Ottomon Soft Empire 16th Century

Aaron Barnes

1/26/17

His 231

Prof. Reese

Global Politics in the 1580s: One Canal, Twenty Thousand Cannibals, and an Ottoman Plot to Rule the World, written by Giancarlo Casale, Journal of World History, Vol. 18, No. 3 (Sep., 2007), pp. 267-296, published 11/1/12. Reviewed by Aaron Barnes

Like the waves battered upon Ottoman galleys gunwales, the mid and late 16th century was a turbulent time in the Indian ocean for the Ottomans and Portuguese. This article was written by Giancarlo Casale to examine the Ottoman Empire’s activities and failed plans for the future in the Indian Ocean. This piece takes into account the empirical rivalries between the Ottoman, Portuguese, Spanish, and Mughal empires in the region as well as the minor societies along the Swahili coast and in Sumatra. The articles main points were the building of a canal, a mission by a famous Ottoman corsair, events that shaped political climate, and how these factors contributed to the Ottomans inability to control the Indian Ocean.

The title suggests what we need to consider; an ambitious idea by Koja Sinan Pasha to construct a canal connecting the Mediterranean with the Red Sea. The benefits illustrated in the text shows that the motives to build a canal connecting the seas would create incredible economic opportunities, since the goods of East Africa, India, and Sumatra would be able to reach the capital city in no time, “with only trifling effort” (Casale 286). Another reason illustrated was the opportunity to create a stronger naval presence to expand the empire. This would make ship building and naval deployment in the Indian Ocean more feasible. “The chronic lack of timber in the forestless expanses of Egypt and the Arabian Peninsula, which rendered the construction of ships in Yemen and the Red Sea both time consuming and prohibitively expensive” (Casale 285). The article describes how the Ottoman naval presence in the Indian Ocean is miniscule, with Mir Ali, a possibly fictional commander, and his small fleet of galleys being the major players the Ottomans had in the field at the time. On the other hand, Portugal in the late 16th century had a magnificent armada and heavy presence in the region.

The article discusses a plan, intercepted by Portuguese spies, for the Ottomans to seize control of the Swahili coast of Africa. The corsair Mir Ali Beg from Mocha, Yemen was ordered to take a defensive position on the Island of Mombosa and coordinate with the Muslim population in East Africa to expel the Portuguese from their holdings on the coast so the Ottomans could take control. This plan seemed attainable at first, but an unexpected turn of events led to the Mir Ali being defeated. The source cannot truly identify the force that attacked Ali’s fortifications, but according to Casale they were known as the “Zimba”, a cannibalistic and tribal society from the mainland. As 20,000 warriors attacked the fort from the south, the Portuguese attacked the harbor and the north defeating the Ottomans and their African allies. Ali surrendered and was taken prisoner and converted to Christianity, but according to historical sources cited, his crew was enslaved in India or executed. This contributed to a series of events that barred the Ottomans from gaining a true foothold in the Indian ocean. This expedition was a precursor to events to come.