Arab tribes of Algeria

In medieval Algeria, tribal power relied on the internal cohesion of social relations and a horizontal hierarchy, emphasizing resource sharing and direct democracy, under the leadership of a charismatic figure who acted as both decision-maker and arbiter.

[4] The surveys conducted during the senatus consultum of 1863 revealed significant confusion in the oral traditions of Algeria, making it challenging to distinguish between Arab and Berber groups.

[5] Over time, the tribal system contributed to a fusion of Arab and Berber identities,[5] with oral traditions retaining little beyond the names of prominent founding ancestors.

The objective of the Fatimid Caliphate was to regain suzerainty over the Zirids, to repopulate the Maghreb, which had been insufficiently exploited until then, and to reverse the demographic trend so that the Berbers were no longer the majority.

The original tribe of the Banu Hilal was then composed of three fractions, themselves constituted into sub-factions: During their migration to the Maghreb, the Banu Hilal were joined by three other Arab tribal groups: The influx of Hilalians was a major factor in the linguistic, cultural, and ethnic Arabization of the Maghreb and in the spread of nomadism in areas where agriculture had previously dominated.