Raïs Hamidou facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Raïs
Hamidou ben Ali
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| رايس حميدو بن علي | |
Statue of Hamidou in the Central museum of the Army in Algiers
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| Born | 1770 |
| Died | 1815 Cape Gata, Near of Spain
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| Resting place | Mediterranean Sea |
| Nationality | Algerian |
| Piratical career | |
| Nickname | Amir el bihar (prince of the seas) |
| Other names | Amidon Hamuda |
| Type | Corsair |
| Allegiance | Deylik of Algiers |
| Years active | 1795 - 1815 |
| Rank | Captain, then Admiral |
| Base of operations | Oran, Algiers |
| Commands | Meshuda Portuguesa |
| Battles/wars | Algerian-Tunisian naval war (1811) Second Barbary War |
Hamidou ben Ali, known as Raïs Hamidou (Arabic: الرايس حميدو), was a famous Algerian corsair. A corsair was like a privateer or a sea captain who was allowed by their government to attack enemy ships. Raïs Hamidou was born around 1770 and died on June 17, 1815, near Cape Gata in southern Spain.
During his exciting career, he captured an amazing 200 ships! He helped make the Deylik of Algiers (the government of Algiers at the time) very rich and powerful. People still remember him through songs and stories today.
Contents
Early Life and Training
Hamidou's father, Ali, was a tailor in Algiers. When Hamidou was just 10 years old, he started working on a pirate ship. He was a cabin boy for a captain named Raïs Memmou.
Working on the ship taught him many important skills. He gained a lot of experience about life at sea. This early training helped him become the great captain he would later be.
Becoming a Sea Captain
Hamidou worked hard to become a captain himself. He had to pass a special test given by the Taifa of the Raïs. This was a council of all the pirate captains in Algiers. Once he passed, he became a "raïs," which means "captain."
One of his first big successes happened soon after. He guided his ship to victory against a much larger Spanish enemy. It seemed like they would lose, but Hamidou's skill saved the day!
In 1792, the city of Oran was taken back by Algiers. The leader of Oran, Mohammed el-Kebir, chose Hamidou to lead Oran's navy. This navy was used for both defense and for corsair missions.
A Shipwreck and a New Beginning
Around 1795 or 1796, Hamidou faced a big challenge. After a raid in Italy, his ship was caught in a terrible storm. He tried to anchor near La Calle, a French outpost. But his anchors broke, and the storm smashed his ship against the rocks.
Losing a ship was a very serious offense for a raïs. Hamidou was brought back to Algiers. But he managed to calm the anger of the Dey (the ruler of Algiers). Soon, he even had a new frigate (a type of warship) built for him!
Famous Victories at Sea
In 1797, Hamidou was given command of a new ship. The Dey of Algiers wanted to reward him for his many successes. Hamidou became known for capturing ships from many countries. These included vessels from Genoa, Venice, Naples, and Greece.
Capturing the Portuguese Frigate
One of Hamidou's most famous battles happened on March 8, 1802. He was commanding a ship with 40 guns. He met a Portuguese warship that had 44 guns. The Portuguese ship was bigger and stronger.
Hamidou used a clever trick. He raised an English flag on his ship. The Portuguese let him get close, thinking he was a friendly English ship. But it was too late when they realized they were facing the Algerian corsairs! Hamidou's crew boarded the Portuguese ship and took it over. They captured 282 Portuguese sailors.
This captured ship became part of the Algerian fleet. It was renamed La Portugaise. For this amazing victory, Hamidou was given a special sword called a Yatagan. He was also honored by the Dey.
Hamidou captured another Portuguese warship later that same year. Because of these great successes, he was given the title of Admiral of the Algerian fleet. He even received his own beautiful villa in El Biar!
Return from Exile
For a while, Hamidou's name disappeared from the records. There were some problems and rivalries within the government. In 1808, a new Dey, Ali III ar-Rasul, saw Hamidou's popularity as a threat. He sent Hamidou away to Beirut.
But in 1809, a new Dey named Hadj Ali Dey came to power. He knew how important Hamidou was. He invited Hamidou back to Algiers and gave him back all his old positions.
Back in command, Hamidou led a group of four ships. He even sailed into the Atlantic Ocean, which was very unusual for Algerian ships. His squadron captured three Portuguese ships. This led to Portugal signing a peace treaty with Algiers in 1810.
War with Tunis
In 1811, a war started between Algiers and the Beylik of Tunis (Tunisia). On May 22, Hamidou led a fleet of six warships and four smaller gunboats. He fought a tough battle against twelve Tunisian warships. He managed to capture a Tunisian frigate and bring it back to Algiers.
After this naval victory, Hamidou was celebrated. The Dey praised him in front of everyone. Between 1812 and 1815, Hamidou continued to have many successes. He attacked ships from Sweden, Holland, Denmark, and Spain. Some sources say he captured more than 200 ships in his career!
Death
Raïs Hamidou died in 1815. He was ambushed by an American fleet during the Second Barbary War (a war between the United States and Algiers). This happened during the Battle off Cape Gata.
Sources
- John de Courcy Ireland (1974), "Raïs Hamidou: The Last of the Great Algerian Corsairs", The Mariner’s Mirror, 60(2), 187–196.
- Paul Desprès, Raïs Hamidou : Le dernier corsaire barbaresque d'Alger, Harmattan, mars 2007
- H. D. de Grammont, Histoire d'Alger sous la domination turque, Paris 1887
