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The Chaoui people or ''Shawia'' ( arq, الشاوية, shy, Išawiyen) are an
Amazigh , image = File:Berber_flag.svg , caption = The Berber ethnic flag , population = 36 million , region1 = Morocco , pop1 = 14 million to 18 million , region2 = Algeria , pop2 ...
(Berber)
ethnic group An ethnic group or an ethnicity is a grouping of people who identify with each other on the basis of shared attributes that distinguish them from other groups. Those attributes can include common sets of traditions, ancestry, language, history, ...
to the Aurès region in northeastern
Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , relig ...
which spans Batna and Khenchla,
Oum El Bouaghi Oum El Bouaghi ( ar, أم البواقي) is a municipality in Algeria. It is the capital of Oum El Bouaghi Province Oum El Bouaghi or Oum el-Bouaghi ( ar, ولاية أم البواقي) is a province (''wilaya'') of Algeria in the Aures re ...
provinces located in and surrounded by the
Aurès Mountains The Aures Mountains ( ar, جبال الأوراس) are an eastern prolongation of the Atlas Mountain System that lies to the east of the Saharan Atlas in northeastern Algeria and northwestern Tunisia, North Africa. The mountain range gives its nam ...
. They also live in provinces of
Tébessa Tébessa or Tebessa ( ar, تبسة ''Tibissa'', ''Tbessa'' or ''Tibesti''), the classical Theveste, is the capital city of Tébessa Province region of northeastern Algeria. It hosts several historical landmarks, the most important one being the w ...
,
Constantine Constantine most often refers to: * Constantine the Great, Roman emperor from 306 to 337, also known as Constantine I *Constantine, Algeria, a city in Algeria Constantine may also refer to: People * Constantine (name), a masculine given name ...
, Setif and other parts of Eastern
Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , relig ...
coextensive with ancient
Massylii The Massylii or Maesulians were a Berber federation in eastern Numidia, which was formed by an amalgamation of smaller tribes during the 4th century BC.Nigel Bagnall, The Punic Wars, p. 270. They were ruled by a king. On their loosely defined wester ...
of
Numidia Numidia ( Berber: ''Inumiden''; 202–40 BC) was the ancient kingdom of the Numidians located in northwest Africa, initially comprising the territory that now makes up modern-day Algeria, but later expanding across what is today known as Tunis ...
, as well as in some parts of adjacent North-Western
Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = , capital = Tunis , largest_city = capital , ...
. They call themselves ''Išawiyen''/''Icawiyen'' (pronounced ) and speak the
Shawiya language Shawiya, or Shawiya Berber, also spelt Chaouïa (native form: ''Tacawit'' ), is a Zenati Berber language spoken in Algeria by the Shawiya people. The language's primary speech area is the Awras Mountains in Eastern Algeria and the surrounding a ...
. They are the second largest
Tell Atlas The Tell Atlas ( ar, الاطلس التلي, Latn, ar, al-ʾaṭlas al-tlī) is a mountain chain over in length, belonging to the Atlas mountain ranges in North Africa, stretching mainly across northern Algeria, with ends in both north-easter ...
Amazigh , image = File:Berber_flag.svg , caption = The Berber ethnic flag , population = 36 million , region1 = Morocco , pop1 = 14 million to 18 million , region2 = Algeria , pop2 ...
-speaking ethnicity , alongside
Kabyles The Kabyle people ( kab, Izwawen or ''Leqbayel'' or ''Iqbayliyen'', ) are a Berber ethnic group indigenous to Kabylia in the north of Algeria, spread across the Atlas Mountains, east of Algiers. They represent the largest Berber-speaking populat ...
and
Chenouas The Chenouis or Chenoua (in Berber: Icenwiyen) are a Berber-speaking population native to Algeria. They are concentrated in the west-central mountains. The traditional area goes from Fouka (Tipaza province) until Ténès (Chlef province). Po ...
.


