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EntityQ2894610· pop 9· linked from 57 articles

Also known as Kal Bella - Mali - tribu nomade, Kaltamacheq

thumb|236x236px|A Tuareg man of the Bella caste The Ikelan (Éklan/Ikelan or Ibenheren in Tamasheq; Bouzou in Hausa; Bella in Songhai; singular Akli) are members within Tuareg society.

Wikidata facts

Instance of
caste
Subclass of
Tuareg Amazighs
Country
Niger
Image
COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Portret van een Bella man met amuletten TMnr 20010119.jpg
Show 1 more fact
Commons category
Bella people
Sources (1)

via Wikidata · CC0

~7 min read

Encyclopedic overview

6 sections
Contents
  • Caste system
  • Formation and role
  • Contemporary conditions
  • Mali
  • Niger
  • References

thumb|236x236px|A Tuareg man of the Bella caste The Ikelan (Éklan/Ikelan or Ibenheren in Tamasheq; Bouzou in Hausa; Bella in Songhai; singular Akli) are members within Tuareg society.

The Ikelan's situation is somewhat analogous to that of the Haratin within Maure society in Mauritania. Like the Haratin, the name "Ikelan", and to a much greater degree Bouzou and Bella, are exonyms (a name not used by that people themselves) with negative connotations. Historically the term "Ikelan" has been used to refer to the slaves of the Tuareg. Moreover, while they now speak the same language as Tuareg nobles, they are possibly of assimilated origin from other local neighbouring communities.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Kal Bella” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.

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