Kingdom of Kuku

The Kingdom of Kuku (Kingdom of Koukou) was a Kabyle Berber kingdom that ruled over much of greater Kabylia. It was established around 1515.[1] The polity's realm stretched from the Atlas Mountains to the southern plains of Algiers. Its capital was located at Kuku, which sat on a promontory with around 15,000 inhabitants. The kingdom had forces consisting of 5,000 musqueteers and 1,500 cavalrymen.

Map of Kabyle Kingdoms and Algiers Regency
Sultanate of Kuku

Tagelda n Kuku
1515–c. 1638[1]
StatusKingdom
CapitalKuku
Common languagesKabyle
Religion
Islam
Sultan 
• 1510–1527
Sidi Ahmed ou el Kadhi
History 
• Established
1515
• Disestablished
c. 1638[1]
Today part of Algeria


Kuku was one of two major Kabyle kingdoms, the other being the Kingdom of Ait Abbas. During the Ottoman period, the two parts of Kabylia were independent and retained the use of their language and customs under the Kingdom of Kuku and of the Ait Abbas. The conflict was not only between the Spanish Empire and the Ottoman, but also involved local kingdoms such as the so-called "kings of Kouko" in Kabylia.[2]

Algiers and Kabylia Map

A poem from the Australian Kenneth Slessor is about the King of Kuku.[3]

References
  1. Hugh Roberts, Berber Government: The Kabyle Polity in Pre-colonial Algeria, (I.B. Tauris, 2014), 165.
  2. Choueiri, Youssef M. (2008-04-15). A Companion to the History of the Middle East. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 9781405152044.
  3. Stewart, Douglas (1964-01-01). Modern Australian Verse. University of California Press.
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