algeria, and the Zirids taking modern Tunisia. The Hammadids, an offshoot of the Zirids were a Berber dynasty who ruled an area roughly corresponding to modern Algeria for about a century and a half They had a lasting effect on not only Kabylie's but Algeria's development, refounding towns such as Bejaia (their capital after the abandonment of Qalaat Beni Hammad) and Algiers itself. Béjaïa or Bougie ( Kabyle Bgayet or Tifinagh:, pronounced /β'gajəθ in Algerian Arabic) is a Mediterranean port Algiers (الجزائر Algerian Arabic: Dzayer ( (From kabyle pronunciation Kabyle: Ledzayer, Alger) is the Capital and largest
After the Hammadids' collapse, the coast of Kabylie changed hands regularly, while much of the interior was often effectively unruled. Under the Ottoman Turks, most of Kabylie was inaccessible to the deys, who had to content themselves with occasional incursions and military settlements in some valleys. The Ottoman Turks were the subdivision of the Ottoman Muslim Millet that dominated the ruling class of the Ottoman Empire. In the early part of the Ottoman period, the Belkadi family ruled much of Grande Kabylie from their capital of Koukou, now a small village near Tizi-Ouzou; however, their power declined in the 17th century. Koukou is a Village in the Doufelgou Prefecture in the Kara Region of north-eastern Togo.
Modern age
The French colonization
The area was gradually taken over by the French from 1857, despite vigorous local resistance by the local population led by leaders such as Lalla Fatma n Soumer, continuing as late as Cheikh Mokrani's rebellion in 1871. Lalla Fadhma n'Soumer, in Kabyle Lla Faḍma n Sumer ( Werja, Kabylie about 1830 - Béni Slimane 1863 was an important figure of the Kabyle Mohamed El- Mokrani (1815 - 1871 was one of the principal leaders of the popular uprising at the end of 19th century following the French conquest in Algeria in 1830 Much land was confiscated in this period from the more recalcitrant tribes and given to French pieds-noirs. Pied-Noir ("Black-Foot" plural Pieds-Noirs, pronounced /pje Many arrests and deportations were carried out by the French, mainly to New Caledonia (see : "Kabyles du Pacifique"). Deportation, not to be confused with Extradition, generally means the expulsion of someone from a place or Country. For the former North American fur-trading district see New Caledonia (Canada, and for the Scottish colony in Panama see Darien scheme. Kabyles du Pacifique (" Kabyles of the Pacific " were a group of men and women deported by French authorities to Labor camps Colonization also resulted in an acceleration of the emigration into other areas of the country and outside of it.
Algerian immigrant workers in France organized the first party promoting independence in 1920s. Messali Hadj, Imache Amar, Si Djilani, and Belkacem Radjef rapidly built a strong following throughout France and Algeria in 1930s and actively developed militants that became vital to the future of both a fighting and an independent Algeria. Ahmed Ben Messali Hadj ( Arabic, مصالي الحاج (b 1898 in Algeria, d Belkacem Radjef (1909-1989 was born in Fort-National (today Larbaa Naït Iraten) Algeria and spent 32 years of his life in the fight to liberate Algeria from During the war of independence (1954-1962), Kabylia was one of the areas that was most affected, because of the importance of the maquis, aided by the mountainous terrain, and French repression. The Algerian War ( French: Guerre d'Algérie; 1954-1962 also known as Algerian War of Independence, led to Algeria 's independence from The armed Algerian revolutionary resistance to French colonialism, the National Liberation Front (FLN) recruited several of its historical leaders there, including Hocine Aït Ahmed, Abane Ramdane, and Krim Belkacem. The National Liberation Front ( Arabic: جبهة التحرير الوطني transliterated: Jabhat al-Taḩrīr al-Waţanī French: Front Hocine Aït Ahmed (in Kabyle: Ḥusin Ait Ḥmed (b 20 August 1926 in Ain El Hammam, Kabylie) is an Algerian politician Abane Ramdane ( June 10, 1920 – December 27, 1957) was an Algerian revolutionarist born in Kabylie. Krim Belkacem (properly Belqasem Krim( Arabic: بلقاصم كريم) ( December 14, 1922 - October 18, 1970) was an Algerian
After the independence of Algeria
Tensions have arisen between Kabylia and the central government on several occasions, initially in 1963, when the FFS party of Hocine Aït Ahmed contested the authority of the single party (FLN). Hocine Aït Ahmed (in Kabyle: Ḥusin Ait Ḥmed (b 20 August 1926 in Ain El Hammam, Kabylie) is an Algerian politician In 1980, several months of demonstrations demanding the officialization of the Berber language took place in Kabylie, called the Berber Spring. The Berber Spring (in Amazigh: Tafsut Imazighen or simply Tafsut for "Spring" was a period of political protest and civil society activism in The politics of identity intensified as the Arabization movement in Algeria gained steam in the 1990s. In 1994–1995, a school boycott occurred, termed the "strike of the school bag". In June and July of 1998, the area blazed up again after the assassination of singer Matoub Lounes and at the time that a law generalizing the use of the Arabic language in all fields went into effect. Lounès Matoub ( Berber Latin: Lwennas Meɛṭub, Tifinagh: ⵍⵡⴻⵏⵏⴰⵙ ⵎⴻⵄⵟⵓⴱ, often credited as Matoub Lounès Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language In the months following April, 2001 (called the Black Spring), major riots — together with the emergence of the Arouch, neo-traditional local councils — followed the killing of a young Kabyle Masinissa Guermah by gendarmes, and gradually died down only after forcing some concessions from the President, Abdelaziz Bouteflika. The Black Spring ( Kabyle: Tafsut taberkant was a series of violent disturbances and political demonstrations by Kabyle Berber activists in the Kabylie The Arouch Movement, Berber Arouch Citizen's Movement, or simply Arouch, is an organization representing Algerian Berbers. Massinissa Guermah of northern Algeria was a 16-year-old Kabyle ( Berber) high school student arrested by Algerian Gendarmes on April Abdelaziz Bouteflika (abdəlazɪz butəflika ( عبد العزيز بوتفليقة) (born March 2 1937 in Oujda, Morocco) has been the President
See also
Notes and references
- ^ Arredi B, Poloni ES, Paracchini S, Zerjal T, Fathallah DM, Makrelouf M, Pascali VL, Novelletto A, Tyler-Smith C. A list of Kabyle people Artists Isabelle Adjani, actress Kabyle father German mother Edith Piaf, singer/actress Kabyle is a Berber language (Kabyle Ṯaqbayliṯ,, ˌθæqβæjˈlɪθ spoken by the Kabyle people Berbers are the indigenous peoples of North Africa west of the Nile Valley. (2004). "A predominantly neolithic origin for Y-chromosomal DNA variation in North Africa. ". Am J Hum Genet. 75 (2): 338-345. PMID 15202071.
External links
- Project Kabylepedia
- Pictures of Kabyles
- Kabyles.com (French)
- Ethnologue.com: Kabyle language
- Algerian linguistic policy (in French)
- imyura.com (kabyle)literature
- MAK
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