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[1] Elizabeth Isichei. A history of African societies to 1870. Cambridge University Press, 1997: 273.

[2] Antoine de Juchereau de Saint-Denys. 1831 Considerations Statistiques, Historiques, Militaires et Politiques Sur La Regence d'Alger. Delaunay: 75-77.

The Ottoman Algerian army consisted of several elements [1]:

• Janissary-led infantry (formed into local Sekban), recruited from Ottoman subjects.
• The Janissaries were able to marry, and their offspring – the ‘Kuloglu’, composed a large part of the military forces available to the Ottoman rulers of Algeria. 
• Auxiliary European mercenary soldiers (Czechs, Italians and Corsicans).
• Local Ottoman Sipahi fudal cavalry.
• Berber tribesmen provided auxiliary cavalry.
• There were also Zouave infantry battalions led by Berber officers [2].

The local population of Algerians were excluded from military service.

Above/Left - This small group pf sword armed semi-naked warriors rushing the French troops, at the 'Fighting at the gates of Algiers, 1830'; are likely to be another example of the common Ottoman warfare practice, namely the figure of the ‘‘Deli’’: Daredevil or literally ‘‘crazy’’.

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[1] David Nicolle. Armies of the Ottoman Empire 1775-1820 Osprey Publishing, 1998: 35.

[2] The 'Zouaoua' Tribe, are actually, the origins of the Zouaves of the French Army, that were first raised in Algeria in 1831 with one and later two battalions, initially recruited solely from the Zouaoua (or Zwawa), a tribe of Berbers located in the mountains of the Jurjura Range. The Zouaoua had formerly provided soldiers for the Deys of Algiers and in August 1830 the commander of the French expeditionary force which had occupied the city recommended their continued employment in this role.

ABOVE: Three Turkish pirate ships’ flags shown in 1783, and 1801 dated illustrations [1]. The left-hand flag is identified as Algier rovers: Algerian pirate; the blue flag is identified as, “Algiers at war”, the last flag is identified as a rovers’ flag; however, this may also have been used by the Algerian fleet as it displays the sword arm seen in the Dey of Algiers’ coat of arms.

The Ottoman Algerian navy had by 1830, largely ceased to exist, and up till some 40 years earlier had been very small [2] [3].

• In 1815, the Algerian flagship Mashouda (also spelled 'Mashuda' or 'Meshuda'), was seen, this was a forty-six gun "Kalyon" - an Ottoman galleon (Ottoman man-of-war).
• In 1815, seen was the next largest ship, was the Algerian brig Estedio (22 guns).

Algerian navy ships were manned by the urban Baladi: Moors of Algeria [4].

The Algerian fleet is often it is discribed as having been 'destroyed at the Greek naval battle of Navarino in 1827' [5];

• However, this statement is not correct as it was actually a Tunisian Navy Squadron of four ships [6] [7].

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[1] Bowles, C. 1801 Bowles’s Universal Display of the Naval Flags of all Nations in the World. London: Carington Bowles.

[2] Moulay Belhamissi, Histoire de la Marine Algerienne (1516-1830) 3 Vols. (Algiers: E.N.A.L., 1983).

[3] According to records, the French Admiral Duperre, in 1830 captured in Algiers harbour, a ‘fleet of Algerian ships’, consisting of one disarmed old frigate; one old corvette; four 10-gun brigs; one schooner brig; some seven more small schooners, and 30 armed boats.

[4] J. F. Ade Ajayi (ed.). Africa in the Nineteenth Century Until the 1880s. UNESCO, 1989: 498.

[5] David Nicolle. Armies of the Ottoman Empire 1775-1820 Osprey Publishing, 1998: 35.

[6] H. J. Kissling, Bertold Spuler, N. Barbour, J. S. Trimingham, H. Braun, H. Hartel. The Last Great Muslim Empires. BRILL, 1997: 134.

[7] The Admiral of this fleet, was likely an Algerian officer.

The New Army of Algeria formed in 1832, by Emir Abdelkader was called the 'Jaish Al -Mohammadi' (Mohammad’s Army), and the total forces raised:

• 5,960 Regular soldiers.
• 10,240 Irregulars

The New Army was divided his army into three divisions:

• Khayala (Cavalry);
• Moushat (Infantry); and,
• Tobajiya (Artillery).

The New Army's Tobajiya (Artillery) were deserters from the French army who were Turks and the Kouloughlis, who were experienced in maintaining light and heavy canons:

• 2,240 light canons and 20 heavy cannons.
• Each artillery unit had an aditional 12 infantry soldiers alocated to it.

Officers in the New Army, had an embroidered sword badge attached on each shoulder [1], and on the left cuff rings to indicate rank:

• Agha - Four gold Cuff Rings: Commanded a Katiba (Battalion of 1000 men).
• Sayaf - Two Gold Cuff Rings: Commanded a Sariya (Company of 100 men).
• Khaba - One bronze Cuff Ring: Commanded a Fasela (Platoon of 35 men).

These were 500 men commanded by Emir Abdelkader. As well, Abd-El-Kader's bodyguard “consists of thirty negro slaves, who constantly surround his tent, but are never relived; nor have they any night quarters but the bare ground.” [1]

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[1] The United Service Magazine. Foreign Miscellany. Part II. July, 1837: 388.

The cavalryman was armed with:

• Rifle.
• Yatagan.
• Pistol.

“Ever since September, 1836, the cavalry have worn red jackets and trousers in the Turkish fashion, with a haik and cloak over them. Slippers are the only cover to their feet. Their arms consist of a musket, sabre, and cartouch-holder, which hangs by a strap from the neck and falls on the right hip: the dozen cartridges it contains .... Their saddles are wood, covered with morocco leather, and stand very high both front and behind. The stirrups are short, and the irons have sharp corners which serve the purpose of spurs.” [2].

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[1] The United Service Magazine. Foreign Miscellany. Part II. July, 1837: 388.

[2] Algiers: Abd-El-Kader’ Camp. The United Service Magazine, Volume 26, April 1838: 531-532.

After 1832, it is known that Abd-El-Kader’s campaign tent, was described as containing a special display of four rolled silk standards [1]:

• “one is red, and belongs to the cavalry”;
• “another is composed of a yellow stripe between two blue ones, and used by the infantry”;
• “a third is white and grey”;
• “and the forth is red and yellow”.

It is further stated that these flags were “hoisted in front of the tent every Friday” [2].

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[1] [2] The United Service Magazine. Foreign Miscellany. Part II. July, 1837: 388.

“The camp is disposed in the form of a circle, the tents in which the infantry are quartered forming the outer edge, and the centre being occupied by those of the cavalry. Every tent contains from fifteen to twenty men, and their horses are fastened with cords to stakes. Abd-el-kader’s tent stands in the centre of all, the space in front of it being left quite open for this own horses and those of his follower." [1]

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[1] Algiers: Abd-El-Kader’ Camp. The United Service Magazine, Volume 26, April 1838: 531-532.