A body of local soldiers or auxiliaries, especially those recruited from North Africa to serve in French colonial forces.
From Arabic ḥaraka, meaning 'movement' or 'military unit,' but in colonial French usage it came to specifically mean native troops. The word was heavily used during French colonial rule in North Africa, particularly Algeria.
This word is a reminder that colonialism created its own vocabulary—when French forces needed local soldiers, they borrowed a word that fit their military hierarchy perfectly.
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