People of Beni Farah

The German Dr Leopold Buvry is probaly the first western scholar to visit and write about Beni Farah. He reported that according to the official French census of 1851, Beni Farah population was 1920. The French scholar Emile Masqueray counted 550 (or 556) houses in Beni Farah when he was conducting his research in their in 1876. Lt Colonel Delartigue in his "Monographie de l'Aures" published in 1904 gave the number of 550 houses in Beni Farah and estimated the number of inhabitants at more than 3000. According to the document "Dernier recensement du département de Constantine, Mars 1921" produced by the French colonial administration in Algeria, there were 2808 people leaving in Beni Farah in 1921; this number included 7 French people. In the general census of 1987 the population of Beni Farah numbered 3879 persons. In the following general census of July 1998 the account reached the number of 4015 persons.

Farhi men in 1891

The July 1998 census reports the following about Beni Farah:

- Population density: 23 inhabitants/km2.

- Males make 50.59% (2031 heads) amongst the population and females make 49.415 (or 1984 heads).

- Birth rate is 2.54 for every 1000 people.

- The annual increase of population is 0.314%.

- Amongst the 606 Farhi families living in Beni Farah, 309 live in Thaklihth, 289 in Al Markaz and Tizi and 8 elsewhere.

- There are 425 occupied homes against a number of 512 in 1987.

- In each house there is an average of 7.66 person per house and 6.63 person per family.

Despite the high fertility rate the population size has for the last three decades stayed relatively unchanged due to the constant flow of immigration to the neighbouring cities (see Publications). Many young Farhis immigrate to find work as opportunities for them on the village are few. Immigration flows have been accentuated after the quasi-collapse of farming and grazing activities in the village.

Understandably the favourite destinations for Farhi immigrants are Biskra and Batna. It's estimated that there are more Farhis living in Batna or Biskra than there are in Beni Farah itself (See The directory of Farhi families). There are more than 700 Farhi family-home-owners in Batna and more than 1270 in Biskra (the unit here means a whole family living under the same roof even if there are more than one couple; in Algeria it's common for married sons to live with their parents). Considering the average house occupancy in Batna and Biskra the estimated Farhi Diaspora is around 6000 in Batna and 9000 in Biskra.

Historically Farhis used to look for work in Constantine at a time where Batna was a mere garrison and Biskra a small Saharan resort. They established an unparalleled reputation as jewellery craftsmen and good managers of Turkish bath houses. Some of well known and powerful gold traders in Constantine are Farhis (Ah Makhzar in particular). In the pre 1970s era, it's estimated that around half of the gold and jewellery trade in Batna was in the hands of Farhis. This has greatly changed now as Farhis have been taken over by Ouled Abdi in this domain. Managing Turkish bath houses, that also served as dormitories at night, is associated with Farhis in east Algeria, particularly in Batna, Biskra, Constantine, Annaba and Souk Ahras. Until the end of the 1970s most of, if not all, these establishments in Batna and Biskra were run by Farhis. Hammas now have lost their previous social and economic importance.

Other favourite immigration destinations for the Farhis are Oran, Hassi Messaoud and to a less extent the capital Algiers. A prominent Farhi in Algiers is the businessman Lazhar ou-Bahhaz specialising in textile and electronics manufacturing.

There are also a few Farhi families in France, Belgium, Germany and the UK. At the height of immigration to France in the 1960s and early 1970s, Farhis usually went to Paris, Nancy or Lyon. For the latter, Givors was the favourite suburb and many Farhis worked for the Fournaise de la Compagnie des Hauts Fourneaux Prénat.

Farhis with families abroad

The following lists include only people who are or were legally and permanently living with their families in their consecutives countries. Needless to say that the lists are incomplete. Any additional information is welcome. Please click here to contact me.

France

Paris: Ahmed Abdelaydoum, Aissa Assas, Mohamed (Bouha) Chettouh, Mohamed Said Chettouh, Salah Chicha, Kheriddine Chicha, Abdelbaki Chicha (dead but left a family), Bachir Djafer (dead but left a family), Mokhtar Guellouh, Salah Guennas, Bachir Houhoune, Said Labaal, Said Labaal (another one), Bachir Labaal, Tahar Laksir, Miloud Latrache, Mokhtar Ouastani.

