Berber
\nThe
Berbers (also called
Amazigh, "free men", pl.
Imazighen) are a predominantly
Caucasoid, predominantly
Muslim (but also
Jewish ,
Christian, and
atheist)
ethnic group living in
northern Africa. They speak the
Berber languages of the
Afroasiatic family. There are between 14 million and 25 million speakers of Berber languages in
North Africa (see Berber languages#Population.)
They are generally agreed to descend from the
Neolithic Capsian culture, which appeared in North Africa around 10,000-8000 BC, and probably came, according to the historian Christopher Ehret, from the African coast of the
Red Sea. Some have regarded this culture's population as simply a continuation of the earlier
Mesolithic Ibero-Maurusian culture, which appeared about 15,000 BC, while others argue for a population change; the former view has some support from dental evidence
[1]. Genetic evidence seems to indicate that the Berbers are descended from several waves of immigration into the area
[1], some as much as 50,000 years old. However, the Berber language is
Afro-Asiatic, and since most linguists regard Afro-Asiatic as originating somewhere near the coast of the
Red Sea, this is usually taken to imply that the language was brought in, with some degree of population change, no earlier than 15,000 BC
[1], probably as part of the original spread of agriculture during the
Neolithic. \nIn historical times, they have expanded south into the
Sahara (displacing earlier black African populations such as the Azer and Bafour), and have in turn been assimilated or displaced in much of North Africa by
Arabs, particularly following the incursion of the
Banu Hilal in the 11th century.
Berber groups are first mentioned in writing by the ancient Egyptians, who fought against the "Lebu" (Libyans) on their western borders, and in
945 BC were conquered by Lebu who founded the Twenty-Sixth Dynasty. They long remained the main population of the Western Desert; the
Byzantine chroniclers often complain of the "Mazices" (Amazigh) raiding outlying monasteries.
The Berbers live mainly in
Morocco (between 35%- 80% of the population) and in
Algeria (about 15%-33% of the population), as well as
Libya and
Tunisia, though exact statistics are unavailable
[1]; see Berber languages#Population. Most North Africans who consider themselves
Arab also have significant
Berber ancestry
[1]. One particularly prominent Berber group are the
Kabyles of northern Algeria, who number approximately 4 million and have kept, to a large degree, their original language and culture. Other noteworthy groups include the Shilha of south Morocco, the Riffians of north Morocco, the
Chaouia of Algeria, and the
Tuareg of the
Sahara. There are approximately 3 million Berber immigrants in
Europe, especially the Riffians and the
Kabyles in the
Netherlands and
France. Some proportion of the inhabitants of the
Canary Islands are descended from the aboriginal
Guanches - usually considered to have been Berber - among whom a few Canary Islander customs, such as the eating of gofio, originated.
Although stereotyped in the West as nomads, most Berbers were in fact traditionally farmers, living in the mountains relatively close to near the Mediterranean coast, or oasis dwellers; the
Tuareg and
Zenaga of the southern
Sahara, however, were nomadic. Some groups, such as the Chaouis, practiced
transhumance.
Political tensions have arisen between some Berber groups (especially the
Kabyle) and North African governments over the past few decades, partly over linguistic and cultural issues; for instance, in
Morocco, giving children Berber names is banned.
The
Berber is a
horse breed bred by the Berber people.
Berbers in Al-Andalus
\nThe Moslems who entered Spain in 711 were mainly Berbers, and were led by a Berber, Tariq ibn Ziyad. A second mixed army of Arabs and Berber came in 712 with the Arab leader Musa ibn Nusayr, and are claimed to have formed approximately 66% of the Islamic population in Spain, and supposedly that is the reason why they helped the Umayyad caliph Abd ar-Rahman I in Spain, because his mother was a Berber woman. During the Taifa era, the petty kings came from a variety of ethnic groups; some - for instance the Zirid kings of Granada - were of Berber origin. The Taifa period ended when a Berber dynasty - the Almoravids from Mauritania - took over Spain; they were succeeded by the Almohad dynasty from Morocco, during which time al-Andalus flourished.\nIn the power hierarchy, Berbers were situated between the Arabic aristocracy and the Muladi populace.\nEthnic rivalries were one of the factors of Andalusi politics.
Initially they settled the Cantabric Mounts, the Central System and the Andalusian mountains.
