Arnaut Mami in the context of "Miguel de Cervantes"

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⭐ Core Definition: Arnaut Mami

Arnaut Mami or Mahomed the Albanian (fl. 1572–76) was an Ottoman Albanian commander and admiral of the Ottoman fleet and the squadron admiral and the supreme commander of all Islamic vessels in North Africa and Pasha Algiers, known as the most formidable corsair of that period for his terrorizing of the narrow seas. He was also captain general of Ottoman galleys in Algiers. He was called Arnaut after his Albanian origin.

On the morning of 26 September 1575, Arnaut's ship attacked the galley Sol on the Catalan coast, with Miguel de Cervantes aboard. After significant resistance, in which the captain and many crew members were killed, the surviving passengers were taken to Algiers as captives. After five years as a slave, Cervantes was released when his family paid the ransom.

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Arnaut Mami in the context of Albanian piracy

A period of Albanian piracy (Albanian: Piratëria shqiptare) occurred from the 15th to the 19th centuries, during which Albanian pirates plundered and raided ships. These pirates were based mainly in Ulcinj, but were also found in Bar and Ragusa (now Dubrovnik), and had connections with North Africa.

They plundered European ships mainly for the Ottoman Empire, disrupting the Mediterranean economy and forcing European powers to intervene. Some of the pirate leaders from Ulcinj, such as Lika Ceni and Hadji Alia, were well-known during this period. The Porte gave the name "name-i hümayun" ("imperial letters"), bilateral agreements to settle armed conflicts. The Ottoman Empire was also known to hire these pirates during periods of war. Some of the most famous barbary pirates of the Mediterranean Sea were the Ottoman Barbarossa brothers Oruç and Arnaut Mami.

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