Following the spread of Islam, Algeria experienced three major waves of Arab migration that significantly altered its demographics and culture. The first wave occurred in the 7th century, with Arab political and trading elites settling mainly in large cities following the Muslim conquest of the Maghreb. This was followed by the large-scale migration of Bedouin tribes, including Banu Hilal, Banu Sulaym, and Banu Ma'qil in the 11th century, who settled in rural areas, especially the plains. Around the same time, Arabs from al-Andalus (Moors) also migrated, further contributing to the Arabization of the country. Gabriel Martinez described these Andalusian Arabs as the "watchdogs" of the Arabic language.[1]
The first wave of migration led to the Arabization of tribal society from the top down, while the later Bedouin migration brought about Arabization from the grassroots level.
- ^ "(Gabriel Martinez-Gros dans collections 55 daté avril - juin 2012, Il était une fois les Berberes)". ImgBB (in French). Retrieved 2022-11-15.