Draft:Ahmed Bey ben Mohamed Chérif

Ahmed Bey ben Mohamed Chérif El Djazairi

Ahmed Bey ben Mohamed Chérif

Name	Ahmed Bey ben Mohamed Chérif ben Ahmed Gholli
Born	Circa 1786
Place of birth	City of Constantine, Algeria
Surrender to French occupying forces	5 June 1848
Died	1850
Burial place	Sidi Abderrahmane El Thaalibi in the capital of Algeria

Ahmed Bey ben Mohamed Chérif (Arabic: أحمد بن محمد الشریف بن أحمد القلی‎; born 1786 – died 1850), son of Mohamed Chérif and a member of the Ibn Ghani family, was one of the most prominent Arab sheikhs in the Sahara region of Algeria. "Ahmed Bey" was one of the commanders of the Algerian struggle for independence during the confrontation with the French invasion. This national and anti-colonial hero of Algeria enjoys immense popularity and significance among its people.

Biography

Ahmed ben Mohamed was born in the city of Constantine. While still young, he lost his father and moved with his mother from Constantine to the Sahara region, where he was raised under the guardianship of his uncles. He memorized the entire Quran and mastered the rules of the Arabic language. At the age of twelve, he performed the Hajj pilgrimage, earning him the honorific title "El Hadj Ahmed" from that time onward.

His father held the position of Khalifa during the reign of Bey Hassan, while his grandfather, Ahmed Gholli, administered eastern Algeria for sixteen years. His mother, Hajja Cherifa, was of Algerian descent from the Ibn Ghana family, one of the most distinguished and wealthy Arab sheikh families of the Sahara. Some believe he was of Turkish origin.

Administrative positions

Ahmed ben Mohamed assumed leadership of the Awassi tribes, who resided in the Ain Beida region and its surroundings, a position granted only to those trusted by the people. He was also responsible for overseeing a military contingent of 300 men in the eastern region of Constantine. During a visit to Egypt, he met Muhammad Ali, the then ruler of Egypt, and expressed support for his victories. Following a dispute between Ahmed ben Mohamed and Bey Ibrahim, the ruler of eastern Algeria, in 1821, he was dismissed from his post and fled to another region fearing assassination. During the earthquake that devastated the capital on March 2, 1825, El Hadj Ahmed played a crucial role in rescue operations, prompting Dey Hussein, the reigning ruler, to appoint him as the governor of Constantine. During his governance of this region, he succeeded in uniting major tribes and led various battles against French colonialism. He devised a precise strategy to advance the resistance against the French. Ultimately, following defeats imposed by France upon the resistance movement, and due to his advanced age and physical inability to continue leading military campaigns, El Hadj Ahmed surrendered to the occupying forces on June 5, 1848, and was sentenced to forced residence in the capital.

French policy in confronting Ahmed Bey

In its confrontation with El Hadj Ahmed Bey, France pursued a policy combining diplomatic maneuvering and military force, which contributed to the failure of the resistance.

- France's resort to negotiations with El Hadj Ahmed Bey to secure recognition of French sovereignty;

- General Clauzel's conspiracy with the Regency of Tunis against El Hadj Ahmed Bey;

- Alliance with opponents of Ahmed Bey, such as Ibrahim El Kartili in Annaba and Ferhat Ben Said in the Zibans;

- Concentration of French forces on a single front after Emir Abdelkader inflicted severe blows upon them;

- Starting from 1830, France launched a series of attacks on coastal cities of the Beylik of the East; despite the despair of El Hadj Ahmed's forces in defending them, France managed to capture the city of Annaba in 1832;

- Capture of Béjaïa in 1833;

- Occupation of Guelma in 1837;

- Naval blockade cutting off supplies to the Beylik of the East, preventing ammunition and weapons from reaching Constantine from the Ottoman Sultan.

Ahmed Bey launched two military expeditions resulting in two battles: the First Battle of Constantine in November 1836 and the Second Battle of Constantine in 1837. During the second battle, the French commander Damrémont initiated the campaign to occupy Constantine but was killed in action. Consequently, General Valée succeeded him at the head of the French army. However, the shortage of adequate forces this time weakened the city's defense, leading to its fall.

