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Boots of Emir Abdelkader

Abdelkader Ibnou Mahieddine was born in 1808 in Mascara, in an environment of study and piety. Attached by his father and his successive masters to the Sufi initiatory path, he presented spiritual dispositions from a young age, strengthened by his education. In 1826, he made contact with Eastern intellectuals during his pilgrimage to Mecca and therefore decided to become a scholar. But the events recorded during this period would decide his destiny. On July 5, 1830, Abdelkader, and following the colonialist landing in Algeria, was among the first to fight against the occupier. On November 2, 1832, Abdelkader was elected Emir by a congress of the tribes of the Mascara region. While directing military operations against the colonial forces, and subduing the rebellious tribes, the Emir was able to establish a regular government; he appointed the “khalifas” to administer the provinces, levied taxes, established state justice, organized the Smala, founded his capital in 1836 where he minted coins in his name and gave a privileged place to public education by promoting the development of schools and the training of teachers. Also, he strove to bring together the Algerian lands and destroy the structures of feudalism. This is how at the end of 1838, apart from the points controlled by the French expeditionary force, Emir Abdelkader exercised his authority over all of Algeria. After 17 years of struggle, the Emir laid down his arms and opted for exile. He was held prisoner in France where his chivalrous behavior, his nobility of spirit and his intellectual curiosity won hearts. Freed in 1852 by Napoleon III, he left France for Turkey, then Syria. He protected Christians threatened by the Druze revolt, which earned him the admiration and recognition of Europe. He devoted most of his long years of exile in Syria to reading and meditation. Died in Damascus in 1883, the Emir today stands as a true knight of modern times. Far from leading only a patriotic struggle, he led a humanist fight in favor of the essential values ​​which make up the wealth and nobility of man. With the aim of paying tribute to the Emir, symbol of Algerian resistance, Algeria Post will issue a series of commemorative stamps representing personal objects of this brave man.