Ottoman Algeria in Western Diplomatic History with ... - Bibliothèque

Algerian navy. 85 The latter were underdogged by their former coreligionists
who dubbed them ‘renegades.’ They were despised for having ‘turned Turk’ or
‘taking the Turban’ because, according to their detractors, that “marks the
becoming-barbarian of Christians.” 86 But at Algiers they were well-received
and many of them occupied the highest posts in the navy. In 1588, Fray Diego
de Haedo, Spanish Benedictine monk who lived in Algiers at the end of the 16 th
century, noted that of the thirty-five galleys or galleots of Algiers eleven were
commanded by Turks while twenty-five were commanded by Christian
renegades. 87 The renegades also occupied some of the highest posts of the state
at Algiers. At late 16 th century, more than half of the twenty-three governors or
high officials (qaid) were also renegades. 88
Many of them also reached the
ultimate position of Deyship. Although the Barbarossa originated from Greece,
they were Moslems by birth as was Dragut Rais; but many of their ablest
successors converted to Islam at a tender age: Hassan Pasha (Sardinian) held
Algiers against Charles V, El-Euldj Ali (Calabrian) was the Muslim hero of
Lepanto, Hadj Hassan Pasha (Mezzomorto the Venetian) stood steadfastly to
French attacks and repelled them, and Murad Rais (Albanese) was first to sail
into the Atlantic and reach the Canary Islands in 1585. 89
85 For the role of converted Christians in the Algerian navy see Stephen Clissold, “Christian Renegades
and Barbary Corsairs,” History Today, 26: 8 (Aug., 1976), pp. 509-515.
86 David E. Johnson, “Of Pirates, Captives, Barbarians, and the Limits of Culture,” American Literary
History, 14: 2 (Summer 2002), pp. 366-67.
87 Haedo’s work Topografia e Historia General de Argel (topography and general history of Algiers)
which was published in 1606 is incontestably the earliest western source of information on Ottoman
Algeria.
88 Lane-Poole, Barbary Corsairs, p. 200; Clissold, “Christian Renegades,” p. 512.
89 Pierre Boyer, “Les renégats et la marine de la régence d’Alger,” Revue de l’Occident Musulman et
de la Méditerranée, 39: 1 (1985), pp. 94-95.
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