Capture of Algiers (1516) facts for kids
The Capture of Algiers in 1516 was when the city of Algiers was taken over by the Ottoman brothers Aruj and Kheireddin Barbarossa. They took the city from Sālim al-Tūmī, who was the local ruler.
Why Algiers Was Captured
In 1510, people from Spain set up a base on a small island near Algiers. They made the local ruler, Sālim al-Tūmī, agree to their presence. He had to sign a special agreement and pay them money regularly. The Spanish built strong defenses on the island and placed 200 soldiers there. Sālim al-Tūmī even had to travel to Spain to promise his loyalty to King Ferdinand of Aragon.
How Algiers Was Taken
In 1516, Sālim al-Tūmī, the leader of Algiers, asked the famous sea captains Aruj and Kheireddin for help. He wanted them to force the Spanish out of the area.
Aruj arrived in Algiers with help from Ottoman soldiers. His friend Ahmad al-Kadi from the Kingdom of Kuku also joined him. Their army included 800 Turkish soldiers and 5,000 local helpers called Kabyle auxiliaries. Aruj learned that Sālim al-Tūmī was secretly working with the Spanish against him. Because of this, Aruj took control of the city from Sālim. The local people were very happy about Aruj's victory.
After Aruj took the city, Spain tried to get it back. They sent two groups of soldiers. The first group came in 1516, led by Don Diego de Vera. The second group arrived in 1519, led by Don Ugo de Moncada. However, both attempts by Spain to recapture Algiers failed.
Kheireddin took over as leader after his brother Aruj was killed in a battle against the Spanish. This happened during the capture of Tlemcen in 1518. Kheireddin also inherited his brother's famous nickname, "Barbarossa."
The Ottoman Sultan Selim I had supported the capture of Algiers in 1516. But when Sultan Selim died in 1520, this support stopped. Because of this, Kheireddin lost control of Algiers in 1524 to a local Kabyle leader. He then moved to his own area called Djidjelli.
See also
In Spanish: Captura de Argel (1516) para niños