Death

Tomb of Ahmed Bey

According to various accounts, Ahmed Bey was ultimately poisoned in 1850 while under house arrest and was buried in the Sidi Abd al-Rahman al-Tha'alibi Cemetery in the capital of Algeria.

Ahmed Bey, the First Co-production Between Iran and Algeria

Producing a feature film about Ahmed Bey held immense significance for Algerians; consequently, its direction was entrusted to a filmmaker such as Mr. "Shurjeh," known for his capability in creating strategic and national works. This film is a joint production of Iranian and Algerian cinema. Nearly all actors and the producer were selected from the Algerian film industry. In terms of production, it was one of the most challenging endeavors and the first major historical project in the history of Algeria's cinema.

Filming of the historical and anti-colonial film Ahmed Bey, directed by "Jamal Shurjeh," commenced in 1397 SH (2018–2019) at the CADC film studio in Algiers, the capital of Algeria, in the presence of the Algerian Minister of Culture and the Cultural Counselor of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Some of the behind-the-scenes crew of Ahmed Bey include: Director: Jamal Shurjeh (Iran); Producer: Samira Hajj Jilani (Algeria); Art Director: Majid Mirfakhraei (Iran); Director of Photography: Touraj Mansouri (Iran); Makeup Supervisor: Kamran Khalaj (Iran); Planner and First Assistant Director: Shadi Zidan (Lebanon); Sound Supervisor: Ahmad Salehi (Iran).

Hassan Ayoubi handled editing, and Hamid Rasoulian (Iran) was responsible for the on-set special effects of the feature film Ahmed Bey.

Jamal Shurjeh, the skilled director of this feature film, stated regarding the production of this project: "Certain Takfiri groups attempted to obstruct the making of this cinematic project; however, the Algerian Ministry of Culture resisted these pressures, allowing the film to enter the production phase".

In this feature film, Gérard Depardieu portrays the "Ottoman Pasha," who effectively served as the ruler of the Ottomans during the French invasion of Algeria.

Dr. Samira Hajj Jilani, the female producer of this feature film, expressed satisfaction with the collaboration of the Iranian team in producing the film, stating: "Sets and workshops for manufacturing required props, such as sword-making workshops, were prepared with Iranian assistance at minimal cost. This can serve as a valuable asset for future historical film productions in Algeria." The producer of Ahmed Bey added: "Jamal Shurjeh is a world-class director, and through this film, we aim to restore beauty to Arab cinema."

Jamal Shurjeh with some actors of the film Ahmed Bey

Regarding the filming of this historical movie, she also stated: "Scenes were shot in various provinces of Algeria, including Algiers, Bou Saâda, and Constantine."

Concerning the collaboration between the Algerian and Iranian teams in producing this film, she remarked: "In this regard, we are like one soul in two bodies. The film's director is a renowned and respected figure who, through foresight and skill, has successfully harmonized the Algerian team with the Iranian counterpart."

Samira Hajj Jilani also explained the reasons for collaborating with Jamal Shurjeh on her film: "The guarantee of marketing the film and presenting it at major international festivals by the Iranians, coupled with leveraging technological and artistic advancements in Iranian film production, led us to collaborate with Jamal Shurjeh on Ahmed Bey."

Jilani further added: "This project (the film Ahmed Bey) will not be our sole collaboration with the Iranians. Rather, our institute has signed a contract with Jamal Shurjeh that includes training young people in various fields of cinema, as well as distributing and filming Iranian movies in Algeria."

Regarding working with the Iranian team, she stated: "The director is an individual with strong public relations skills and great compassion, making collaboration with him enjoyable. He instills confidence in everyone, motivating them to work with him even more eagerly despite the challenges involved."

Zaoui continued by praising the work of the Iranian film crew in Algeria, noting: "They are highly professional and proficient in their craft. Their work has garnered attention across all domains, particularly in makeup, set design, and costume design."

The film's events are set approximately one hundred years ago. French and Ottoman costumes have been designed and tailored.

Two major battles occur in the film, involving around 500 extras and 50 principal actors. For this film, various sets, environmental designs, and costumes representing Arab, Ottoman, French, and Algerian styles were prepared—a difficult and monumental task.