A New Interpretation of the Conquest of Algiers (1830)

French Colonialism, Ottoman Sovereignty and Debates about Imperial Reform

Bibliographic Data

ID13101258
AuthorsSalma Hargal (0000-0003-4712-5698, Sciences Po Lyon, corresponding author)
Year2024
Volume11
Issue1
Pages81-101
Publication date2024-03-01
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of the Ottoman and Turkish Studies Association (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2376-0702 • E-ISSN: 2376-0699
PublisherIndiana University Press (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.2979/tur.00023
OpenAlexW4406994324
LanguageEN
Citations received1

Historiographical accounts of the 1830 conquest of Algeria often focus solely on French sources and do not frame Algeria as part of the Ottoman Empire. However, research in the Ottoman Archives underscores the importance of the Porte's diplomatic overtures to retain its Maghribi dominion. This paper suggests that the omission of this Ottoman perspective may result from an inherent bias in French political rhetoric intended to legitimize the military invasion. By undermining the ties between Algiers and Istanbul, France could justify its military action as compliant with international law. The article subsequently explores the contemporaneous Arabic and Ottoman Turkish accounts from Algerians living at the time of the events in 1830. These texts shed light on the political relations between Algiers and Istanbul and their role in the aftermath of the conquest and the dissolution of the deylik . An analysis of these local sources reveals the broader imperial context in which territorial losses sparked debates on the need for reform in Algiers and Istanbul alike

Ancient history · Archaeology · Colonialism · CONQUEST · Context (archaeology · Dominion · Historiography · Interpretation (philosophy · Political science · Politics · Rhetoric · Sovereignty · European Political History Analysis · Historical Studies and Socio-cultural Analysis · History · Islamic Studies and History · Law · Philosophy

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