Regency of Algiers

Algeria, 1516–1830. Draft, not yet reviewed

The Regency of Algiers was an early modern semi-independent Ottoman frontier province and vassal state on the Barbary Coast of North Africa from 1516 to 1830. It was founded by the privateer brothers Aruj and Hayreddin Reis, also known as the Barbarossa brothers. After the janissary coup of 1659, the Regency became a sovereign military republic, and its rulers were elected by the council known as the diwan rather than appointed by the Ottoman sultan. In 1830, France took advantage of domestic turmoil to invade, and the French conquest led to colonial rule until 1962.

Seat of power: Algiers

No rulers documented for this era yet.

Culture

• Its institutionalized privateering dealt substantial damage to European shipping, took captives for ransom, plundered booty, hijacked ships and eventually demanded regular tribute payments.
• In the rich and bustling city of Algiers, the Barbary slave trade reached an apex.
• Hayreddin also rescued over 70,000 Andalusi refugees from the Spanish inquisition and brought them to Algeria, where they contributed to the flourishing culture of the Regency.

Picture

The Casbah of Algiers, the old town of the city, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that reached its peak during the Regency of Algiers.

Image: toufik Lerari, CC BY-SA 2.0, file

Sources

• Regency of Algiers (Wikipedia)
• Regency of Algiers (Wikidata)
• About the picture (Wikipedia)

Text adapted from the Wikipedia articles listed as sources, CC BY-SA 4.0.