The Tunisian–Algerian War of 1705 was a conflict between the Regency of Algiers and the Regency of Tunis.
| Tunisian Algerian War (1705) | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Tunisian–Algerian Wars | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||||
 Regency of Algiers |
 Beylik of Tunis | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
|
Al-Husayn I ibn Ali | ||||||||
| Strength | |||||||||
| Unknown | Unknown | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
| Low | Heavy | ||||||||
Background
During the Maghrebi war, The Regency was getting attacks from both West and East by the Moroccan and Tunisian alliance, the Dey of Algiers Hadj Chaouch(in French) who was in charge during the rest of the war, was mainly helped by Hadj Mustapha(in French) who was a great and important figure in the Maghrebi War, His first battle's would take place in the Western Beylik during the Mascara Campaign where the Moroccan army of Moulay Ismail would Pillage the city of Tlemcen but would have to retreat from heavy Casualties trying to take over the Chelif River in 1701, Hadj Mustapha would then Help his vassal Ali khodja Bey in Constantine who would die trying to defend the city of Constantine from the army og Ibrahim el Sharif,[1] Mustapha would then meet the Tunisian's near Setif and win the Battle of Jouami' al-Ulama with a small amount of Casualties. The war would finally end by the Assassination of Murad III and his entitre family by Ibrahim el Sharif who had more specific plans after his return from Istanbul.
The war
After the Maghrebi war, the dey Hadj Chaouch would resign from the title of Dey and would give it to Hadj Mustapha for his numerous victories during the war. The regency however suffered from a lack of money after this bloody war. The Dey would unnecessarily raise taxes which would make him realise that the only way for Algiers to recover from this was the conquest and pillage of Tunisia and its cities.[2]
Mustapha who just became Dey of Algiers Would declare war on Ibrahim Sharif and enter the Tunisian territory.
Battle of Kef
The Algerian army would enter the Tunisian territory on 8 July and would set their camps close to Kef in Oued el-Tin preparing for the battle, Before the battle, one of the various Tunisian Banu Hilal Arab tribes of Tunisia named Ouled Saïd(in French) and Drid(in French) betrayed Ibrahim and changed sides and allied with the Algerians.[3] Even a part of the regular troops of Ibrahim who were headed by Ibrahim's intimate secretary, Muhhamed Ben Mustapha, ended up changing sides as well.[4] Even after all these betrayals Ibrahim had not lost hope. The dey Mustapha would then proceed to send officers to Ibrahim and ask him very humiliating peace terms, such as:
Demanding Tunisia to pay a tribute for war reparations, a delivery of 1000 camels and hand over one of his children to the dey to serve as a hostage.[5][6]
Even after all these betrayals Ibrahim would not lose hope and would take this as a provocation, he would enter Kef with his Agha Al-Husayn I ibn Ali. The battle was bloody with many casualties from the Tunisian front. The Algerian side would take the advantage and surround the citadel. Ibrahim would finally realise, after losing three horses, that with the poor number of soldiers that he had, he would not defeat the army of Mustapha and would capitulate and be imprisoned and transported to Algiers.[7]
He would lose the war and be imprisoned in Algiers.[8] When the Agha's of Ibrahim who were still fighting over their dead brothers in the citadel, would in no time hastily retreat to Tunis with the rest of what that remained of the Tunisian army. The most influential one of them Al-Husayn I ibn Ali would proclaim himself Dey and found the Husainid dynasty on July 10, 1705.[9]
Siege of Tunis
The Algerian army finally arrived in front of Tunis and put it under siege. The Tunisians, fearing the pillage of their city, resisted energetically and unnecessarily protested against the Dey Moustapha, Husayn paid Hadj Moustapha a ransom of 150,000 piastres to lift the siege. The dey subsequently noted that food and ammunition were becoming increasingly short, in addition to the approach of the bad season. Mustapha decided to abandon the siege and retreated to Algiers full of rage.[10]
Aftermath
Mustapha left Tunis on October 6, 1705, and was harassed by Kabyles and Tunisians on his way to Algiers. After finally returning to Algiers, he received his payment from Husayn as intended.[11]
After the assassination of the Hadj Mustapha in the same year, Algiers fell into chaos where two individuals would fight for the title of Dey. The first one was a representative of the Ottoman Sultan Ahmed III, The other one was described as the chosen one of the Algerians. Finally, after five years, Baba Ali Chaouch became dey and restored stability to the republic.[12]
References
- ↑ Société archéologique, historique, et géographique du Département de Constantine (1929). Recueil des notices et mémoires de la Société archéologique du département de Constantine (in French).
- ↑ Grammont, H. D. de (1887). Histoire d'Alger sous la domination turque (1515-1830) (in French). E. Leroux.
- ↑ Rousseau, Alphonse (1864). Annales tunisiennes: ou, Aperçu historique sur la régence de Tunis (in French). Bastide.
- ↑ Rousseau, Alphonse (1864). Annales tunisiennes: ou, Aperçu historique sur la régence de Tunis (in French). Bastide.
- ↑ Rousseau, Alphonse (1864). Annales tunisiennes: ou, Aperçu historique sur la régence de Tunis (in French). Bastide.
- ↑ Rousseau, Alphonse (1864). Annales tunisiennes: ou, Aperçu historique sur la régence de Tunis (in French). Bastide.
- ↑ Rousseau, Alphonse (1864). Annales tunisiennes: ou, Aperçu historique sur la régence de Tunis (in French). Bastide.
- ↑ Rousseau, Alphonse (1864). Annales tunisiennes: ou, Aperçu historique sur la régence de Tunis (in French). Bastide.
- ↑ Rousseau, Alphonse (1864). Annales tunisiennes: ou, Aperçu historique sur la régence de Tunis (in French). Bastide.
- ↑ Grammont, H. D. de (1887). Histoire d'Alger sous la domination turque (1515-1830) (in French). E. Leroux.
- ↑ Grammont, H. D. de (1887). Histoire d'Alger sous la domination turque (1515-1830) (in French). E. Leroux.
- ↑ The St. James's Magazine and United Empire Review. A.H. Moxon. 1875.