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The Barbary pirates or Ottoman corsairs, were pirates who operated under the cover of privateer operations authorized by the Barbary states. The Barbary pirates operated from western portion of the north Africa from Tripoli west to Moroccan ports. This became known as the Barbary coast.
The Muslim Barbary pirates preyed on Christian and other non-Islamic shipping in the western Mediterranean Sea beginning with the Crusades, but more importantly inthe 16th century after the fall of Granada to the Christians (1492). The attacks continued into the early 19th century.
There is a long history of predatory maritime attacks by the coastal population of northern Africa on the maritime commerce in the Mediterranean and the coastal populations of southern Europe. The Arab conqquest of North Africa created the conditions for piracy. The southern and norther shore of the Mediterranean basin developed along very differet relgious and cultural lines. At time the North African-based pirates even conducted attacks into the Atlantic. These attacks increased in intensity as the as the native Berber dynasties declined (14th century).
The Barbary pirates operated from western portion of the north Africa from Tripoli west to Moroccan ports. This became known as the Barbary coast. The Barbary Coast was a medieval term for the Maghreb and evolved from the Berber inhabitants of North Africa. The town of Bougie1 (Béjaïa in Algeria west of Tunisia) was then the most notorious pirate centers. The most formidable Barbary port was Algiers, but Tripoli and Tunis were also important as well as some Moroccan ports, especially Salé.
The Barbary pirates primarily operated in Mediterranean, especially the western Mediterranean. There were also attacks out in the Atalantic, both south along the coast of West Afric and into the a's Atlantic seaboard, and noth along the coast of Western Europe. Attacks were reported as far north as Iceland. The attacks were primarily on maritime commerce. There were, however, raids (Riazzas) on coastal settlements, usually isolated towns for booty and slaves.
The origins of the Barbary Pirates lay with the end of the Reconquista in Spain and the fall of Granada.
The Moors (Muslim Arabs and Berbers) invaded Spain (711) and quickly conquered alnost all of the Iberian Peninsula. This was part of the great imperial expansion of the Islamic Caliphate--one of the most rapd military undertakings in history. Moorush Spain became a great center of learning and science. The Moors lived in Spain for 800 years. Christians survived in the northern mountains and from here launched the Reconquista. The Spanish monarchs (Isabella and Ferdinand) finally succeeded in conquering the last Moorish kingdom--Grenada (1492). They expelled both the Moors and Jews from their now uninted realm in that same year. Some of the expelled Moors, coveting revenge, initiated piratical attacks on the Spanish coast and Spanish shipping. Many were from the They received assistance from Moslem adventurers. Many were from the Levant. The Barbary Pirates became a recognized phenomenon (16th century) and achieved their greatest power (17th century), ahd declined in the 18th century. They were finally eliminated after the Napoleonic Wars. European advances in naval technology and the French conquest of Algeria (1830) effectively reduced the base for piracy.
Religion was certainly a factor, although difficult to assess. The actions of the pirates could be justified by Islamic jihad against the Christians. And Koranic and other Islamic teaching recognizes slavery as a acceoptable social institution. Thus the enslaving of non-Muslims was an acceptable prractice. And Noirth African Muslims had for centuries been involved in the African slave rade.
The diverging economies of North Africa and Europe were a major factor in the phenomenon of the Barbary pirates. he Islamic Caliphate before the Crusades (10-13th century) had been the center of great leaning and advanced technology. Even before the Mongol invaions (13th century), Islam had moved away from science toward fundamentalism. This shift occured at the same time thtat the Renaissance began to sweep Europe (13th century). Along with the changing religious outlook came a quickening of the European economy. This was further promoted by the Reformation (16th century) . Nowhere was the dichotomy between a backward unproductive Islam and prosperous moderizing Europe more apparent than in the Mediterranean. Thus the lure of commerce raiding and slave trading prove irresistable for the anarchical military states that evolved along the Barbary Coast. These states essentially lived by plunder without any mjor industry in contrast to the increasingly prosperous Europe on which they preyed.
Some of the most famous were Arouj and his brother Khair-ed Din (late 16th century). Christians called them both Barbarossa or "Redbeard." They were based in modern Tunisia. Another major figure was Moolay Ismail in Morocco. He was not a opirate himself, but encouraged their operations and benefitted from their operations, especially the slaves they captured and slivered.
The major European power initially responding to these attacks was the Spanish which in the 16th century were the super power of the day. Spain responded to these attacks by expeditions against the major port cities in North Africa (Oran, Algiers and Tunis). The Barbary drepeditations were not the only reason for the Spanish incursions in North Africa, but they were a significant factor. Arouj was killed by the Spanish (1518). His brother Khair-ed‑Din asked for the support of Sultan Selim in Constantinople. The Sultan dispatched Ottoman troops. They seized at fort at Algiers from the Spanish (1529). Algiers became the principal power base of the the Turkish beylerbeys of northern Africa who ruled over Tripoli (Libya), Tunisia, and Algeria (1518-87). The Battle of Lepanto was one of the decisive naval battles of history (October 7, 1571).
The destruction of the Ottomon fleet seriously impaired the Sultan's ability to administer North Africa and ended the attemp of the Ottomans to dominate the Mediterranean. The Sultan appointed a Turkish Pasha to rule the area (1587). They governed for terms of 3 years. A military rebellion in Algeria, however, eventually reduced the Turush Pashas to figureheads. The major North African ports eventually achieved virtual independence from the Ottomons (by 1659). They came anarchical military states under local rulers with economies based largely on plunder. Initially the beylerbeys were admirals in the Ottoman Navy. They commanded impressive fleets and conducting naval operations against the Spanish, Venetians, and other Christian naval forces (1518-87). After Lepanto and the decline of Ottomon naval power, plunder and slave taking became their primary goal.
