Research Topic: Algerian Relations and Diplomacy during the Ottoman Period (1516-1830)

Team Leader's Name: Chakib Benafri

General Objectives

The objectives of the research team can be confined to the following areas:

1. Define the concept of diplomacy and its tools during the Ottoman period, both at the level of the Ottoman Empire and the Algerian state during the studied period.
2. Identify the fields of Algerian relations, whether political or commercial, within the Mediterranean or the broader international context.
3. Study the maritime activity and the prominent role of the Algerian state in the Mediterranean and the Atlantic Ocean during the modern Era.
4. Study and analyze the diplomatic charters and agreements concluded between Algeria and world countries during the Ottoman period, in their original languages, and work on translating them, analyzing their contents, and comparing them.
5. Identify diplomatic missions, both foreign in Ottoman Algeria and Algerian abroad, within the Ottoman Islamic world, mentioning their missions, key figures, and working on promoting the study of European diplomatic reports on Algeria from the 16th to the 19th centuries and their significance in understanding Algerian foreign relations.
6. Identify and map the role of Ottoman and foreign archives that contain thousands of original documents related to relations with Algeria during the Ottoman period.
7. Identify and study the fields of diplomatic activity, including maritime activities, prisoner ransoms, espionage, etc.
8. Study and research terminology and concepts in the protocols of diplomatic agreements between Algeria and foreign countries.
9. Study Algeria's relations with foreign countries during periods of war and peace, naval campaigns, diplomatic mediation, bilateral negotiations, consular appointments, and religious and commercial missions.
10. Research and study the development of Algerian Ottoman diplomacy with the outside world from the 16th century until 1830.
11. Study the external trade activity of Algeria during the Ottoman era, including human and material components, the movement of commercial ships, trade categories, ports, customs systems, imports and exports, and their statistics by year, and determine the geographical areas of Algerian maritime trade relations during that period.
12. Work on publishing articles and research on Algerian diplomacy during the Ottoman period, based on archival documents studied in several languages, in order to raise awareness about the history of our diplomatic relations and their importance in correcting and rewriting Algeria’s historical memory of that period.

Team Members