History

Historically, the
Aurès Mountains The Aures Mountains ( ar, جبال الأوراس) are an eastern prolongation of the Atlas Mountain System that lies to the east of the Saharan Atlas in northeastern Algeria and northwestern Tunisia, North Africa. The mountain range gives its nam ...
served as a refuge for
Berber people , image = File:Berber_flag.svg , caption = The Berber flag, Berber ethnic flag , population = 36 million , region1 = Morocco , pop1 = 14 million to 18 million , region2 = Algeria , p ...
s, forming a base of resistance against the
Roman Empire The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post-Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings around the Mediterr ...
, the
Vandals The Vandals were a Germanic peoples, Germanic people who first inhabited what is now southern Poland. They established Vandal Kingdom, Vandal kingdoms on the Iberian Peninsula, Mediterranean islands, and North Africa in the fifth century. The ...
, the
Byzantine Empire The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...
and
Arabs The Arabs (singular: Arab; singular ar, عَرَبِيٌّ, DIN 31635: , , plural ar, عَرَب, DIN 31635, DIN 31635: , Arabic pronunciation: ), also known as the Arab people, are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in Wester ...
. Aurès was also a district of Algeria that existed during and after the
Algerian War The Algerian War, also known as the Algerian Revolution or the Algerian War of Independence,( ar, الثورة الجزائرية '; '' ber, Tagrawla Tadzayrit''; french: Guerre d'Algérie or ') and sometimes in Algeria as the War of 1 November ...
from 1954 to 1962. It was in this region that Berber independence fighters started the war. The patriarch of Berbers is believed to have been ''Madghacen'', the common ancestor of the
Zenata The Zenata (Berber language: Iznaten) are a group of Amazigh (Berber) tribes, historically one of the largest Berber confederations along with the Sanhaja and Masmuda. Their lifestyle was either nomadic or semi-nomadic. Etymology ''Iznaten (ⵉ ...
and of the Botri as well.
Ibn Khaldun Ibn Khaldun (; ar, أبو زيد عبد الرحمن بن محمد بن خلدون الحضرمي, ; 27 May 1332 – 17 March 1406, 732-808 AH) was an Arab The Historical Muhammad', Irving M. Zeitlin, (Polity Press, 2007), p. 21; "It is, of ...
identified the Zenata as Berbers. Modern historians rank this Berber region within the group of
Numidians The Numidians were the Berber population of Numidia (Algeria and in smaller parts of Tunisia and Morocco). The Numidians were one of the earliest Berber tribes to trade with Carthaginian settlers. As Carthage grew, the relationship with the Nu ...
and Gaetuli or the much more ancient Meshwesh, Maesulians and Mazaxes, from whom the Zenata formed, the main inhabitants of the Aurès in the
Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...
. Chaoui clans known by Ibn Khaldoun were the Ifren, Maghrawa, Djerawa, Abdalwadides, Howara and Awarba. According to
de Slane William McGuckin (also Mac Guckin and MacGuckin), known as Baron de Slane (Belfast, Ireland, 12 August 1801 - Paris, France, 4 August 1878) was an Irish orientalist. He became a French national on 31 December 1838. and held the post of the Princ ...
, translator of the books of Ibn Khaldun, the term Chaoui/Shawi means "
shepherd A shepherd or sheepherder is a person who tends, herds, feeds, or guards flocks of sheep. ''Shepherd'' derives from Old English ''sceaphierde (''sceap'' 'sheep' + ''hierde'' 'herder'). ''Shepherding is one of the world's oldest occupations, i ...
" and designates the Zenata Berbers. After the independence of Algeria, the Chaouis remained localized mainly in the Auresian region. They are the second largest Berber-speaking group in terms of number of speakers, the first being the Kabyle.