The Barbary pirates were the most successful pirates in history. This is because they operated close to the shoes of increasingly prosperous Europe and because they were suported and protected by North African political and religious authorities. In some cases they became so powerful that they were theceffective political authority. Barbary piracy was conducted by captains called reises. They formed formed a class or a kind of corporation to finance their operations. They achieved legitimacy by paying 10 per cent of their prizes was to the pasha (Agha or Dey or Bey).
Bougie was the major shipbuilding center. The Barbary pirates at first used galleys (propelled by slaves). The vessels were called zebeks. They were small, fast vessels. Sailing vessels were very vulnerable when winds slackened and could easilty be overtaken by the Barbary zebeks powered by galley slaves. Interestingly historians have yet to find a intact Barbary zebek. The British believe they have found the remains of a zebek off Sokum on the Channel coast. It was apparently involved in slave raiding in the Atlantic. The wood had deteriorated, but at the site cannon abd Arab gold coins, some dated to 1631 have been found.
Gradually the pirates shifted to sail power some time in the early 17th century. Renegde Europeans played a major role in modernizing the Barbary ships. Here a Flemish renegade, Simon Danser, played a major role.
no B. pirate vessel found
zebek light weifght attack vessel favoraved by the Barbary pirates
gallay slaves, effective when winfs were light.
One of the primaary objectives was to take white Christian slaves. Muslims were discouraged from holding other Muslims in slavery. Thus capturing Christians avoided this problem. Slavery is an insitution recognized in the Koran and other Islamic teaching.
The Barbary pirates suceeded in capturing large numbers of Europeans who were then sold into slavery. There were important slave markets in Algeria and Morocco. There is no precise accounting of the numbers of victims involved in the Barbarry slave taking. One historian estimates that 1.0-1.25 million people may have been captured and sold into slavery during the more than three centuries that the pirates operatee in force (16th-early 19th centuries). [Davis] Most of the slave raids were conducted on seaside villages in Italy, Spain and Portugal, especially in the 16th century when the Europeans were just beginning to build modern navies. There were, however, also raids on more distant settlements (France, England, the Netherlands, Ireland, and even Iceland). The pirate raid in "HMS Pinafore" was not entirely fanciful. There are many well-document Barbary slave-taking raids. Khair ad Din captured the Ischia, taking 4,000 catives to be sold into slavery (1544). Another 9,000 captives from Lipari were enslaved. Turgut Reis (Dragut) raided the Maltese island Gozo and sold 5,000-6,000 inhabitants in Libya (1551). Barbary pirates ravaged Vieste in southern Italy and enslaved about 7,000 people (1554). Turgut Reis mounted a raid on Corsica, looted Bastia ahnd enslaved 6000 people (1555). The Barbary attack on Ciutadella (Minorca) was particularly devestating. Large numbers of the population was slaugtered, but about 3,000 were taken off to be sold as alaves (1558). Turgut Reis raided the southern coast of pain near Granada, looting settlements like Almuñécar, taking about 4,000 captives to be sold as slaves (1563). Gradually in the 17th century these slave raids became less frequent, but the Barbary pirates continued to enslave captured crews. Here American ships became special targets after the Revolution (1776-83) because for several years the United States had no navy to protect its shipping. One American ensalved by the Barbary pirates reported that 130 other American sailors had been enslaved by the Algerians just between 1785 and 1793. Wealthy Europeans were especially prized because they could be ransomed. This was also the case for ranking military officers. Arrtactive young women could be added to the harmens. Ordinary individuals were coindmned to a live of slave labor. Many men were used as galley slaves. Morooccan sultan Moolay Ismail used tens of thousabds of slaves in the construction of his ememse palace.
The impact of the Barbary raids are not well studied. Raids on shipping can probably be quantified. France, England, and Spain each reportedly lost thousands of ships.
One source notes that between 1609 and 1616 The Barbary pirates took 466 English merchant ships.
Raids on coastal villages are more difficlt to estimate. Reports suggest that stretches of the Spanish and Italian coasts were largely abandoned by its inhabitants. The Barbary raids thus discouraged coastal settlement in some areas until the 19th century. The Balearic islands between Spain and Algeria were the target of constant attacks. The most southerly islnd in the chain, Formentera, had to be abandoned.
European countries at times negotiated with the Barbary Pirates and at other times launched military expeditions. British admiral, Robert Blake, comanded an expedition against Tunis (1655). There were quite a number of these expeditions launched by the British, Dutch, French and others. After the American Revolution, the Americans also participated, 1801-05 and 1815. After the Revolution, American commerce no longer operated under the protection of the Royal Navy. This was one of the early chalenges faced by the fledgling American Navy. These expeditions were naval in character and the Europeans declined to land large armies to actually seize the area. Here the calculation was largely financial. A major military campaign would have been more expensive than the commerce to be protected. It was more cost-effective to buy them off.
Another factor was European wars. These provided opportunities to prey upon commerce.
Davis, Robert C. Christian Slaves, Muslim Masters: White Slavery in the Mediterranean, the Barbary Coast, and Italy, 1500-1800 (Palgrave Macmillan, 2003), 246p.
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