Qaramanli
Qaramanli was a dynasty of Pashas who ruled Tripoli from 1711 to 1835 . The name was derived from the place of origin of the patrilineal ancestors who came from the province of Karaman .
With the decline of Ottoman control over the Arab territories of their empire, the Janissaries and corsairs also gained influence in Libya . 1711 seized Ahmad Karamanli, a kuloghli and cavalry officer, in Tripoli the rule (1711-1745). Even if the Ottoman suzerainty was still formally recognized, he was able to rule almost independently and establish the Karamanli dynasty. In 1722 he assumed the title of pasha. He was able to extend his influence to the Cyrenaica and the Fezzan . Economically, his rule was based primarily on the pirates of the corsairs and the Trans-Saharan trade with Bornu in Chad. The Ahmad Pascha Karamanli Mosque was built in Tripoli with the extensive income, but the rampant piracy also led to an attack by French warships in which the city was destroyed in 1728 .
His son Ali Karamanli (1754–1793) was able to further consolidate the rule of the dynasty and revive the Trans-Saharan trade. Instead of piracy, the prize money with which European merchant ships could buy themselves free from attacks by the corsairs became increasingly important. Nevertheless, the continuing piracy under Yusuf Karamanli (1795-1832) led to war with the United States . Even if their fleet could not finally stop piracy, the rule of the Qaramanli was considerably weakened.
When power struggles broke out within the dynasty, Yusuf Karamanli abdicated in 1832 in favor of his son Ali Karamanli (1832-1835). This could no longer consolidate the rule of the dynasty, since in 1835 an Ottoman fleet landed in Tripoli and the province again placed under direct Ottoman administration. Part of the Karamanli family was deported to Istanbul .
literature
- Seton Dearden: A nest of Corsairs. The fighting Karamanlis of Tripoli. Murray, London 1976, ISBN 0-7195-3279-5 .