Emir Abdelkader
Abdelkader ibn Muhieddine (6 September 1808 – 26 May 1883; Arabic: عبد القادر ابن محيي الدين ʿAbd al-Qādir ibn Muḥyiddīn), known as the Emir Abdelkader or Abdelkader El Djezairi, was an Algerian religious and military leader who led a struggle against the French colonial invasion in the mid-19th century.
| Emir Abdelkader El Djezairi عـبـد الـقـادر الـجـزائـري | |
|---|---|
 Photographed by Étienne Carjat in 1865 | |
| Native name | عـبـد الـقـادر الـجـزائـري |
| Birth name | Abdelkader ibn Muhieddine al-Hasani- |
| Born | September 6, 1808 Guetna, Algeria[1] |
| Died | May 26, 1883 (aged 74) Damascus, Syria[1] |
| Buried at | El Alia Cemetery |
| Rank | Emir |
| Battles/wars | Battle of Macta Battle of Sig Battle of Sidi-Brahim |
| Awards | Legion of Honour (Grand Cross) Order of Pius IX First Class of the Order of the Medjidie Order of the Redeemer (Grand Cross) |
Early life
In his childhood, he learned and memorized the Holy Quran and studied linguistics.
When Algeria was invaded by France in 1830, he began a rebellion against the French for a decade until 1842 with a number of tribes.
In 1837, he signed the Treaty of Tafna with Marshall Bugeaud. But King Louis-Philippe broke the treaty two years later, leading Emir to declare against Jihad on October 15, 1839. In 1847, he was exiled to France from 1847 to October 1852. When he was released by Napoleon III, Emir then took up his residence in Damascus. In July 1860, he ceased a conflict between Muslims and Christians. While he was in Damascus, he wrote books and composed poesy.
Emir Abdelkader died on the May 26, 1883 and was buried in Damascus. On July 5, 1966, the Algerian government brought his remains back to Algeria to be interred on the occasion of the fourth anniversary of independence and the 136th anniversary of the French conquest. A mosque bearing his name has been constructed as a national shrine in Constantine. He is seen by the Algerians as their national hero.
Emir Abdelkader Media
Map of Emir Abd al-Qadir state between 1836 and 1839
The Emirate of Abdelkader at its greatest extent
Artistic representation of Abd al-Qadir's surrender in 1847
Tomb at the Château d'Amboise of 25 members of Abdelkader's retinue who died during their imprisonment, including one of his wives, one of his brothers, and two of his children
Abdelkader saving Christians during the Druze/Christian strife of 1860. Painting by Jan-Baptist Huysmans.
Two Colt Dragoon revolvers, Lincoln's gift to the Emir
Abdelkader in Damascus during 1862
Portrait of Abd el-Kader (1864) by Stanisław Chlebowski
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Abdelkader". Encyclopædia Britannica (15th) I: A-Ak - Bayes. (2010). Chicago, Illinois: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.. 18–19.