After the fall of the Caliphate, the taifa kingdoms of Toledo, Badajoz, Málaga and Granada had Berber rulers.
Famous Berbers
\nIn Ancient Times
\n*Sheshonq I (Egyptian Pharaoh of Libyan origin)\n* Masinissa, King of Numidia, North Africa, present day Algeria and Tunisia.\n* Jugurtha, King of Numidia\n*Juba II, King of Numidia\n*Terence (Publius Terentius Afer), Roman writer\n*Apuleius, Roman writer ("half-Numidian, half-Gaetulian")\n*Tacfarinas, who fought the Romans in the Aures Mountains\n*Saint Augustine (from Thagaste; his mother's name, Monica, was Berber, although he grew up speaking Punic)\n*Monica his mother\n*Arius (who proposed the Arian doctrine)\n*Donatus (leader of the Donatist schism)\n*Macrinus
In Medieval Times
\n*Dihya or al-Kahina\n*Aksil or Kusayla\n*Salih ibn Tarif of the Berghouata\n*Tariq ibn Ziyad, one of the leaders of the Moorish invasion of Spain in 711.\n*Ibn Tumart, founder of the Almohad dynasty\n*Yusuf ibn Tashfin, founder of the Almoravid dynasty\n* Ibn Battuta (1304 - 1377), Moroccan traveller and explorer\n*al-Ajurrumi (famous grammarian of Arabic)\n*Fodhil al-Warthilani, traveler and religious scholar of the 1700's\n*Abu Yaqub Yusuf I, who had the Giralda in Seville built.\n*Abu Yaqub Yusuf II, who had the Torre de Oro in Seville built.\n*Ziri ibn Manad founder of the Zirid dynasty \n*Sidi Mahrez Tunisian saint \n*Ibn Al Djazzar famous doctor of Kairouan, 980.
In Modern Times
\n*Abd el-Krim, leader of the Rif guerrillas against the Spanish and French colonizers.\n*Lalla Fatma n Soumer, woman who led western Kabylie in battle against French colonizers\n*Si Mohand, Kabyle folk poet\n*Lounes Matoub, Algerian singer.\n*Ali Lmrabet, Moroccan journalist.\n*Zinedine Zidane (1972 - ), French football superstar.\n*Mohamed Choukri (famous writer)\n*Hocine Ait Ahmed, Algerian revolutionary fighter and politican\n*Liamine Zeroual\n*Mouloud Feraoun, Algerian writer\n*Abane Ramdane, Algerian revolutionary fighter\n*Krim Belkacem, Algerian revolutionary fighter\n*Mohamed Chafik\n* Ahmed Ouyahia, Prime Minister of Algeria\n* Driss Jettou, Prime Minister of Morocco\n*Didouche Mourad \n*Tahar Djaout \n*Colonel Amirouche \n*Idir - singer \n*Ait Menguellet - singer \n*Cherif Khedam - composer \n*Sliman Azem - singer \n*Cheikh El Hasnaoui - singer
Famous People who were either Berber or Punic
\n*Septimus Severus (Roman emperor from the mainly Punic Libyan city of Lepcis Magna, founded by Phoenicians)\n*Caracalla, his son\n*Tertullian, an early Christian theologian (born in the highly multiethnic, Phoenician-founded city of Carthage)\n*Vibia Perpetua (early Christian martyr, also born in Carthage)\n*Cyprian (also born in Carthage)
Famous People who may have had some Berber ancestors
Nearly all North Africans - and many Andalusi Moors - fall and fell into this category, but do not in general identify themselves as Berber. For lists of them, look under the respective countries.
See also
\n*Kabyle\n*Zenata\n*Senhaja\n*Tuareg, a Saharan Berber group\n*Berber languages\n*Barbary Coast\n*Tamazgha, Berber name for North Africa.\n*Berber Jews\n*Berber nationalism
External links
\n*Amazigh links some of which are in English\n*North African Kingdom of Numidia (Warning: Popup trap, tries to install spyware)\n*Tawalt\n*http://www.myrine.at/Berber/berber.html\n*http://berber.startkabel.nl/
Category:Ethnic groups\nCategory:Ancient Peoples\nCategory:History of the Maghreb\nCategory:Maghreb\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
