Regency of Algiers

Eyalet-i Cezayir-i Garb ایالت جزاير غرب
Eyalet of the Ottoman Empire
←   ← 1515–1830 →   →
The Regency of Algiers and its political dependencies in 18th century.
Capital		Algiers
Government		Beylerbeylik (1518-1590) then Eyalet (1590-1830) of the Ottoman Empire
Dey
•	1517-1518	Oruç Reis
•	1818-1830	Hussein Dey
History
•	Established	1515
•	Invasion of Algiers in 1830	1830
Population
•	1808	3,000,000
Today part of		Algeria

The regency of Algiers' (in arabic : Al Jazâ'ir) , is an ancient state of North Africa which, from 1515 to 1830, preceded the french conquest of Algeria. Situated between the regency of Tunis in east and the Sharifian Empire (from 1553) in west (and the Spanish and Portuguese possessions of North Africa), the Regency originally extended her borders from La Calle to the east to Trara in the west and from Algiers to Biskra, and after spread to the present eastern and western borders of Algeria.

The Regency, was governed successively by "sultans of Algiers", beylerbeys, pashas, aghas and deys, and was composed by various beyliks (province) under the authority of beys (vassals) : Constantine in the east, Medea in the Titteri and Mazouna, then Mascara and then Oran in the west. Each beylik was divided into various outan (county) with at their head the caïds directly under the bey. To administer the interior of the country, the administration relied on the tribes said makhzen. These tribes were responsible for securing order and collect taxes on the tributary regions of the country. It was through this system that, for three centuries, the State of Algiers extended its authority over the north of Algeria. However, society is still divided into tribes and dominated by maraboutics brotherhoods or local djouads (noble). Several regions of the country thus only lightly recognize the authority of Algiers. Throughout its history, they have formed or continue many revolts, confederations, tribal fiefs or sultanates on the confines of the regency. Before 1830, for 516 political units, a total of 200 principalities or tribes are considered independent because, in dissent with the central government and refusing to pay taxes and they hold 69% of the territory which thus escapes power central.

From 1496, the Spanish conquered numerous possessions on the North African coast, which had been captured since 1496: Melilla (1496), Mers-el-Kebir (1505), Oran (1509), Bougie (1510), Tripoli (1510), Algiers, Shershell, Dellys, and Tenes.

Around the same time, the Ottoman privateer brothers Oruç and Hayreddin—both known to Europeans as Barbarossa, or "Red Beard"—were operating successfully off Tunisia under the Hafsids. In 1516, Oruç moved his base of operations to Algiers and asked for the protection of the Ottoman Empire in 1517, but was killed in 1518 during his invasion of the Kingdom of Tlemcen. Hayreddin succeeded him as military commander of Algiers.

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Wikipedia