Lyon: Hocine Beladjebel, Ammar Benhabrou, Ammar Benslitane, Salah Bourouba, Kaddour Ghazi, Tahar Mansouri, Ammar Mansouri (dead but left a family), Ahmed Rahmani, Ali Zouaoui (dead but left a family).

Nancy: Salah Belhamra, Ali Chaibai, Belgacem Moche.

Nice: Abdeslam Hatna

Germany

Salah Benberkane, Bachir Benchaira, Mohamed Seddik Bellounar, Abdelmalek Boudounet, Ammar Chiha, Said Hatna.

Belgium

Mohamed Blouss, Sadek Chaibai, Djemoui Chaibai.

UK

Tahar Rahmani, (?) Zeroual, (?) Farhi, Abdelmadjid Hatna.

Italy

Kamel Bechki.

Canada

Omar Oubrah.

USA

Mohamed Chettouh (Son of Mohamed also know as Cherif), Lake Charles, Luisiana; Fouad and Djamel Chettouh (sons of Mabrouk), Sacramento, California.

Except for the small locality of Lamisset administered by Beni Farah, people share a common Farhi origin. Farhis are Berbers speaking the Shawi dialect of the Aures area. They are two main groups: Ah Mnea settling in the north of the village at Tizi n'Ammar and Ah Wammas in the south (Thaqliheth). The latter group is by far the largest and is itself composed of the clans of Ah Si Ali, Ahmed Aboubaker, Ah Daas, Ah Wadda and Ah Talba, etc. Although there are apparent rivalries between Ah Mnea and Ah Wammas as groups (particularly during municipal elections) this certainly disappears at the individual level. Inter-clan and inter-family marriages are common between all Farhis.

One family, two names

Family names, in the western sense of usage, are relatively new to Farhis. They are the result of the influence of the French colonial administration and its infamous Bureaux Arabs. Before that, people were identified by their first names followed by the father or a grandparent's name using the interjection Ou (French transliteration) or U (English transliteration) for son of. So Ali the son of Salah is called Ali Ou Salah. The colonial administration introduced strange and often meaningless family names for Farhis to use on their birth certificates and official papers. The post-independence Algerian administration did not help to improving the situation; therefore numerous Farhi families keep two names (See The directory of Farhi families); and one usually needs to know the unofficial name if he wants to ask about someone in the village. Here are some of these double family names (birth certificate name, followed by the usage name).

Abdelaydoum, Ah Abdellah Oujamaa

Ajjout, Ahabboush

Assas, Ah Belkas

Attar, Oamar Ou Bouha

Bechki, Zehnit and Zammouche, Ah Moossa

Belkares, Ah Lambark Ou Kass

Ben Brahim and Mekaddam, Ah Si Ali

Ben Chaira, Ah Kamra

Ben Habrou and Benkhelif, Ah Khelif

Ben Rahla, Ah Alou Manzer

Ben Trabou, Ah Bezzian

Ben Slitane, Ah Seedh

Ben Yahoub, Aaloohya

Ben Yousri, Ah Seggousf

Bounhas, Ah Behhaz

Bourouba, Ah Hmed

Chaiba, Ah Booha

Chellout, Ah l'Hajmah

Chergui, Ah Maamar

Darwiche, Mhand Ou Omar or Ah Kash' sha

Djafar, Ah l'Haj Mbark

Djezzar, Ah Simbark

Gueddouh, Ah Belaid or Ah Si Mbarek

Hassani, Ahmakhloof Ou Khlifa

Hatna, Ahmakhloof Ou Ali

Hazmani, Aalookass

Heddar, Ah Saleh

Houhoun, Ah Abbas

Jijekh, Ah Cherif

Laksir, Ah Boozeggen

Mechlek, Ah Kezzool

Menai, Ah Ghammoon

Semmam, Ah Yousseo

Siad, Ah Sharef

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