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

Faced with such aggressiveness, Algerian seamen adopted corsairing as
a retaliatory form of warfare against Christian enemies. Usually, corsairing
expeditions ended up by seizure of enemy ships and their cargoes, including
crews and passengers who were sold at the slave market of Algiers. To
traditional attacks on Christian seaborne trade, the circle of maritime warfare of
the Algerian corsairs involved also high seas battles in which squadrons of
galleys participated as well as surprise attacks on coastal European towns.
Ultimately, corsairing became a form of warfare through which Muslims and
Christians alike continued to wage holy wars. 19
Although Mediterranean corsairing involved both Muslims and
Christians, western writings definitely attribute the role of the ‘bad guys’ to the
Algerian corsairs whom they describe as “the most dangerous pirates the world
has ever seen.” 20
The most frequently used epithet that describes what is
commonly referred to as the ‘Barbary pirates’ is ‘scourge of Christendom.’
This term is derived from the title of one of the most influential late nineteenthcentury
accounts about Algerian diplomatic relations with the Christian
countries, particularly those with Great Britain. In 1884, Robert L. Playfair,
British Consul-General at Algiers (1867-1897), brought out a work dubbing
them ‘Scourge of Christendom.’ 21 Over a century later, this term has become a
standardized synonym for the Algerian corsairs and the biased images and
prejudices attached to it have persisted unaltered up till today. Vilified and
19 Muller, Consuls, Corsairs, and Commerce, p. 31.
20 Thomas G. Frothingham, “The Armed Merchantman,” Current History, 7: 1: 3 (Dec., 1917), p. 465.
21 Robert L. Playfair, The Scourge of Christendom.
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