Amir
Abd al-Qadir was a militant anti-colonialist and a staunch fighter for independence. No single person had as much of an impact on
the Algerian independence movement in the 19th century. Abd al-Qadir served as the leader of the
resistance movement against the French forces; a movement that lasted seventeen
years. His views on Western imperialism
and Muslim reform were very influential not just in Algeria but throughout the
region. Al-Qadir’s impact outlived his
own life as he laid the blueprint for other resistance movements as well as the
successful revolution in Algeria in the 20th century.
History
Abd
al-Qadir was born in 1808 in Mascara, Algeria and is said to be a descendant of
the prophet Muhammad.[1] He intensely studied the Sufi tradiont of
Islam as a youth and was trained in the sciences.[2] His ancestry ran through much of the Sufi
branch of Islam. Abd al-Qadir’s grandfather reorganized the
Qadiriyya tariqah and al-Qadir’s father later became a shayk of this order.[3] Abd al-Qadir thus naturally became a leader
of the Qadiriyya later in the 19th century when Muslims turned
towards him for leadership and guidance.
After
years of strict schooling throughout Africa Abd al-Qadir began writing heavily
about Islam and its practices. He also
began to participate more in protests against the French colonists in Algeria. In the 1830’s Abd al-Qadir began formulating
ideas for a possible independence movement by building on the jihad against the
French for which his father had initiated.
In 1832 open conflict began with the French army while Abd al-Qadir had
scarcely enough unity among his own subordinates.
The
French government had tried to offer some concessions but Abd al-Qadir and his
supporters were not interested in piecemeal change. The revolution had begun and al-Qadir was the
leader. In 1835 the Algerians scored a
large victory at Macta by defeating the French handily. Raphael Danziger states that the “Disaster at
Macta was one of the worst military defeats sustained by the French during
their occupation in Algeria.”[4] The French took over 300 casualties and lost
its ability to fight in the region.[5]
The
largest problem faced by al-Qadir was the sheer size and capability of the
French Army. This was exacerbated when
the French looked for revenge after their humiliating defeat. The rest of the war was an example of a
superpower forcibly imposing its will on a lesser opponent. At Mascara the French walked into the city
with almost no resistance and the movement seemed to be dying.[6] Al-Qadir however proved to be a valiant
tactician and a true fighter because the resistance continued after the French
made mistake after mistake in Algeria.
The French army was frequently susceptible to interparty squabbling and
interference by politicians at home. The
French left the cities they had taken captive thinking that the war was
over. However al-Qadir attacked again
and again and regained much of what the Algerians had lost.[7]
The
Battle of Sikkak proved to be a thorough destruction of the al-Qadir’s forces
and future influence with his troops.
The Algerians attempted to fight the French out in the open and were
wiped off the field. Danziger states
“this unique attempt to beat the Europeans at their own game failed
completely.”[8] Much of al-Qadir’s thinly held tribes began
to fall apart through mistrust and backstabbing. The Algerian War had drawn to a close when
the army had been reduced as a fighting force and al-Qadir began making peace
overtures towards the French.[9] Later in 1847 he was captured and exiled by the
French.[10] He lived out the rest of his life in Turkey
and Damascus and died in 1883.[11]
After
the Algerian Wars, al-Qadir continued to write heavily on the topic of Islam
and independence. He argued heavily for Islamism
as a way to defeat Western imperialism.
Much of al-Qadir’s problems stemmed from the lack of stability and unity
among the Muslim tribes. Even after
defeat al-Qadir still believed fully in his cause. His influence lasted decades as the Algerians
would eventually gain full independence in 1962 from the French. Many of al-Qadir’s fighting tactics and ideas
were used in this successful revolution.
Ideology
Al-Qadir’s
ideology was based on Sufi tradition, specifically the Qadiriyya tariqah. He believed in the Islamic sciences as well
as mysticism.[12] Some of these beliefs were targets of
criticism by others because they were seen as contradictions to the
Qur’an. Like many Muslims al-Qadir was
strict in his study of the Qur’an and the Hadith. However, as we can see in his relation to
Europe, he did display some openness to the West. He realized the West’s superiority in
technology and its influence in the world.
