Jump to content

Draft:Battle of Kef (1705)

Coordinates: 36°10′56″N 8°42′53″E / 36.18222°N 8.71472°E / 36.18222; 8.71472
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Battle of Kef was a military engagement fought between the Beylik of Tunis and the Regency of Algiers. The battle took place following years of growing animosity between the two powers, which finally came to a boiling point in 1705.

Battle of Kef
Part of the Tunisian-Algerian War (1705)
Date9 July, 1705
Location
El Kef, Tunisia
36°10′56″N 8°42′53″E / 36.18222°N 8.71472°E / 36.18222; 8.71472
Result Decisive Algerian victory
Belligerents
Beylik of Tunis Beylik of Tunis

Regency of Algiers Regency of Algiers

  • Various tunisian arab tribes
Commanders and leaders
Beylik of Tunis Ibrahim Sharif Surrendered
Beylik of Tunis Al-Husayn I ibn Ali		 Regency of Algiers Hadj Moustapha
Strength
Small ~40,000
Casualties and losses
Unknown Unknown

The Algerian army entered Tunisian territory on 8 July and set their camps close to Kef in Oued el-Tin (probably Oued-Mellègue). Unfortunately for the Tunisians, when the Algerians set their camps, one of the Banu Hilal Arab tribes of Tunis, called the Ouled Saïd [fr], defected to the Algerians. This event created a domino effect of Arab tribes defecting to the Algerian side, with the powerful Drid [fr] also defecting.[1] A part of Ibrahim's regular troops also changed sides.[1] Dey Mustapha then proceeded to send officers to Ibrahim to ask peace terms, such as: Demanding Tunis pay war reparations, send a delivery of 1,000 camels, and hand over one of his children to the Dey to serve as a hostage.[1]

Ibrahim took this as a provocation and entered El Kef soon after with his Agha Al-Husayn I ibn Ali. Despite Ibrahim possessing the initial battlefield advantage, the Algerians would encircle his army, turning the tide of the battle and surrounding the city, leaving the Tunisians trapped and worried to be attacked from all sides. After a long fight, Ibrahim would eventually surrender with the small number of soldiers he had. Getting imprisoned and sent to Algiers.[1] After this, the rest of the Tunisian troops retreated to Tunis in the head of their Agha. The most influential one of them, Al-Husayn I ibn Ali, proclaimed himself Dey and founded the Husainid dynasty on 15 July 1705, putting an end to the Muradid War of Succession.[1]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e Rousseau, Alphonse (1864). Annales tunisiennes: ou, Aperçu historique sur la régence de Tunis (in French). Bastide. p. 90.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Draft:Battle_of_Kef_(1705)&oldid=1301770753"