Brief, but at the same time quite meaningful biography of the Algerian emir Abd al-Qadir, who led the liberation struggle against the French colonialists and from 1832 to 1847. actually stood at the head of an independent state that provided worthy resistance to the invaders. The biography is designed in a style close to scientific; there is an attempt to analyze the psychological and religious motivation of the hero. Notable attention is paid to the state-building of Abd al-Qadir, his political and diplomatic activities; a separate chapter covers the period of being in exile after surrender.