The Emirate of Algiers[5][6] was an emirate founded by the Thâaliba[7][8][9] after the weakening of the central authority of the Banu Ziyan state, and the negative impact on the situation in Algeria,[10] which was divided into small, disjointed emirates, such as the Emirate of Jebel Kuku in the Kabylia region, the Emirate of the Zouaoua in Hodna and Zab, the Emirate of the Beni Jelab in Touggourt and Wadi Righ, and the Emirate of the Beni Mezzoug in Noufique on the western border, and the kingdom ended by turning into the Ottoman state.[11]
The Thâalibi(also referred to as Thâalibas) dynasty ruled the Emirate of Algiers[12] from the mid-14th century to the early 16th century. Though not as prominent as some of the later Algerian rulers, the Thâalibi period laid the groundwork for Algiers' rise as a major power in the region.[13]
Information about the Emirate's origins is somewhat unclear. It emerged following the decline of the Zayyanid dynasty in the 13th century, with Algiers likely gaining independence sometime in the mid-14th century. The Thâalibi family came to power during this period, establishing a hereditary emirate.[14]
In1510, the Spanish gained a foothold near Algiers by controlling a small island and forcing the ruler, Salim at Toumi, to submit.[15][16] Salim even had to travel to Spain and pledge allegiance to their king.[17]
Fast forward to 1516. Sālim, desperate to get rid of the Spanish, invited the Ottoman corsair brothers, Oruç and Hayreddin Barbarossa, for help. Oruç arrived with a combined force and local support, but failed to capture the Spanish-held island.[18][19]
Things took a turn when Oruç suspected Sālim of working with the Spanish. He ordered Sālim's execution.[20]
This power struggle wasn't over though. Sālim's son escaped to Spain and found an ally in King Charles V. This alliance set the stage for future clashes between the Ottomans and the Spanish in the region.
In1510, Spain established a foothold near Algiers by controlling a small island and forcing the city's ruler, Sālim al-Tūmī, to submit. Seeking to expel the Spanish, al-Tūmī invited the Ottoman corsair brothers, Oruç and Hayreddin Barbarossa, for help in 1516.
Oruç's strategic use of terrain and his well-trained force, despite being outnumbered, secured a decisive victory against the Spanish and Moorish army. This battle marked the rise of Ottoman influence in North Africa.[26]
Salim at-Toumi (Arabic: سالم التومي) was a ruler of the Emirate of Algiers[27] in the early 16th century. He was the leader of the Thaâliba[28] tribe. The city's merchants gave him power.
According to some accounts, he was married to Zaphira, a princess. Spain threatened Algiers, and Salim at-Toumi agreed to pay them tribute. The people of Algiers wanted help from the pirate brothers, the Barbarossas. Salim at-Toumi lost power and the Barbarossas took over. Arudj Barbarossa killed Salim at-Toumi.
City of Algiers in the 16th century, by Georg Braun
In order to exonerate himself in Zaphira's eyes, Aruj paid false witnesses to name fake assassins of Selim, who confessed under torture before being strangled. The regent sent a letter to Zaphira, recounting how he had the true murderers of her husband assassinated. But Zaphira responded that she would rather commit suicide in the face of his tyranny if he did not allow her to leave Algiers.
Aruj visited Zaphira, who stood up to him. Irritated, Aruj gave her one more day before marrying her. The next day, Aruj returned determined to marry her. When she refused him again, he attempted to rape her. Having hidden a dagger under her robe, Zaphira tried to kill him[29] but only managed to wound his arm. Aruj called someone to disarm her,[30] but Zaphira poisoned herself with a vial she had also concealed in her robe. The regent had Zaphira's loyal servants strangled and buried with their mistress.[31]
In 1754, the tragedy BarbarossabyJohn Brown is based on the story of Aruj Barbarossa and Zaphira. However, in this version, Zaphira defeats Barbarossa, and her legitimate heir succeeds Selim.[32]
In 2007, Abdelaziz Ferrah published a fictionalized version her life, Zaphira, ou la bataille pour Alger, 1516.[33]
In 2023, the film『La Dernière Reine』(The Last Queen), an Algerian film directed by Damien Ounouri and Adila Bendimerad, depicts Zaphira's resistance against Aruj. The co-director plays the title role, and Dali Benssalah portrays Aruj Barbarossa.[34]
^Gürkan, Emrah Safa.『Ottoman Corsairs in The Western Mediterranean and their Place in The Ottoman-Habsburg Rivalry (1505–1535).』PhD diss., Bilkent Universitesi (Turkey), 2005.
^BIBESCO, Nicolas.『LES KABYLES DU DJURDJURA: IV. LA GRANDE-KABYLIE AU TEMPS DE LA RÉGENCE D'ALGER.—IMPORTANCE DE LA NATIONALITÉ KABYLE.』Revue des Deux Mondes (1829–1971) 62, no. 1 (1866): 113-149. p.115.
^Meynier, Gilbert (2010). L'Algérie, cœur du Maghreb classique [Algeria, the Heart of the Classical Maghreb]. Paris: La Découverte. p. 313. ISBN9782707152312.
^Ferrah, Abdelaziz (2007). Zaphira, ou la bataille pour Alger, 1516 (in French). Éditions Alpha. ISBN9789961780664.
^Bendimerad, Adila; Ounouri, Damien (2023-04-19), El akhira (Adventure, Drama, History), Adila Bendimerad, Dali Benssalah, Mohamed Tahar Zaoui, Taj Intaj, Agat Films & Cie, Centre Algérien de Développement du Cinéma (CADC), retrieved 2024-05-15
![Map of the Emirate of Algiers (also known as the Emirate of Thâaliba)[2][3]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Emirate_of_Thaalabah.png)
Algeria
Spanish Empire
