Cheikh El Mokrani

A respected leader from a noble family of the Medjana, El Mokrani rose against the French in 1871 in protest at policies that crushed local authority and impoverished the countryside. Joined by Cheikh Aheddad and the Rahmaniya brotherhood, his call drew in hundreds of thousands and shook the colony to its foundations.

His revolt was one of the largest uprisings against French rule in the 19th century and a key reference point for later resistance movements.

After his death in battle, his brother Boumezrag took over the revolt and kept the fight alive for months.