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

Barbary Coast. 2 Alleging piracy and slavery, the western countries mobilized
forces, naval as well as religious, and sent expedition after expedition to
‘punish’ what they termed ‘Barbary pirates’. These legends served as a
justification for continuing occupation of Algerian port-cities, a disguise for
crusading aggressions, and a means of pressure for obtaining greedy
commercial privileges and concessions. Later on, by the time Algiers lost naval
supremacy in the Mediterranean, these views served as a justification for
assaulting and ultimately colonizing Algeria. 3
From a different angle, however, the history of Algeria presents itself
differently. 4 It is the history of a people, diverse as it was, that fought to
counter European attacks and preserve its freedom and culture. Whether
descendents of Arab conquerors, converted native Berbers, Andalusian
refugees, or Turkish rulers, the inhabitants of Algiers were Muslims who
realized that their enemy was ‘one’ and it was ‘Christian.’ Weak and disunited
at the start, they stood up to thwart the threat of a new wave of crusades
regardless of their internal disputes and racial differences.
2 A myriad of works present this point of view. Two classical works are particularly influential: Robert
Lambert Playfair, The Scourge of Christendom: Annals of British Relations with Algiers Prior to the
French Conquest (London: Smith, Elder & Co, 1884) and Stanley Lane-Poole, The Barbary Corsairs
(New York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1890).
3 J. E. Swain, “The Occupation of Algiers in 1830: A Study in Anglo-French Diplomacy,” Political
Science Quarterly, 48: 3 (1933), p. 360; Lotfi Ben Rejeb, “Barbary’s ‘Character’ in European Letters,
1514-1830: An Ideological Prelude to Colonization,” Dialectical Anthropology, 6 (1982), p. 345.
4 For one of the rare impartial and balanced scholarly works undertaken by Western writers see
Godfrey Fisher, Barbary Legend: War Trade and Piracy in North Africa, 1415-1830 (London: Oxford
University Press, 1957). Also, an unprejudiced travel account could be found in Laugier de Tassy,
Histoire du royaume d’Alger avec l’état présent de son gouvernement, de ses forces de terre et de mer
& de ses revenus, police, justice politique & commerce (Amsterdam: Chez Henri du Sauzet, 1725).
63