Hommes de religion et confréries islamiques dans une société en crise, l'Air aux xixe et xxe siècles: Le case de la khalwatiyya

Men of religion and Tarîqât in a society in turmoil: the Khalwatiyya in 19th- and 20th-century Air.- After World War II administrative reports in the Air region of the Niger colony (today's Niger Republic) mention a "new" brotherhood, Khalwatiyya, which competes successfully with the long-established Qadiriyya. The khalwatî shaykh Malam Mûsâ Abatûl maintains that his way has been introduced in Air by a 16th-century scholar and "saint", Sî Mahmûd al-Baghdâdî, and transmitted up to him through a regular silsila. Khalwatiyya, rather than Qadiriyya (and even more than Sanûsiyya), could well be considered as the "national" tarîqa of Air. It is in fact far more likely that it was introduced or, at least, reactivated by Malam Mûsâ, in order to strengthen the influence of the southern, sedentary ineslemen (members of the religious fractions) as against the northern warlike fractions, especially the Kunta. This is evidenced by the stress put upon gardening, modern European-style education and general policy of co-operation with the French, after the failure of Kawsan's (Kaocen) uprising of 1916-17. The rise of the Khalwatiyya would thus result more from a manipulation than from a restauration.