History of the city of Boghni
The Turks at Boghni.
Before the Turkish occupation of the city of Dellys in 1517-1518 by Kheir-eddine and the city of Algiers (1516), the Iflisen Umlil controlled part of the coastline going from the Sebaou river to around Boumerdes, and the Mitidja plains. Between the Sebaou and the Isser, there were 5 Aarchs on the coast composed of Isser el Widan, Isser Ouled Smir, Isser el Djediane, Isser Draoua and Zemoul.
The Iflisen Umlil were thus trapped by the Turks of Algiers and Dellys who gradually pushed them back into the triangle they occupy today. According to the testimony of Hadj Aïssa (born around 1795) from Tighilt Bugni (collected by Couvignon around 1890), the entire Iflisen Umlil triangle was virgin forest. Faced with Turkish pressure, the Iflisen had found refuge there.
After the death of Bey Mohamed in 1754, the confederation of Iflisen Umlil and those of the caïdat of Boghni rose up against Turkish power. On July 16, 1756, the Kabyles attack and destroy the Bordj of Boghni, kill the caïd Ahmed, and chase the Turks from this garrison towards Algiers. On August 25, 1756, they attacked the Bordj of Bouira. It took three Turkish columns, that of the Sharif Agha, that of the Bey Softa of Titery, and that of the Bey of Constantine to overcome this first insurrection initiated by the Iflisen Umlil. A second insurrection was led by the Iguechtoulen (At Smaïl) and At Sedka around 1818, who destroyed the Turkish garrison of Boghni (previously rebuilt).
In 1767, the Iflisen Umelil once again rose up in insurrection and refused to pay tax to the Makhzen of Algiers. The leaders of the Iflisen Umlil were then Khelif U-Buzid (amin of At Mekla), Hassan U-Rafa3 (amin of Iraf3en), Lhusin N Zamum (amin of At Amran). The Turkish army composed of 1,100 men (Turks and Arab gums) was annihilated.
Humiliated by the Iflisen Umlil, the pasha of Algiers Mohamed ben Osman sent the following year (1768), the most imposing army that had yet operated in Kabylia. The Beys of Titery, Oran, and Constantine were ordered to bring all their forces into the Iflisen Umlil region. War then broke out between the Turks and the Iflisen Umlil; it was one of the most terrible wars that this confederation had to endure to maintain its autonomy. They had inflicted a disastrous defeat on the Turkish invader: 1,200 Turks and 3,000 Arabs were killed. His army was three-quarters decimated, and lost the bravest of its warriors, such as Agha El-Ourlis, Sheikh El-Arab el Hadj ben Gana, Sheikh of Bellezma Ferhat ben Ali, from the family of Caïd Cherif ben Mançour, Bel Kassem ben Merah, one of the main leaders of the zmala and many others. These details clearly show the importance of the defeat suffered by the Turks before the Iflisen.
However, Mohamed ben Osman had implemented the blockade of the country of the Iflisen, by means of posts (bordj) surrounding their mountainous triangle on all sides and he thus succeeded in reducing it to famine. This blockade, which not only prevented grain convoys from arriving in the mountain, but also prevented land from being cultivated anywhere other than in the mountain, forced the Iflisen Umlil to conclude a peace treaty in 1769. This peace treaty was signed by the Chief of Iflisen Umlil: Lhusin N Zamum. He had installed his azib in the place that is still called today "L'Azib n Zamum" (Ex. Haussonvillier currently Naciria). For many years, Lhusin N Zamum was able to maintain peace with the Turks and it was only 25 years after the conclusion of the treaty that we saw the Iflisen in insurrection again.
Source: websites