Language

The Chaoui traditionally speak the
Shawiya language Shawiya, or Shawiya Berber, also spelt Chaouïa (native form: ''Tacawit'' ), is a Zenati Berber language spoken in Algeria by the Shawiya people. The language's primary speech area is the Awras Mountains in Eastern Algeria and the surrounding a ...
(''Berber:'' Tachawit). It belongs to the Berber branch of the
Afro-Asiatic The Afroasiatic languages (or Afro-Asiatic), also known as Hamito-Semitic, or Semito-Hamitic, and sometimes also as Afrasian, Erythraean or Lisramic, are a language family of about 300 languages that are spoken predominantly in the geographic su ...
family, and is a variety of the
Zenati languages The Zenati languages are a branch of the Northern Berber language family of North Africa. They were named after the medieval Zenata Berber tribal confederation. They were first proposed in the works of French linguist Edmond Destaing (1915) (19 ...
. Shawiya is a closely related cluster of dialects spoken in the Aurès region (''Berber:'' Awras) of eastern Algeria and surrounding areas including Batna,
Khenchela Khenchela ancient Mascula ( ar, خنشلة) is the capital city of the administrative Khenchela Province (''Wilaya''), number 40, in the north east of Algeria. Situated in the Aures Mountains, 1200 m above sea level. The city is mainly popu ...
, south
Sétif Sétif ( ar, سطيف, ber, Sṭif) is the capital of the Sétif Province in Algeria. It is one of the most important cities of eastern Algeria and the country as a whole, since it is considered the trade capital of the country. It is an inner ci ...
,
Oum El Bouaghi Oum El Bouaghi ( ar, أم البواقي) is a municipality in Algeria. It is the capital of Oum El Bouaghi Province Oum El Bouaghi or Oum el-Bouaghi ( ar, ولاية أم البواقي) is a province (''wilaya'') of Algeria in the Aures re ...
,
Souk Ahras Souk Ahras ( Berber: ''Tagast''; ancient name: ''Thagast''; ar, سوق أهراس) is a municipality in Algeria. It is the capital of Souk Ahras Province. The Numidian city of Thagaste (or Tagaste), on whose ruins Souk Ahras was built, was the bi ...
,
Tébessa Tébessa or Tebessa ( ar, تبسة ''Tibissa'', ''Tbessa'' or ''Tibesti''), the classical Theveste, is the capital city of Tébessa Province region of northeastern Algeria. It hosts several historical landmarks, the most important one being the w ...
, and the north part of
Biskra Biskra ( ar, بسكرة ; ; Latin Vescera) is the capital city of Biskra Province, Algeria. In 2007, its population was recorded as 307,987. Biskra is located in northeastern Algeria, about 248 miles (400 km) from Algiers, 71 miles (115&nbs ...
. Recently the Shawiya language, together with the
Kabyle language Kabyle () or Kabylian (; native name: ''Taqbaylit'' , ) is a Berber language spoken by the Kabyle people in the north and northeast of Algeria. It is spoken primarily in Kabylia, east of the capital Algiers and in Algiers itself, but also by va ...
, has begun to achieve some cultural prominence due to the Berber cultural and political movements in
Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , relig ...
.


Culture and art

Chaoui music is a specific style of
Berber music Amazigh music refers to the musical traditions of the Imazighen, an ethnic group native to the Maghreb, as well, as parts of the Sahara, Nile Valley, West Africa. Berber music varies widely across North-West Africa and some of the best known va ...
. The Shawia dance is called Rahaba; men and women dancing at weddings. There are many 20th century singers, such as Aïssa Djermouni, Ali Khencheli, Massinissa, Ishem Boumaraf, Djamel Sabri, Groupe Iwal, Houria Aïchi, etc. Chaoui painters and sculptors (of whom there are many) include Cherif Merzouki,
Abdelkhader Houamel Abdelkhader Houamel (August 17, 1936 – July 11, 2018) was an Algerian painter. Born in N'Gaous, he is considered to be among the founders of contemporary Algerian painting. Between 1955 and 1960, Abdelkhader Houamel was an active member of ...
, Hassane Amraoui,
Adel Abdessemed Adel Abdessemed (born 1971) is an Algerian-French contemporary artist. He has worked in a variety of artistic media, media, including animation, installation art, installation, performance art, performance, sculpture and video art, video. Som ...
, and Mohamed Demagh. The
fantasia Fantasia International Film Festival (also known as Fantasia-fest, FanTasia, and Fant-Asia) is a film festival that has been based mainly in Montreal since its founding in 1996. Regularly held in July of each year, it is valued by both hardcore ...
is a traditional exhibition of horsemanship in the Aurès performed during cultural festivals. The Chaoui were featured in Amor Hakkar's 2008 film '' La Maison jaune''.


