Chaoui people

Shawia (Chaoui)
Total population
4,500,000
Regions with significant populations
 Algeria (Aurès)– 1,923,000
   Europe 304,000[1]
Languages

Shawiya

Religion

100% Muslims[1]. Predominantly Sunni

Related ethnic groups

Berbers

The Shawia people, or Chaouis (Algerian Arabic: شاويه, tachawit: Išawiyen) are a Berber people who live mainly in the Aurès, Nememcha and Belezma Region in the Aurès Mountains, a large part of eastern Algeria known in ancient times as Numidia . They call themselves Išawiyen icawiyen(pronounced [iʃawijən]) and speak the Shawia language.

Etymologically, the term Chaoui, Shawi came from the berber word 'ich' which means 'horn' in reference to the national god of the Numidians, Amon, who is depicted as a human head with the horns of a ram. They are also known as the Zenetes, which emigrated from Numidia to many parts of North Africa (Rif mountains, Chenoua mountains, Libya and Timimoun)

After the independence of Algeria, the Chaouis remain localized mainly in the Aures. They represent the second Berber-speaking group in terms of number of speakers, the first being the Kabyle.

Contents

Origins

The patriarch of Berbers is believed to be Medghassen as common ancestor of the Zenetes and of the Botri too. Ibn Khaldun said that Zenetes are Berbers. Modern historians rank this Berber region within the group of Getules or the much more ancient Meshwesh, Massylii, Mazaxes, etc. from whom formed in later historic times the Zenetes (mainly the inhabitants of the Aures in the Middle Ages). The Chaouis are part of the Zenetes, (Ifren Maghraoua Djerawa Abdalwadides ), The Houara and Awarba.

see also Numidia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Numidia

References

  1. ^ a b http://www.joshuaproject.net/people-profile.php?peo3=14899&rog3=AG

Bibliography

Film

External links