This alliance had soon revealed itself to be a form of subordination - a decree of 1845 abolished the khalifalik of Medjana so that when Mohamed succeeded his father, as the choice of the French Arab Bureaux, his title was no more than “bachagha” (=chief commander).
The alliance quickly became evident as one of subordination; in 1845, a decree abolished the khalifalik of Medjana, leading Mohamed’s title upon succeeding his father to be merely “bachagha” (meaning chief commander) rather than khalifa.