caïds
Caïds (singular caïd) is a title of Arabic origin used in North Africa to denote a local leader or chief. The term derives from the Arabic qaʾīd, meaning leader or guide. In French and English-language sources, the spelling caïd appears with the diaeresis on the i.
Under the Ottoman-Beylik political organization in the Maghreb, a caïd governed a daïra (district) within a
During French colonial rule, the role of caïds was institutionalized as part of indirect rule. The French
In present-day Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia, the term caïd remains in use as a traditional or ceremonial