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Auction: 26066 - Historical Documents, Autographs and Ephemera
Lot: 1306

Algeria
Abd Al-Qadir - Algerian Independence from Colonial Rule
1290 (12 Jumadi al-thani) / 1873 (6 Aug.) letter in Arabic signed, with signet beneath, to the Prefect of Oran, Charles de Bouzet and translated into French by Colonial authorities alongside "Ali ben Allah has lived many years in Syria. It has reached him this last day that a man by the name of El Hadj Muhammed ben Cha'a of Oran had escaped fro prison and that he had followed the custom of a traveler and passed the night at the ouse of his family. Also, the Administrator of Zair emprisoned Bon Azza, brother of the above and his wife, Bedra Mohammed. The former Emir begs the Hon. Prefect to Favour him with an examination of the cases these two people with care and to order their release at the earliest possible moment and to not disparage their names".
Small square of paper missing from upper left though perfect legible and a rare document.

Notes: Abd Al-Qadir was born in Algeria and, in addition to being a linguistic and religious scholar, was a warrior for Arab independence from colonial rule after the fall of Ottoman Empire and during the French military rule over his country. After Algeria was invaded by France, al-Qadir became an Emir and with the loyalty of a number of tribes began a rebellion. He was effective at using guerrilla warfare and for a decade, up until 1842, scored many victories. However, the French suppressed the native population and practiced a scorched-earth policy. On December 21, 1847, after being denied refuge in Morocco, he was forced to surrender. Al-Qadir was exiled to France, where he was detained until 1852, then released by Napoleon III on taking an oath never again to disturb Algeria. He moved to Damascus. In July 1860, conflict between the Druze and Maronites of Mount Lebanon spread to Damascus, and local Muslims attacked the Christian quarter, killing over 3,000 persons. 'Abd al-Qadir saved large numbers of Christians and was given the Légion d'honneur by the French government. He would thereafter be an important line of communication between the French government and the Arab world.Here he intervenes on behalf of two Muslims convicted by the French military leadership of Algeria.

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Estimate
£800 to £1,000

Starting price
£650