Lalla Aicha, regent of Touggourt

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Lalla Aicha (Arabic: للا عائشة) (known as Aichouche) (Arabic: عيشوشة) was regent of Touggourt from 1832–1846[1] or c. 1833.[2]

Life[]

She was from the Ben-Gana family,[3] which was granted the title ‘cheikh el-Arab’ by the French.[4][5][6] Some sources state her as the wife of Amer, Sultan of Touggourt (1822–1830),[7] while others as widow of Ibrahim III, Sultan of Touggourt (1830–1831).[8] Aisha was the mother of Sultan Abd ar-Rahman (1840–52).

Upon Sultan Amar's death Ibrahim became Sultan while his brother Ali (future Sultan Ali II) became khalifa. Shortly after his coronation Sultan Ibrahim did a pilgrimage to Mecca and his interim was fulfilled by Ali. Upon returning Sultan Ibrahim took back his responsibilities but Ali rapidly came to assassinate him and usurped power.[8]

Lalla Aicha, Sultan Ibrahim's widow,[8] and a faction of courtiers rebelled against her brother-in-law Sultan Ali (Sulayman IV's father). Sultan Ali was in turn, poisoned on Aicha's orders.[8] She then took power in the name of her son Abd er-Rahman, then aged eight and became regent by taking the title khalifa (viceroy).[9][10] Aicha and her partisans maintained power by killing other potential rivals, including Sulayman's infant son.[11] Aicha, as regent, took over the direction of government and managed state affairs with great ability. Accounts say that she rode a horse, wore pistols on her belt and even smoked tekrouri (hemp). She governed the state on her own until her son was old enough to take over.[3]

According to an 1854 account by Sulayman IV, last of the Beni Djellab Sultans, the period of Lalla Aicha's rule was characterized by extreme violence within the ruling family, although this was not entirely unusual.[11]

References[]

  1. ^ Willy Jansen (1987). Women Without Men: Gender and Marginality in an Algerian Town. Brill Archive. p. 83. ISBN 90-04-08345-6.
  2. ^ Cahoon, Ben. "Algeria". worldstatesmen.org. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
  3. ^ a b "تاريخ دولة بني جلاب فرنسي". touggourt.org. جوهــــــرة الواحات تقــــرت. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
  4. ^ Benjamin C Brower (2009-07-07). A Desert Named Peace: The Violence of France's Empire in the Algerian Sahara, 1844-1902. Columbia University Press. p. 259. ISBN 978-0-231-51937-3.
  5. ^ Algeria: Tableau de la situation des établissements français dans l'Algérie en 1837-54. Journal des opérations de l'artillerie pendant l'expedition de Constantine, Oct. 1837. Tableau de la situation des établissements français dans l'Algérie précédé de l'exposé des motifs et du projet de loi, portant demande de crédits extraordinaires au titre de l'exercice. 1841. p. 4.
  6. ^ Kielstra, Nico (1987). "The decline of tribal organization in the Souf (S.E. Algeria)". Revue des mondes musulmans et de la Méditerranée. 45: 11–24. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
  7. ^ "سلاطيــــــــــــــن تقرت "فرنسي" (citing Magali-Boisnard, Sultans de Touggourt Paris: Paul Geuthner, 1933". touggourt.org. جوهــــــرة الواحات تقــــرت. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
  8. ^ a b c d Société archéologique, historique et géographique du département de Constantine (1868). Recueil des Notices et Memoires de la Société archéologique de la province de Constantine (SER2,VOL2) (PDF) (in French). L. Arnolet. p. 196.
  9. ^ Algeria: Moniteur algerién. Journal officiel de la colonie. nr. 532-880 (5 avril 1843-10 fevr. 1848) 2 v. 1843. p. 703.
  10. ^ Société archéologique, historique et géographique du département de Constantine (1868). Recueil des Notices et Memoires de la Société archéologique de la province de Constantine (SER2,VOL2) (PDF) (in French). L. Arnolet. p. 197.
  11. ^ a b René Pottier (1947). Histoire du Sahara. Nouvelles Editions Latines. pp. 97–. ISBN 978-2-7233-0859-5.
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