Considered as a French province, Algeria was departmentalised on 9 December 1848, and thereby was administratively structured in the same way as metropolitan France.
This administrative reorganisation was undertaken in response to the rapid population increase experienced across the territory, especially during the preceding decade.
One of the sub-prefectures of the new département of Médéa, Aumale (or Sūr-al-Ghuzlān), found itself promoted to the status of a separate department in May 1958.
The département of Aumale contained three sub-prefectures: Bou Saâda, Ouled Djellal and Tablata.
During its brief life, the département of Aumale was assigned the "suffix" number 9N, appearing on automobile license plates and the like.