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Post by todhrimencuri on Aug 19, 2009 15:45:46 GMT -5
According to Halil Inalcik's An economic and social history of the Ottoman Empire: "... the [Ottoman] corsair fleets were manned mostly by Greeks and Albanians." (pg. 667)
According to Ezel Kural Shaw's History of the Ottoman Empire and modern Turkey, the list is expanded: "Manning the ships, aside from Azaps, were men recruited from the adjacent coasts, including Turks, Greeks, Albanians, and Dalmatians, to whom the name levent was applied, probably a corruption of the Latin term Levantino then used for the sailors of most of the Mediterranean fleets." (pg. 132)
Albanians played an important role in pirating activity, particularly around the Adriatic and were often grouped with Dalmatian corsairs into Ottoman service. Two particularly important places of Albanian pirate activity was the coastal town of Ulcin, now occupied by Montenegro, and the southern Albanian region of Vlora.
I want to devote this topic to the pirating (corsair) activity of Albanians during the Ottoman Empire and earlier, if available. Bring in whatever sources you have and discuss them.
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donnie
Senior Moderator
Nike Leka i Kelmendit
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Post by donnie on Aug 21, 2009 3:14:56 GMT -5
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Post by todhrimencuri on Aug 21, 2009 12:29:57 GMT -5
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Post by todhrimencuri on Aug 23, 2009 14:02:17 GMT -5
The principal corsair fleets of the Ottoman Empire were Barbary coast ones. They were by far the most audacious and skilled, to the point that they hampered European trade to an extreme and even brought about the phenomenon of white slaves. However, these men worked autonomously while keeping strong connections with the Porte. Inalcik is talking about the actual Ottoman corsairs who were in direct control of the Porte... but werent as valuable.
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Post by todhrimencuri on Aug 23, 2009 14:10:22 GMT -5
books.google.com/books?id=EGASAAAAYAAJ&pg=PT23&dq=albanian+pirates#v=onepage&q=albanian%20pirates&f=falseAn attack on southern Italy in 1837 by Albanian pirates. The document speaks of a Rafil Bey, who setup a pirating society in which "...every person of every religion and nation, are admitted into his society, of which, the principal object appears to be rape and rapine." The document goes further to say that the Albanian government in Vlora, Delvine and Janina support these groups. Im willing to be Albanians probably were not alone in these attacks. Very likely, rebel Greeks, from the area of Janina, joined as well. Ali Pasha once got the Porte to release 600 Aegean Greek pirates into his hands, these men later became loyral followers of Ali and his navy.
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