History of the Aurès

The Aurès Mountains in northeastern Algeria, part of the Saharan Atlas in North Africa, is widely inhabited by Amazighs called Chaouis, and have been an important part of kingdoms such as the Massylii, Numidia, Gaetuli and the Amazigh.

Prehistory
Human presence in the Aurès dates back over a million years, as evidenced by the lower Paleolithic site at Aïn Hanech. The discovery of faceted spheroids and chopping tools alongside remnants of archaic wildlife confirms early human settlements in prehistoric times.

Capsians
The Capsians belonged to the Mediterranean population type. Their anthropological distinctiveness was only acknowledged in 1949, with osteological evidence gathered from various sites, including Aïn Dokkara near Tébessa and various caves in Constantine.

To the southeast of Zerga Peak, the eroded site of Medjez Amar like other Capsian settlements in the Aurès, appears collapsed and spread out in terms of extent, color, height, composition. The surrounding hilly landscape, oriented northeast to southwest, marks a watershed area. The nearby river joins the Medjez and Sarek wadis, then flows southward into the Sebkra Bazer. Near the road, the river meanders from Aïn Berda.

Many sites of the Capsian civilization have been found, notably Mechta Sidi El Arbi in Constantine.

Antiquity
During Antiquity, the Aurès was inhabited by Gaetulis (Zenata) and Sanhaja, as well as a minority of Garamantes.

The mausoleum of Medracen (Medghassen) in Boumia north of the Aurès massif dates back to 300 BCE. It is a Numidian monument, the oldest mausoleum in Algeria. The Aurès region is believed to have been at the heart of the Zenata people, including Maghrawas, Banu Ifran, Djerawa, and Merinids. According to the contentious hypothesis of Ibn Khaldun, Medghassen may have been the patriarch of the Zenata.

Massylii
The Massylii were an ancient Berber tribal confederation, notably associated with the Numidian kingdom. The Aurès region was very important for the Massylii, not only as most of its territory but also as a cultural nexus, since their capital Cirta was part of the region.

Numidia
Born around 238 BCE in the Massyliian tribe, Massinissa played a crucial role in unifying Numidia, including the Aurès region. Following his reign, several successors, including his grandson Jugurtha, sought refuge on the high plateau, now named after him, in the present-day city of Kalaat es Senam in Tunisia, near the massif's border, to resist Roman invasions.

Roman Period
The Aurès region was home to several Roman settlements. Some notable examples include Timgad (Thamugadi), a well-preserved Roman city founded in the 1st century AD, and Cuicul (Djemila), another ancient city known for its impressive Roman ruins. These settlements were important hubs for trade, administration, and cultural exchange in the Roman province of Numidia.

Kingdom of the Aurès
King Masties founded the Kingdom of the Aurès in the 480s as a Christian Berber realm, emerging after Berber uprisings against the Vandal Kingdom, conquerors of the Roman province of Africa in 435 AD, and remained an autonomous state.

The kingdom was also one of the primary defenders of North Africa during the Muslim conquest of the Maghreb, with their queen Dihya defeating the Ummayad Arabs in the Battle of Meskiana, who then either committed suicide or was killed during the Battle of Tabarka.

Arab rule
By 709, all of North Africa was under the control of the Ummayad caliphate including the Aurès. Following the Arab conquest the Aurès experienced notable transformations. The governance of the Arabs introduced Islam to the region, leaving an influence on its cultural and societal aspects.

Tribes like the Banu Ifran, Maghrawa, and other Zenata tribes considered the Aurès home, before fleeing west to Western Algeria and Morocco because of the Abbasid Caliphate's conquest of North Africa.

After the Abbasids conquered Ifriqiya, they put up the vassal Aghlabids, who most likely controlled the Aurès.

Fatimid Rule
In 902, a missionary named Abu Abdallah al-Shi'i took an army of Kutama Berbers, leading to the foundation of the Fatimid Caliphate They took part in significant battles in the Aurès against the Aghlabids, Mila in 902, Constantine in 905, and Tubna in 906.

The Fatimids also spread Shia Islam in the Aurès but was later reversed by the Zirids after they converted to Sunni Islam in 1048.

Hammadids
The Hammadids did not contribute much to the region, because the region was constantly under attack by the Hilaians, but they did construct the Great Mosque of Constantine, which was later revamped by the Algerians in the 18th century.

The Hammadids also liberated Hodna from the Hilalians in the 12th century.

Hafsids Of Béjaïa
The Aurès was an important region during the Hafsid occupation, as they first captured it in 1229, when Abu Zakariya Yahya first declared independence, while the Almohads were too preoccupied with their internal struggle.

The Hafsids consolidated their rule on the city of Batna and The Aurès Mountains, but in the 15th century Constantine was fully independent from the Hafsids, Until the Spanish invasion came, and the Hafsids fell.

Regency of Algiers
After the Spanish invasion, the Regency of Algiers succeeded in reconquering eastern Algeria, excluding the Aurès, who was under a bunch of tribes, until Hasan Pasha came in 1542 and successfully subdued the tribes into paying tribute to Algiers.

At the same time, a lot of expeditions happened against the Aurès in the late 17th century, 1710, 1755, 1771, and 1797.

The Aurès population refused to fight with Ahmed Bey ben Mohamed Chérif during the Capture Of Algiers in 1830.

French occupation
In 1954, the Aurès region took center stage in the Algerian conflict. Mostefa Ben Boulaïd, born in Arris and affiliated with the extensive Touabas coalition, was among the six initiators of the FLN that sparked the revolution in Algeria. It is worth noting that Mohamed Boudiaf, Rabah Bitat, and Larbi Ben M'hidi, all from eastern Algeria, share Chaoui Berber heritage, and the region was known for having many major battles during the Algerian War.

Post-Independence
After Algeria gained independence in 1962, the Chaouis, like other Algerian communities, rebuilt and shaped post-colonial society and participated in the political, economic, and social spheres.