Ottoman Algeria in Western Diplomatic History with ... - Bibliothèque

the establishment of an elective Deyship. 128 According to that new form of
government, the head of the state, now called Dey, was no more sent by
Constantinople but was elected by the Odjac and Ta’ifa from the local ruling
Turks. Nominal recognition of the Sultan as spiritual leader, however, was not
altered. Eventually, Algiers maintained relations with Constantinople but at a
ceremonial level only. Traditionally, the Sultan sent every newly-elected Dey
at Algiers a caftan—a symbol of investiture. 129
In return, the Dey sent him
annual tribute and military assistance (fleet) when needed. This is an indication
of a continuing allegiance to the Sultan and acknowledgment of the authority of
a central government at Constantinople. So, even though Algiers had become a
quasi-independent state, sovereignty of the Sublime Porte continued
unaffected.
3. 2. Diplomatic Recognition and de facto Independence
Moreover, by strengthening exiting institutions and introducing new
ones, Algiers forced respect on Europe and implicitly obtained diplomatic
recognition. Ultimately, the European powers dealt with Algiers as an
autonomous state even though technically it was still part of the Ottoman
Empire. By signing separate treaties with Algiers, the European countries were
in fact recognizing it as a legitimate—not pirate—state with which diplomatic
delegations, annual tributes and consular presents, enslaved prisoners of war,
and commercial exchanges were strictly defined and regulated by bilateral
128 Shuval, “Remettre l’Algérie à l’heure Ottomane,” pp. 435-36.
129 Grammont, Histoire d’Alger, pp. 194, 262, 283, 329, 356.
102