The Geographical and Demographic Distribution of Islamic Legal Schools in Algeria during the Ottoman Era (1519-1830).

This research examined the demographic and geographical map of jurisprudential schools in Algeria during the Ottoman era, highlighting the competition and coexistence between the three schools: Maliki (the popular majority), Hanafi (the official school of the authorities), and Ibadhi (the school of the Beni Mezab). The study relied on a descriptive and analytical approach, drawing on contemporary sources and archival documents, and concluded that the Ottoman authorities did not impose their school of jurisprudence by force, but rather created a ‘dualistic’ system at the official level that allowed the Maliki school to remain the unifying national reference, while the Hanafi school remained confined to the military and civilian elites. The sectarian specificity of the Ibadhi followers in the M'zab Valley and even those who migrated to the northern cities was also respected.