Khayr AD-DIN Barberousse

Biography

Yacoub Reïs, potter with Mytilène, have four wire: Arudj, Elias, Ishac and Khizir. The two last are potters like their father, Arudj is sailor. He is captured and slave in Rhodos. Khizir gathers a large amount of money to repurchase his/her brother. Arudj manages to escape and Khizir returns to its trade of potter. Thereafter, it joined his Arudj brother, who deposited the Hafsides throne of the Tunisia. It brings back Musulmans and Juifs of the Andalusia fleeing the pressure of the Spanish Inquisition and the conversions of force issued by Isabelle the Catholic into 1492 towards the Ottoman Empire where the sultan Bayezid II had given them refuge. That confers to him a great prestige with the eyes of the Moslems and it is at this period that it acquires its nickname of “Barberousse”.

Bey d' Alger

Khizir had been seen entrusting regency on Algiers by his/her brother Arudj, while this one had left to conquer the West of the Algérie. After the defeat of his/her brother, the populations seek to demolish this foreign supervision. Barberousse has then the idea to be combined with the Ottoman Empire. It makes allegiance with the sultan Sélim I {{er}} which gives him titrates it pasha and of beylerbeyi , with a troop of 2 000 men provided with artillery then even of 4 000 volunteers having the statute of Janissary S.

These reinforcements arrive at point to suppress the revolt of the populations and to counter a new Spanish attack (1519). However, it is overcome by an army of Hafsides: it must yield Algiers and be folded up on Djidjelli Jijel. It returns to its career of Moudjahid to reconstitute its finances (1520-1525).

It takes again its conquests as soon as it can it. It seizes Collo (1521) then of Annaba (1522), then of Constantine and finally it takes again Algiers, where the Kabyles which had driven out it were made unpopular (1525). It represses any attempt at rising brutally - the Spanish fortress of Peñon always threatens the city.

In 1529, Barberousse undertakes the seat of Peñon. After three weeks of artillery bombardment, the commander Martin de Vargas, betraying the populations of Algiers, goes with 25 men. He perishes under the blows of stick (May 27th, 1529). Barberousse makes shave the fortress and employs the stones to build a mole of 200m length and 25m broad, thus creating the wearing of Algiers. The Turkish fleet makes of it its usual refuge in this part of the Mediterranean.

In 1531 the admiral gênois Andrea Doria, with the service of Spain, is extremely made overcome it: it essuie a historical defeat. 400 Spaniards are killed. Barberousse continues the Spanish fleet diverts and devastates of it in the passing the Italian coasts and the Provence.

In 1533, Barberousse is named the Lord High Admiral of the Othoman fleet by the sultan Soliman who gave him the name of Khayr AD-DIN. It designated his adoptive son Hassan like her successor.

Then, Barberousse seeks to punish the sultan hafside and to extend the Islamic field: it attacks Tunisia. It benefits from the dissensions of Hafsides to enter Tunis (August 1534). He proclaimed the forfeiture of Hafsides and installed a garrison with Kairouan.

The Spaniards, helped by the anxious Tunisians of these successes, are called the Help! by the détrôné sultan hafside, Moulay Hassan. They take Goulette (Halq Al-Wadi, Halq el-Wadi), wearing of Tunis (July 14th, 1535) then Tunis even, with the assistance of the inhabitants that Barberousse had not massacred. They massacre one the third of the poplulation of the city during three days, with the agreement of the king hafside. Barberousse fights until the last minute the Spanish hordes and is folded up with (Annaba) where it finds a support. Ghost with his activity of corsair, it takes Mahon (capital of the island of Minorque, in the archipelago of the Balearic Islands), where it makes 6 000 prisoners and enormous spoils (1536).

In Istanbul

The Soliman sultan calls it with Istanbul to direct the operations against Charles Quint. He took part in the catch of Nice by the French fleet in 1543. Of return to Istanbul, it remains there until its death in 1546. It was buried at the seaside, in a mausoleum located at the district Beşiktaş, old home port of the Othoman navy, on European bank of the the Bosphorus.

In 1537, a victorious forwarding of Barberousse removes the Cyclades with the Vénitiens and offers them to the Ottoman Empire.

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