Expedition to Cherchell

The Expedition to Cherchell was a joint operation by Ahmad al-Kadi and Arudj Reis who marched on Cherchell with an army of 5,000 Kabyles and 800 Turks to depose its ruler who had founded a small independent sovereignty.

Expedition to Cherchell
Date1516
Location
Result Principality of Cherchell defeat
Belligerents
Flag of Kingdom of Kuku Kingdom of Kuku
Barbarossa brothers
Principality of Cherchell
Commanders and leaders
Oruç Reis
Ahmad al-Kadi
Kara Hassan  Executed
Units involved
5,000 Kabyles
800 Turks
Unknown
Casualties and losses
Unknown Unknown

In 1516 the locals of Algiers asked Arudj Reis to liberate them from the tribute payments set by the Spaniards.[1]

Arudj Reis set off with his ally, Ahmad al-Kadi and an army composed of 800 Turks and 5,000 Kabyle auxiliaries.[2][1] Instead of going straight to Algiers, they went to Cherchell where one of his Reis, Kara Hassan, had founded a small sovereignty.[3][1] Arudj Reis did not want to leave his flank defenceless, he seized the city, put its sovereign to death and left a garrison.[2][1]

Following the seizure of Cherchell, Arudj Reis and his ally Ahmad al-Kadi marched on Algiers and seized the city.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Gürkan, Emrah Safa. "Ottoman Corsairs in The Western Mediterranean and their Place in The Ottoman-Habsburg Rivalry (1505-1535)." PhD diss., Bilkent Universitesi (Turkey), 2005. p.52
  2. ^ a b de Grammont, Henri-Delmas. "Chapitre Deuxième-Les Barberousse et la fondation de l’Odjeac." Histoire du Maghreb (2002): 41-46.
  3. ^ Boyer, P. "Aruj.(Arūdj-Aroudj)." Encyclopédie berbère 6 (1989): 940-943.