Remembering & 

Honoring

Emir AbdelKader

(The Algerian)

Part I

The word ‘Colonialism’ means a policy under which a country, the colonial power, maintains foreign colonies in order to exploit them economically. Students of modern history are often thought about the colonial rivalry between Great Britain and France in Africa the Middle East, India, and Asia in the mid nineteenth century. This dissertation is about an Algerian hero, Emir AbdelKader, whose full name is AbdelKader ibn Muhieddine born 6th September 1808 in Algeria and died in Damascus on 26 May 1883 aged 74.

Portrait of Abd el-Kader (1864) by

Stainslaw Chlebowski

In 1830 Algeria was invaded by France and when French troops penetrated the region of Ornan, AbdelKader's father led a harassment campaign and a year later he was elected Emir or Commander and asked to lead the rebellion against the French. Two years later, his 24 year old son, AbdelKader was elected to replace him. His command and skill caused the French in 1834 to sign a treaty known as "The Desmichels Treaty" (named after French General Louis Alexis Desmichels) the terms of which gave full control of the Ornan Provence to AbdelKader.  France’s honour was at stake and as such France recalled General Desmichels and replaced him with General Trezel. Hostilities resumed and again AbdelKader proved his, superiority, fighting, and command skill in the field with his faithful followers prevailing against Europe’s most advanced army. Some 3 years later in 1837 seeing the futility of fighting France sent General Bugeaud with specific instructions to sign treaty with AbdelKader. A treaty known as Treaty of Tafna was signed on 30 May 1837. AbdelKadir’s followers wanted him to take the title of Sultan but he refused and continued living in a tent. Although devoutly sufi muslim, he would employ Jews and Christians and put them in sensitive positions. Yet again the French were frustrated not satisfied with the Treaty of Tafna and in November 1839 reneged on the treaty and sent back General Desmichels but this time with specific instruction of scorched earth policy and behind the scene may a deal with the Berbers who hitherto supported AbdelKader. In 1842 AbdelKadir released his French captives because he did not have food to feed them and on 21 December 1847 he saw the futility of continuing the fight he surrendered to the French on the condition that he would be allowed to go to either Alexandria or Acre. On the documents evidencing his surrender he wrote: “And God undoes what my hand has done”. Needless to say the French refused to honour the terms of his surrender. AbdelKadir, his extended family and select number of close followers were shipped to France as captives!

After some seven years under house arrest in France during which some 25 members of his family and followers died (see memorial monument), and floods of representations, which included that of the poet Victor Hugo, and Lord Londonderry, for his release on 16th October 1852, President Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte released him and gave him a pension of 100,000 francs upon promising never again to be involved in Algeria. After a short stay in Bursa, current day Turkey, in 1855 he went to Amara District in Damascus where he stayed and died in 1883 aged 74. On his way to Damascus AbdelKhadir dropped to see Charles Henry Churchill at his residence in the village of Abey in the Chouf Mountains Lebanon. Charles Henry Churchill became very close friend of Abdelkhadir and later wrote a book dedicated to the humanity, courage, and nobility of the man.

The humanity, courage, and nobility of AbdelKader ibn Muhieddine attracted the attention and the honourary awards of the entirety of Europe, that of the Vatican, and more specifically that of Abraham Lincoln who sent him a pair of inlaid pistols that are now on display in the Algiers Museum. 

Abraham Lincoln's gift to AbdelKadir

What did AbdelKhader do to deserve this worldwide accolade? In 1860 he and his handful of surviving Algerian followers stood up against marauding Druse and other fanatics stirred up by the Ottoman that had nearly wiped out the Maronite Christian community in Mount, and Southern Lebanon, and were now moving to complete the job in Damascus, Syria.

This display of courage and humanity is the specific topic of the next blog (Part II).

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Tomb at Chateau d’Ambois of 25 members

Of AbdelKader’s retinue who died during

imprisonment .