Classical Society Structure

Main Groups
Sub Groups
Communities

The classical society system is divided into seven regional main groups. The main groups consist of multiple subgroups. Within a subgroup, there are social groups like nomads, craftsmen, religious people, agricultural workers or slaves.

MAIN GROUPS OF THE TUAREG

MAIN GROUPS

The seven independent main groups of the Tuareg live around five mountain ranges:

Kel Agaggar (Ahaggar mountains / Algeria)
Taitoq (Ahnet mountains / Algeria)
Kel Azjer (Azjer mountains /Algeria, Libya)
Kel Ayr (Ayr mountains / Niger)
Kel Geres (Sahel / Niger)
Kel Tademakat (Sahel / Mali)
Iwellemeddan (Adrar mountains und Sahel / Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso)

SUB GROUPS

Every main group consists of several sub groups, so-called tausatin (Sg.: tausit). A tausit belongs to a common territory, which`s name is often added to the name of the group like the Kel Ahaggar / People from the Ahaggar.

Sub Groups of the Kel Ahaggar are: Kel Tefedest, Aguh n Tehle, Kel Rela, ...

There are social differences BETWEEN the sub groups – between Ihaggaren and Kel Ulli. DETAILS

COMMUNITIES

There are five different communities WITHIN a subgroup:

Nomads, craftsmen, religious people, agricultural workers and slaves.

MYTH

Words like nobility, vassals or confederation do not accurately describe the social structure of the Tuareg.

In Detail:

Social Differentiation within a Sub Group (Tausit):

Within a Tausit there were and still are several social groups:

Nomads

The largest group within a Tausit was the social group of nomadic pastoralists. Nowadays, many of these group members have become settled down in the villages.

Izaggaren

The social groups of Izaggaren are agricultural workers or tenants, who are strongly dependent on the respective landowners (chiefs of the Tausit).

Inadan

The Inadan play an important role (SG.: Enad) within the overall social organisation. Men of this group produce items made of wood and metal and women make leather works, but also for example straw mats. These craftsmen consider their activity as being above that of the nomadic pastoralists (Stühler 1978: 86f.). Members of the Tausatin do not see the Inadan as being a part of the Imuhar.

Ineslemen

The social community of the Ineslemen (Sg.: Aneslem) is characterized by their religiosity and their good knowledge of the Koran. In the social structure of the Taytoq and Kel Ahaggar, for example, the Ineslemen play no significant role.

The listed groups are not homogeneous, but internally differentiated by family affiliation, political function, economic and individual abilities of its members (ibid.: 84). All groups have in common that members of the group have their own budget and hereditary possession and that every individual belongs to a kinship-based group.

Eklan

Therefore, they differ from the social group of the Eklan (Sg.: Akli). These unpaid workers / slaves belong to a nomad family of a tausit. Eklan even refer to themselves not as "eklan", but they use the name of theTausit of the family (ibid: 31).