Britannica Sources used in this answer

What was kanun in traditional Berber society?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Map showing the Atlas Mountains across Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia in North Africa, with color shading to indicate elevation changes. Major mountain ranges, cities, rivers, and physical features such as the High Atlas, Anti-Atlas, Saharan Atlas, and surrounding deserts are labeled. An inset locator map highlights the region's position in northern Africa. — Atlas Mountains The Atlas Mountains.

In traditional Berber society, kanun refers to a code of customary law that governs the affairs of village communities. Rather than being a set of administrative regulations like the kanun found in the Ottoman Empire, the Berber kanun functions as a foundational legal framework that addresses all matters concerning property and persons within the community.12

These village communities are typically governed by an assembly of elders known as the jamāʿah (or djemaa), which oversees the application of this customary law. The code is central to maintaining social cohesion, reflecting the Berber emphasis on solidarity; within this system, an injury to the honor of an individual is viewed as an injury to the entire group, which in turn necessitates a collective response.1