References


Bibliography

* Basset A., ''Atlas linguistique des parlers berbères'', Alger, 1936 and 1939 (+ cartes). * Basset A., "Présentation de cartes linguistiques berbères", ''Comptes Rendus du Groupe Linguistique d’Études Chamito-Sémitiques'', 1–2, 1934/1937, p. 42/p. 81-82. * Basset, A., "Sur la toponymie berbère et spécialement sur la toponymie chaouïa Aït Frah", ''Onomastica'', 1948, p. 123-126. * Basset A., ''Textes berbères de l'Aurès (parler des Aït Frah), Paris, Publ. de l'Institut d'Etudes Orientales'', 1961. * Basset R., ''Loqmân berbère'' ... , Paris, 1890 (15 textes de l’Aurès). * Basset R., "Notice sur le chaouïa de la province de Constantine (Sedrata)", ''Journal asiatique'', 1896, 36p. * Boughida B.K., ''Bibliographie sur l’Aurès de 1830 à 1880'', 103p., 2cartes, 760 réf. Bibl.:Mémoirede Licence Institut de bibliothéconomie Univ. De Constantine. * Boulhaïs, N., "Recherches sur l'Aurès, bibliographie ordonnée", ''Etudes et Documents Berbères 15-16 (1998)'', pp. 284–312. * Chaker S., "Chaoui/Chaouia (linguistique/littérature)", ''Encyclopédie berbère'', XII, Aix-en-Provence, Edisud, 1993, p. 1875-1877. * Chaker S., "Aurès (linguistique)", ''Encyclopédie berbère'', VIII, Aix-en-Provence, Edisud, 1989–90, p. 1162-1169. * Dejeux J., "La Kahina: de l’Histoire à la fiction littéraire. Mythe et épopée", ''Studi Magrebini'', 15, 1983, p. 1-42. * Dejeux J., "Le bandit d’honneur en Algérie, de la réalité et l’oralité à la fiction", ''Études et Documents Berbères'', 4, 1988, p. 39-60 (deux poèmes sur Ben Zelmat, p. 56-7). * Dejeux J., ''Les femmes d’Algérie; légendes, tradition, histoire, littérature'', Paris, la Boîte à documents, 1987, 347 p. * , "Un conte chaouï: Hend utteγyult", ''Awal, Cahiers d’études berbères'', 1, 1985, p. 163-175. * Djarallah A., "Baγyay, un conte chaouï", ''Awal, Cahiers d’études berbères'', 3, 1987, p. 198-201. * Djarallah A., "Un conte dans le parler des Aït Abdi (Aurès méridional)", ''Études et Documents Berbères'', 4, 1988, p. 139-142. * Djeghloul A., ''Éléments d’histoire culturelle algérienne'', Alger : ENAL, 1984, 244 p. * Faublée J. "A propos de Thérèse Rivière (1901-1970) et de ses missions dans l’Aurès",''Études et Documents Berbères'', 4, 1988, 94-102. * Fery R., "Aurès (Le Haf)", ''Encyclopédie Berbère'', (43), 1988, 1p. * Galand L., "Libyque et berbère", ''Annuaire EPHE'' (IVe section), 1977–78, p. 199-212. * Gaudry M., ''La femme chaouïa de l’Aurès'', Étude de sociologie berbère, Paris, P. Geuthner, 1929 (texte poétique, p. 274-279). * Hamouda N., "Les femmes rurales de l’Aurès et la production poétique", ''Peuples méditerranéens'', 22–23, 1983, p. 267-269 (texte poétique). * Huyghe R.P., ''Dictionnaire français-chaouïa'' (Qamūs rūmi-caui), Alger, Jourdan, 1906, 750 p. * Huyghe R.P., ''Dictionnaire chaouïa-arabe-kabyle- français'', Alger, 1907, 571 p. * Joly A., ''Le chaouiya des Ouled Sellem, suivi d’un vocabulaire'', Alger, 1912, 88 p. (= Revue africaine, 1911–4, p. 441-449 et 1912–2, p. 219-266). * Lafkioui M. & Merolla D., ''Contes berbères chaouis de l'Aurès d'après Gustave Mercier.'' Köln, Köppe, 2002. * Maougal M., "L’arabisation des Chaouïa", ''Nedjma'', Paris, 1, 1981, p. 20-42. * Maougal M., "Une étude sociolinguistique en pays chaouïa", ''Nedjma'', Paris, 6, 1984, p. 35-50. * Masqueray, E., ''Comparaison d’un vocabulaire des Zenaga avec les vocabulaires correspondents des dialectes Chawia et des Beni Mzab'', Paris, Imprimerie Nationale, (Archives des missions scientifiques et littéraires 3/5), 1879, p. 473-533. * Masqueray, E., ''Formation des cités chez les populations sédentaires de l’Algérie. Kabyles du