Papers from Algeria’s history

By Gueddimi Kamel

   The story takes a place in Algeria during the Ottoman period. Its time frame extends from the middle of 18 century to the second decade of 19 century ( 1750-1815 ). It is a crucial stage of the latest Algerian's Dãés reign, full of contradictions, political and social changes. The various pathways of the novel protagonists meet through its six chapters to form a distinct political and social mosaic, outstanding by the character ( Arais Hamidou ): the pride of the Algerian navy on one side, and, the Dãés whom he conveyed throughout his life which was filled of glory and setbacks on other side.

The main ones of these Dãés who reigned Algeria are: (Mohammed Othman Bãshã) and ( Dãé Hassan Bãshã ). Then, those weak Dãés who came after. Alongside these, there are other characters effectively appeared like: Jewish traders ( Bikri), ( Boushnak) and some kings, leaders and consuls of Europe and America. Besides, there are the rulers of Oran's territories (Tittri) and (Constantine).

      The novel highlights the political position which was characterized by the battle of European marine raids. Besides, the instability of the Algerian foreign relations between war and peace. But internally, the novel shows the weaknesses of the government palace in coupled with intrigues which left chaos and internal unrest.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Green Wave Edition
• Release date: Mar 8, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224051496

Book preview

Disclaimer

To a large extent, all the events of the novel and its characters are real ...!

Dedication

To all who melt in love with Algeria’s infatuation...

An introduction about the novel

The story takes a place in Algeria during the Ottoman period. Its time frame extends from the middle of 18century to the second decade of 19 century ( 1750-1815 ). It is a crucial stage of the latest Algerian's Dãés reign, full of contradictions, political and social changes. The various pathways of the novel protagonists meet through its six chapters to form a distinct political and social mosaic, outstanding by the character ( Arais Hamidou ): the pride of the Algerian navy on one side, and, the Dãés whom he conveyed throughout his life which was filled of glory and setbacks on other side.

The main ones of these Dãés who reigned Algeria are: (Mohammed Othman Bãshã) and ( Dãé Hassan Bãshã ). Then, those weak Dãés who came after. Alongside these, there are other characters effectively appeared like: Jewish traders ( Bikri), ( Boushnak) and some kings, leaders and consuls of Europe and America. Besides, there are the rulers of Oran's territories (Tittri) and (Constantine).

The novel highlights the political position which was characterized by the battle of European marine raids. Besides, the instability of the Algerian foreign relations between war and peace. But internally, the novel shows the weaknesses of the government palace in coupled with intrigues which left chaos and internal unrest.

The novel includes six chapters I metaphorically

called them: Papers.

The first paper: the cobbler’s turnover.

A weird coincidence makes unknown cobbler to be inaugurated the highest position in the Algerian state.

The second paper: Birth.

The European naval attacks come after, then , they break on Algeria’s land. While, the end of this chapter includes the appearance of the Algerian naval pride.

The third paper: The Riggings Melody.

A dreamy glowing childhood of joining the sea which pushes the son of Algeria to take the sea in spite of all the difficulties. He worked hard, challenged, and stepped up in grades to the position of (Admiral).

the fourth paper: The Oran's Bay.

He found it difficult to conquer and role from the Spanish people for three centuries. After its liberation he wrote that, in golden letters. Oran increased the Algerian naval veneration. Its navy became a pain in the neck. It is obvious because Arais Hamidou was the chairman of the naval who kept winning.

The fifth paper: The Intrigues of Land and Sea.

As the weak Dãés took governance the intrigues abounded. The conspiracies intensified as the Arais Hamidou strength out and the result is that the state entered in instability and weakness stage.

The sixth paper: Mob’s dawn:

The political and social case descends to a terrible level of weakness. The mob prevails it, and savagery attacks to the purpose. The Algerian Navy declines by the martyrdom of its splendid and pride (Arais Hamidou). Surely what is coming is not going to be good.

The First Paper:

The Cobbler’s Turnover.

In darkness, where street lamps can not break into its gloom. In the high mountains of Algeria, and before dawn the cobbler goes out , where in a centre of a thick fog which flows on face of the earth, and among the plangent waves sound in the lithic dock despite the eruption of the sea, he goes down through the narrow alleys of the Kasbah not in the least, that its tightness equalises his hardship of living. When the weather is clear, he hangs all his day supplies on shoulders with a light bag textile of wool, but in the rainy nights he would be coerced to replace it with a leather bag which exhausts him due to its heaviness. It annoys his big nose with terrible smell whenever he turns left.

He is patient sometimes. Other times he takes offence, thus a quick anger overcomes him. He was repeatedly so close to the stinky leather rag away into the stream of the small valley bordering his way. That will undoubtedly make him sad or regret because grief is entirely guaranteed in both cases: with or without a bag. A half barley bread becomes very rigid through the day hours. A handful of purple olives approaches to be dry. A piece of goat cheese got arid on edges and a yesterday’s leftover candies. All these are a humble numerous plate returned with all its details to mark its existence on the cobbler’s small iron dining table.

A curl mingled with roaring falls on top of the cheek then begins to move on the beat of the  sea occasional breezes. One of them scorched the man’s faint face so he woke up from hidden grief which settled in his depths since long-term. He vainly tries so hard to turn a blind eye. It obstinately works hard to be bound with him as ardently in love. He could not see a detaching in comings  and goings. He still speaks to his soul with its old hurt, and he is fifty. If he forgets or tries to forget, it will settle again on his remembrance.

The hurt pictured in its particularities an eternal tattooing. Despite, a passing about twenty years or more. He did not resist in bringing it back, it is a really terrible perching pain..!

