The siege of Oran was a battle between the

Spanish Empire The Spanish Empire, sometimes referred to as the Hispanic Monarchy (political entity), Hispanic Monarchy or the Catholic Monarchy, was a colonial empire that existed between 1492 and 1976. In conjunction with the Portuguese Empire, it ushered ...

and the

Regency of Algiers The Regency of Algiers was an Early modern period, early modern semi-independent Administrative divisions of the Ottoman Empire, Ottoman province and nominal Tributary states of the Ottoman Empire, vassal state on the Barbary Coast of North Afr ...

. It was started by

Mustapha Bouchelaghem Mustapha Bouchelaghem, also known as Bey Bouchelaghem was the Bey of the Western Beylik from 1686 to 1734/37. Origins and early life Mustapha, born as Mustapha ben Youcef was the son of an Algerian Zenetian Berber man called Youcef el-Mesrat ...

, the Bey of Mascara. The Algerian victory in the battle led to the city being reconquered by the Algerians for 24 years (1708–1732), before Spanish forces conquered the town in 1732.

Background

In 1509, Spain conquered Oran from the Algerian

Kingdom of Tlemcen The Kingdom of Tlemcen or Zayyanid Kingdom of Tlemcen () was a kingdom ruled by the Berber Zayyanid dynasty in what is now the northwest of Algeria. Its territory stretched from Tlemcen to the Chelif bend and Algiers, and at its zenith reached ...

. The Spanish garrison had to engage in a form of diplomacy with the local Algerian tribes, as to not get raided by them. Despite Ottoman-Algerian attempts to seize the town, such as in 1563 all failed. Around the start of the 18th century, relations with these tribes soured. The "peaceful

Moors The term Moor is an Endonym and exonym, exonym used in European languages to designate the Muslims, Muslim populations of North Africa (the Maghreb) and the Iberian Peninsula (particularly al-Andalus) during the Middle Ages. Moors are not a s ...

", tribes which engaged in commerce with the Spanish, refused to do so thanks to this drop in relations, isolating the town from North Africa, and forcing the Spanish to supply it through sea. In 1703, the new governor of Oran, Don Carlos Carraja raided the Algerian Beni Ameur tribes. About 80 were killed and 250 were captured. This marked a rupture in Algerian and Spanish relations, which have been favorable since the Algerian-Moroccan war in 1701. Taking advantage of the

War of the Spanish succession The War of the Spanish Succession was a European great power conflict fought between 1701 and 1714. The immediate cause was the death of the childless Charles II of Spain in November 1700, which led to a struggle for control of the Spanish E ...

, Dey Mohamed Bektash sent 8500 regular soldiers and many volunteers against

Spanish Oran Spanish Oran (; ) was a territory of the Spanish Empire as a result of the Conquest of Oran. History The conquest was carried out by the Spanish Empire on the Kingdom of Tlemcen. The expedition was carried out with 80 naos and 10 galleys which ...

Battle

Heading the army was the bey Mustapha ben Youssouf, better known by the

Epithet An epithet (, ), also a byname, is a descriptive term (word or phrase) commonly accompanying or occurring in place of the name of a real or fictitious person, place, or thing. It is usually literally descriptive, as in Alfred the Great, Suleima ...

Bouchelaghem or Bigotillos meaning man with a moustache.the ruler of Mazuna. The city of Oran was besieged by Bouchelaghem bey's forces and The city, already under blockade by the Algerian navy entered a state of siege. On November 1, 1707, Ouzoum Hassan, a commander from Algiers sent his army to take the fort of Saint-Philippe, thus officially beginning the siege. The forces of the Beylik of Mascara commanded by Bouchelaghem arrived a few days later. The bey took control of the heights of Aïdour, from where he bombarded the Spanish, effectively destroying their defences. The two towers defending Oran were overrun and the Bey took control over Oran on January 20, 1708 after 400 Spanish soldiers surrendered. The Algerian assault kept the pressure on the Spaniards this time in

Mers El Kebir Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) is a viral respiratory infection caused by ''Middle East respiratory syndrome–related coronavirus'' (MERS-CoV). Symptoms may range from none, to mild, to severe depending on age and risk level. Typica ...

. Despite heavy fighting, the Algerians captured the city on April 4, and took 2000 captives, among them French officers and Maltese volunteers.

Aftermath

The military success of the Algerians surprised the Spanish government but also all of the European states at that time. In the Muslim world it was seen as a victory over Christianity. The city of Oran was repopulated with people from all over the western beylik with an influx, in particular, of craftsmen and traders. It opened a first period, from 1708 to 1732, where the city was in the hands of the regency of Algiers before the Spaniards invaded it in 1732.

References

Bibliography

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Oran Oran () is a major coastal city located in the northwest of Algeria. It is considered the second most important city of Algeria, after the capital, Algiers, because of its population and commercial, industrial and cultural importance. It is w ...

18th century in the Regency of Algiers 18th-century sieges

1707 in Africa 1708 in Africa Spanish Oran 1707 in the Ottoman Empire 1708 in the Ottoman Empire Oran 1707–1708 History of Mers El Kébir 1707 in the Spanish Empire 1708 in the Spanish Empire