Djurdjura'', ''Chaouia de l’Aourâs'', Beni Mezâb. (Réed.) Aix-en-Provence, Edisud, 1886–1983, 374 p. (Archives maghrébines, CRESM) (Fac-sim. Del’éd. De Paris, Leroux, 1886). * Masqueray, E., "Le Djebel-Chechar", ''Revue africaine'', 22, 1878, p. 26-48, 129–145, 202–214, 259–281, 1885, p. 72-110. * Masqueray, E., "Traditions de l’Aourâs oriental", ''Bulletin de Correspondance africaine'', 3/185, p. 72-110. * Masqueray, E., "Voyage dans l’Aourâs", ''Bulletin de la Société de Géographie'', juillet 1876 (texte, p. 55-56). * Mercier G., ''Cinq textes berbères en dialecte chaouïa'', Paris, Imprimerie Nationale, 1900. (Journal asiatique). * Mercier G., "Étude sur la toponymie berbère de la région de l’Aurès", ''Actes du XIe Congrès International des Orientalistes'', Paris, 1897, sect. "Egypte et langues africaines", p. 173-207. * Mercier G., ''Le chaouïa de l'Aurès'' (dialecte de l'Ahmar-Khaddou) (Étude grammaticale, texte en dialecte chaouïa) Paris, Publications de la Faculté des Lettres d'Alger, 1896, 326 p. (Bulletin de correspondance africaine 17). * Mercier G., "Les noms des plantes en dialecte chaouïa de l’Aurès", ''XVIe Congrès International des Orienatlistes'', Alger, 1905, 2/4, p. 79-92. * Merolla D., "Il ‘Tempo di Roma’ in alcuni racconti orali dei gruppi berberofoni chaouia dell Aures (Algéria)", ''Studi e materiali di Storia delle religioni'', 54 (12-1), 1988, p. 133-150. * Morizot J., ''L’Aurès ou le mythe de la montagne rebelle'', Paris, l’Harmattan, 1991, 273 p. * ''Note concernant les Aoulad-Daoud du Mont-Aurès'' (Aourâs), Alger, A. Jourdan, 1879 * Papier A., "De l’étymologie des mots employés par les Grecs, les Romains, les Arabes pour désigner le Djebel Aurès", ''Revue de l’Afrique française'', 1887. * Penchoen Th.G., ''Etude syntaxique d'un parler ber''bère (Ait Frah de l'Aurès), Napoli, Istituto Universitario Orientale(= Studi magrebini V), 1973, 217p. * Plault, "Études berbères, La langue berbère dans la commune mixte de Barika", ''Revue africaine'', 1946, p. 194-207, (vocabulaire, bovins). * Riviere Th., "Coutumes agricoles de l’Aurès", ''Études et Documents berbères'', 3, 1987, p. 124-152 (informations sur les documents recueillis par Th. R., Cinq textes de chansons, p. 148-152). * Servier J., Chants de femmes de l’Aurès, Thèse complémentaire pour le doctorat des Lettres, Paris, 1995 (Inédite). * Sierakowsky A., ''Das Schaui, ein Beitrag zur berberischen Sprach- und Volkskunde'', Dresde, Kraszewski, 1871, 137 p. * Sorand C., "La Fibule berbère: le type chaouïa", AWAL No.3, Paris, 1987 et CNRS: * Stricker B.H., "Compte rendu de: A. Basset, ''Textes berbères de l’Aurès, 1961'', Kroniek van Afrika, Leyde, 1967, p. 122-125. * Stuhlmann F., ''Die Kulturgeschichtlicher Ausflug in den Aures'', Atlas von Süd-Algerien, Hamburg, Friederichsen, 1912, XII/205 p., ill. * Stumme H., ''Arabische und berberische Dialekte'', Berlin, 1928, p. 14-19. * ''Tafsut'' (série normale, Tizi-Ouzou), 4, 1982, p. 24-28: Dihya, neγ tigγri n Wawras (Dihya, ou l’appel des Aurès), (texte berbère sur une chanteuse aurésienne). * Vycichl W., "Un probléme de cartographie historique: Claude Ptolémée et la cartographie de la Tunisie actuelle", ''Polyphème'' (Genève), 1, 1969, 31–33. (dénominations des points cardinaux).


External links

*
Pictures of Chaouis

Videos in Chaoui

chawinet.com
(in French) * http://www.truveo.com/khouya-ya-chaoui/id/2928217872
''Among the hill-folk of Algeria: journeys among the Shawía of the Aurès Mountains (1921)''
by Melville William Hilton-Simpson {{authority control Berber peoples and tribes Berbers in Algeria Ethnic groups in Algeria Indigenous peoples of North Africa