To the present day, he did not digest the reason of his dismissing from the Janissaries army. It was rightfully his beautiful world and only passion. It made him an extraordinary legendary hero. The cobbler fought in terrors, in frays, witnessed the accidents and fought back the raid in land and sea. The situation changed, the man literally has no gunpowder, bombs boom and riggings except those which were stuck in his old companions soldiers shoes, when they come to his shop sill to fix them or to be replaced with new analogous he turns them in his hands for a while like a journal papers and gropes its harsh touch the places of glory and pride, and the lowest parts of arrogance and rejection.

Unknown miserable cobbler, stuck in the ancient past shell, his life is a repeated copy. Its vision flows with the early dawn from the high white peak to the glorious port wall. Then, it gimps again as the last light drags from golden afternoon lights of the sun towards sunset. However, the hardship of life, what keeps him always clinging to it, is the great love that he heartily and deeply owns to the hung sieged city, and if it had not been for, he would spend trouble or be emigrated in exile.

Oh Algeria: Bless your impenetrable fortified fences, Oh Algeria, your holy stones were saved since the era of Barbarous. Your solid strong castles were risen and they stood against the face of death throughout the ages.

The voice of truth rings to call for morning prayer and he is near to Yousef Almizabi ‘s baths. He performs ablution with warm water then he hurries in activeness perhaps he catches up praying in congregation. After a quite calm night, the morning’s lights infiltrate gradually among the fog layers. Then, it paves through its way flauntingly. It does not have only to disappear and defeated fall back, making way for it like bride who sprinkles its beautiful loose shine. From the top of Kasbah to the last point of all over Algeria. When time goes, the sunlight reaches all places, so the thriving city wakes up. From the street of the huge shop ( Bayouk Sharssi) who the movement embarks on, breaks through the city like the sword and fairly separates between its lower and higher large parts.

People go out from their usual lethargy and begin flowing and streaming from their side to side homes. They run over their insisting goals through the narrow paths and the intensive bending deviations walk amid the stores, behind the passageways baths, coffee shops and as for the other common constructions.

Water carriers take prised in that spiral movement. They relentlessly  ( without getting bored ) move up and down with their jars and skin bottles. In the trials crowded, alleys,  and then they fill it up with their noise which does not break off when they work hard in delivering fresh water to outermost neighbourhoods, so the housewives enjoy doing their house work. He entered to his shop, threw his luggage then rushed to a small hole in his house wall overlooking on the east alley. He called it unjustly: A window.

He removed about it a heavy stone, so the air emitted, and the light pervaded the place, but as the sunbeam has spread its straight beams towards the sill, he began preparing work equipment when he was about to do so till he heard usual voice tickled his ears:

*Peace be upon you, good morning Mister.

*Peace be upon you Moses Al Biskri.

Unload in the evening to get your money meantime, I would testify your water fineness and its purity. Woe unto you, the son of desert, if I got bad taste or smell, because nowadays most water carriers are deceivers. The water carrier was upset about the cobbler’s rudeness. He caught himself and replied by a comment:

*Heaven forbid, Sir. I bring my water from ( Sidi Ramdan) spring. My service is noble, my craft is ancient, and I am not who deceives you.

*We will see that, thank you, water carrier. Stay safe.

A heap of dyed new shoes expects to be sold after two days of drying. The cobbler gets prepared for another heap to be patching. On the shelf, there is a package of genuine leather he will begin to change it to nice shoes. He pulls the threads in suitable amount then releases them completely and scrub them with some of red wax to delimit its thickness and to increase its flexibility. After that, he put it in the eyes of the bent needle in order to do its magical doing in the stretched over leather, so it does not acquiescently delay to its pricks, only then, in the end of its upper and lower edges they sticks consistently together in elegant harmony.

Quarter an hour of usage, a polish coating especially  brought from Venice on ships is enough to add a pretty appropriate touch. Eventually, it remains two days of drying to complete all the parts of my necklace to be ready in forming a new shoe which pleases the beholders. It is a midday now, the passers-by jamming increased in the street. The cobbler paid attention to an contingent fuss, pandemonium, then a huge repulsion between people towards the port's wall.

It is the coming dawn’s outbreak to meet the sea captains winners who came back carrying the precious of what their invasions ships lavished:

Valuable spoils, for sailors including all the pride and wealth, for their people trade and bestowment. The cannons’ shots for the captains winners are special and its boom off is  well-known from offshore towards the sky limits. It precedes its smoke which was resurgent slowly like a beautiful ghost. It looks like a welcoming exciting review, declaring the arrival of heroes. That is another beautiful story, but the outbreak of the going up you have no idea about it.

It is totally the opposite and the hell itself. The terror and frightened feed it from the projectile gaseous shots of the ships, therefore, people find no refuge except to flee from shelling or taking shelter in castles or hiding behind fences and doors many hours until the raid appears or breaks down in Algeria’s territory by the brave soldiers. Either way, there would be certain amount of losses. The life background of people here, it restricted a long period of time in terrible tedious way among two contrary outbreaks. They are inserted relentlessly in the souls righteous stay unshaken along the living capacity and death obsession. How weird to live behind your high walls, you unstable city?.

Unintentionally, El Karmani left his work store open. He came down few meters then diagnosed  by his sight behind the port's wall. It is assured that what he asks is the ship's flag. It is an identity card and the secret of the story that its chapters occur underneath and nearby the dock. A brief moment of ponder due to it he unloosed a front tooth cheerful smile then he appended by a shake of his head proudly. He has removed all doubt, that the ship is an Algerian one, shows off by its fluttery green flag which has the silver bright stars and embowed crescent. Oh, what a great joy and a happy blessed morning. Bravo, you beautiful bride among your worthy people.

The ship docked in the port