Throughout the Algerian wars he made repeated attempts to ally with both
Britain and the United States. In this
sense he was a sort of opportunist. In
order to win independence he had to take risks and make the most out of his opportunity. Later in life his writings became blueprints
for other movements and he is held in high esteem by the Muslim community.
Type of Activism
Al-Qadir
clearly favored violent methods of revolution rather than other types of
activism. Some of his contemporaries
exhibited passive assimilation or adaptationism. Al-Qadir strongly believed in defeating the
French through military force and instituting the principles of Islam in the
Algerian government. He is widely known
as the most famous militant leader of the 19th century and was “both
an able military commander and an effective political organizer.”[13] He not only wanted to win the war but also
establish a state. Voll states that
al-Qadir was “fundamentalist in spirit but willing to accept new techniques if
they would make his army and administration more effective.”[14]
Al-Qadir
also never accepted outright defeat at the hands of the French and continued to
firmly believe in independence. Some
leaders of the time became easily disheartened and quickly surrendered to the
ways of the West. Al-Qadir believed in preaching
Islam but also using politics and the military as the main methods of
resistance.
Al-Qadir’s
impact is immeasurable in terms of Algeria.
Voll states that “it was the individualistic style of Islam, which
emphasized charismatic and messianic leadership, that provided the vision
necessary for revolt in the face of French power.”[15] Al-Qadir’s style of leadership became the
basis for other revolutionary movements.
Although Algeria ceased resistance for some time following the Algerian
wars, the people once again rose up following World War 1 using the methods of
al-Qadir.[16]
[1]
The First English Journal of Traditional Studies, Amir Abd al-Qadir, 2007,
available from http://www.studiesincomparativereligion.com/public/authors/Amir-Abd-al-Qadir.aspx.
[2]
Ibid.
[3]
Ibid.
[4]Raphael
Danziger, Abd al-Qadir and the
Algerians: Resistance to the French and Internal Consolidation (New York,
London: Holmes & Meier Publishers, 1977), 117.
[5]
Ibid.
[6]
Ibid., 121.
[7]
Ibid., 123.
[8]
Ibid., 126.
[9]
Ibid., 130.
[10]
Jean-Michel Lafreniere, Abd al-Qadir, 2011, available from http://miltiades.org/Countries/Algeria/PersAlg/AlgeriaPersonality18011900/1808abdalqadir.html.
[11]
Ibid.
[12]
The First English Journal of Traditional Studies, Amir Abd al-Qadir.
[13]
John Obert Voll, Continuity and Change in
the Modern World (Syracuse: Syracuse University Press, 1994), 120
[14]
Ibid.
[15]
Ibid., 121.
[16]
Ibid.
Annotated Bibliography
Danziger, Raphael. Abd al-Qadir and the Algerians: Resistance
to the French and Internal Consolidation (New York, London: Holmes &
Meier Publishers, 1977), 117-130.
This source was very detailed about al-Qadir’s role in the
resistance movement. It does a great job
at looking at the French army compared to the Algerian tribes.
Lafreniere, Jean-Michel. “Abd
al-Qadir.” 2011.
http://miltiades.org/Countries/Algeria/PersAlg/AlgeriaPersonality18011900/1808abdalqaabd.html.
This
source was a basic biography of al-Qadir which took a chronological approach to
his life and actions.
Voll, John
Obert. Continuity and Change in the
Modern World, Second Edition (Syracuse, New York: Syracuse University
Press, 1994), 58-61.
This source was used for
research on al-Qadir. Much of his
history and background are focused upon in this book. A lot of insight on the impact of his methods
are given as well.
The First
English Journal of Traditional Studies. “Amir Abd al-Qadir.” Studies in Comparative Religion. 2007. http://www.studiesincomparativereligion.com/public/authors/Amir-Abd-al-Qadir.aspx.
This source was used for a
background and biography of al-Qadir.
Much of his beginnings are examined.
No comments:
Post a Comment