Ait Mokran

Ait Mokran
At Meqqran

Mokranis
Ait Mokran; At Meqqran; Mokranis
	Banner according to the Portuguese portolan, 1570.
Parent family	Hammadids
Country	Kingdom of Ait Abbas
Current region	Kabylia
Place of origin	Kalâa of Ait Abbas
Founded	1510
Founder	Ahmed I
Final ruler	Boumezrag Ait Mokran
Historic seat	Kalâa of Ait Abbas; Medjana Fort
Titles	Sultan of the Ait Abbas; Amokrane of the Ait Abbas; Cheikh of the Medjana; Sultan of the Medjana; Caliph of the Medjana
Traditions	Suffism
Deposition	1872

The Ait Mokran (Kabyle: At Meqqran), also known as Mokranis, were a Kabyle Berber dynasty of who originate from the Kalâa of Ait Abbas and are known for ruling on the Kingdom of Ait Abbas. It was founded in 1510 by Ahmed, first king of the Kalâa.

Etymology

The name 'Mokrani' derivates from the Berber word amokrane (Kabyle: ameqqran) meaning "great" or "leader". The name became a title under the rule of Ahmed Amokrane who ruled from 1556 to 1596.

History

Origin

The Ait Mokran were a dynasty of Kabyle origin descended from the Hammadids, who fled in the 11th century to their stronghold in the Medjana and later to the Kalâa of Ait Abbas as they were overwhelmed by Arab incursions.

Revolt

In 1871, the Mokranis, led by Mohand Amokrane, revolted against the French colonial authority in what is known as the Mokrani Revolt. The suppression of the revolt by the French army marked a decisive turning point for the family. Following the conflict, the Mokrani lost their power, bringing an end to their political authority. Many Kabyle insurgents, including members of the dynasty, were deported to New Caledonia.

Genealogy

The genealogy of the dynasty was reconstituted by the French historian Louis Rinn in his book "Histoire de l'insurrection de 1871 en Algérie":

Hammadids
- Abderrahmane (d. 1500), sultan of the Kalâa of Ait Hammad
  - Ahmed I (d. 1510), founder of the dynasty and first sultan of the Kalâa of Ait Abbas
    - Abdelaziz Ou Abbas (d. 1559), sultan of the Ait Abbas (1510–1559)
    - Ahmed II (d. 1596), amokrane (1559–1596)
      - Naceur Ait Mokran (d. 1600), amokrane (1596–1600)
        Betka Ait Mokran (d. 1680), amokrane and 1st cheikh of the Medjana (1600-1680)
        Bouzid I (d. 1735), amokrane and cheikh of the Medjana (1680–1735)
        Abdesselem Amokrane (d. 1784), amokrane (1783–1784) and head of the Ait Abdesselem
        Abdesselem (d. 1800)
        
        Lhadj Mohand Abdesselem (d. 1847)
        Aichouch
        
        Messaoud, leader of Ain Taghrout (1848)
        
        Mohand, leader of Ain Taghrout (1855–1871)
        
        Abderrebou (d. 1785)
        
        Lhadj (d. 1783), amokrane (1735–1783) and head of the Ait Lhadj
        Bouzid II (d. 1800), amokrane and cheikh of the Medjana (1784–1800)
        Ou Abdallah Amokrane (d. 1830), amokrane and cheikh of the Medjana (1800–1830)
        Mohand Ou Abdallah, leader of the Ayad tribe
        
        Mohand
        Abderrahmane (d. 1850)
        Said Ou Boudaoud, leader of the Hodna (1871)
        
        Ahmed III (d. 1853), amokrane and cheikh of the Medjana (1831–1838)
        Mohand Lhadj Amokrane (1815–1871), amokrane, caliph of the Medjana and Bachaga
        
        Boumezrag Ait Mokran (1836–1906), last amokrane, leader of the Ouennougha and leader of the 1871 revolt
        
        Daikra
        
        Bourenane (d. 1780), head of the Ait Bourenane
        
        Abdallah, eponymous ancestor of the Ait Abdallah tribe of Aumale
        
        Aziz
        
        Mohand Gandouz Amokrane, head of the Ait Gandouz
        
        Mohand Amokrane (b. c. 1615), ancestor of the Aït Siar branch of the dynasty
        
        Bou Temzine Amokrane (d. 1685), eponymous ancestor of the Temzania of the Bordjia tribe of Cacherou
    - Fadel (d. 1553), probably founder of a zawiya in Jijel

Timeline of rulers

Notes and references

1 2 3 Abrous, Dahbia (2010). "Encyclopédie Berbère, Tome XXXII : Mgild – Mzab". Peeters. pp. 5056–5063.
↑ Dallet, Jean-Marie (1985). Dictionnaire Français-Kabyle : Parler des Ait Mangellat. Société d'études linguistiques et anthropologiques de France. p. 118. Retrieved 2026-02-25.
↑ Feraud, Laurent-Charles (2011). "Histoire des villes de la province de Constantine : Sétif-Bordj-Bou-Arréridj" (in French). L’Harmattan. p. 150. ISBN 978-2-296-54115-3.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: periodical has ISBN (link)
↑ Rinn, Louis. Histoire de l'insurrection de 1871 en Algérie. Librairie Adolphe Jourdan. p. 9.
↑ Boulifa, Amar Ou Saïd (1925). "Le Djurjura à travers l'histoire (dépuis l'Antiquité jusqu'à 1830)". J. Gringau. p. 36.
↑ Rinn, Louis (1897). Histoire de l'insurrection de 1871 en Algérie. Librairie Adolphe Jourdan. p. 54.

Bibliography

D. Abrous, « Mokrani (El-) / At Meqq°ran (famille) (El-Mokrani, Al-Moqrani...) », Encyclopédie berbère, 32 | 2010, 5056-5063.

[At_Meqqran-1] 1 2 3 Abrous, Dahbia (2010). "Encyclopédie Berbère, Tome XXXII : Mgild – Mzab". Peeters. pp. 5056–5063.

[2] Dallet, Jean-Marie (1985). Dictionnaire Français-Kabyle : Parler des Ait Mangellat. Société d'études linguistiques et anthropologiques de France. p. 118. Retrieved 2026-02-25.

[3] Feraud, Laurent-Charles (2011). "Histoire des villes de la province de Constantine : Sétif-Bordj-Bou-Arréridj" (in French). L’Harmattan. p. 150. ISBN 978-2-296-54115-3.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: periodical has ISBN (link)

[4] Rinn, Louis. Histoire de l'insurrection de 1871 en Algérie. Librairie Adolphe Jourdan. p. 9.

[5] Boulifa, Amar Ou Saïd (1925). "Le Djurjura à travers l'histoire (dépuis l'Antiquité jusqu'à 1830)". J. Gringau. p. 36.

[6] Rinn, Louis (1897). Histoire de l'insurrection de 1871 en Algérie. Librairie Adolphe Jourdan. p. 54.