Abd El-Kader: Par Ses Contemporains - Fragments d'un Portrait - Ahmed Bouyerdene

Emir Abd el-Kader left a deep and multifaceted imprint on his time. Political and military model for some, romantic and biblical figure for others, Emir Abd el-Kader fascinated his contemporaries. A feeling which partly explains the many attempts to represent his personality which gave birth to a complex and paradoxical figure. He was undoubtedly one of the personalities of the 19th century who inspired the most testimonies and portraits published during his lifetime. This interest in the different facets of Emir Abd el-Kader will give rise to press articles, military reports, correspondence and publications, pithy analyzes and fiery descriptions, panegyrics and slanderous diatribes. Two centuries after his birth, faced with the many writings concerning the Emir, it is time to return to the indisputable sources, to the testimony of those who directly approached him in order to find the portraits that emerge from them. Ahmed Bouyerdene, has been carrying out historical research work on Abd el-Kader for several years, more particularly on the period during which he was a prisoner at the Château de Pau. The author is also interested in the mystical writings of the emir.