SUB GROUP DIFFERENTIATION

The social differentiation BETWEEN the sub groups of the Imuhar (Tuareg):  

Kel Ulli (Imrad) / Ihaggaren         Vassal / Noble  

Kel Ulli     (Sub group, in which the nomads were groat breeders)
Ihaggaren ( Sub group, in which the nomads were camel breeders)

Between the tausatin of the "Tuareg" there were differentiations. Apparently, there were some tausit, who had goat breeders and were known as Kel Ulli (people of goats) and others, who were called Ihaggaren (the Red) and had camel breeders and especially raiders. In the southern Sahara and the Sahel the Kel Ulli were known as Imrad (outdated: Imghad) and the Ihaggaren as Imascheren or Imuschar.

RELATIONS
Keenan (1977: 10) sets the population ratio between Ihaggaren and Kel Ulli with one to eight, according to a source from 1949. Both groups were connected by a reciprocal relationship - a heavily interdependent, but not hierarchical relationship. While the Kel Ulli were financially secured due to their profitable goat breeding, the Ihaggaren were dependent on donations by the Kel Ulli.

NON HIERARCHICAL
Stühler (1978: 86) writes on the two "classes" of Kel Ulli and Ihaggaren (Sg.: Ahaggar) that there was no basis for any sub- or superordination of one group to the other. However, the members of the social groups were not free from feeling superior as the following proverbs show:

Ihaggaren: The Kel Ulli are not good for anything. Their women are not riding on camels, but on old donkeys, which are just like them.

Kel Ulli: Anesbarag hund Ahaggar (a boaster like an Ahaggar).

FEUDAL MISINTERPRETATION
This proverbial arrogance led the French military administration and travellers, who predominantly associated with the Ihaggaren, to take over their evaluation of their social position. Therefore, they put the Ihaggaren on top of a new social hierarchy. The Ihaggaren were elevated to "nobles" and Kel Ulli degraded to their "vassals". Through the choice of terminology, the complex societal structure was veiled with the concept of feudalism and the Imuhar were catapulted into the Middle Ages. Through this ideological translation the existing complex system was grossly simplified.

The Tuareg were represented in the terms of an (outdated) hierarchical, medieval model state from Europe and furthermore crowned with a "King".

Recent Development in South Algeria
Because the colonists preferred to associate with the Ihaggaren (alleged "noble"), the French colonial administration made them tax collectors (Keenan 1977). After some time the Ihaggaren abandoned their quite unprofitable camel breeding and settled down in villages. After the official abolition of slavery, most of the Eklan settled in the villages as well. The group of craftsmen (Enad/Inadan) also settled down for good and have focused mainly on jewellery production. After the establishment of the nation-state of Algeria, the Ihaggaren lost more and more of their importance. The Tausatin of the Kel Ulli, who always had been richer, ran most of the goat and camel breeding in the desert regions. 

The reciprocal relationship between the Kel Ulli and Ihaggaren no longer exists.  The Kel Ulli as well as the Ihaggaren have (had) powerful factions.