In Salah expedition of 1579

The In Salah expedition of 1579 was a military campaign by the Regency of Algiers against the oasis town of In Salah in what is now southern Algeria. The expedition was led by Salah Rais, an Ottoman admiral and beylerbey of Algiers. The Regency of Algiers was a maritime state that controlled the western Mediterranean Sea during the 16th and 17th centuries. The regency was a vassal of the Ottoman Empire, but it had a great deal of autonomy. The regency's main source of income was piracy and the slave trade. In Salah was an important oasis town on the trans-Saharan trade route. The town was controlled by the Tuareg, a native Berber people who were fiercely independent. The Tuareg refused to pay tribute to the Regency of Algiers, which was why Salah Rais was sent to subdue them. Salah Rais left Algiers in May 1579 with an army of 1,000 spahis (heavy cavalry), 3,000 musketeers, and some pieces of artillery. He was also joined by 8,000 Kabyle auxiliaries from the Beni Abbes tribe. The army marched through the Sahara Desert for several months. The journey was difficult and many soldiers died of thirst and heatstroke. When the army finally reached In Salah in September 1579, it was exhausted and weakened. Despite their weakened state, Salah Rais's army attacked In Salah immediately. The Tuareg were outnumbered and outgunned, and they were quickly defeated. Salah Rais captured the town and took many prisoners. Salah Rais then installed a garrison of Ottoman soldiers in In Salah and returned to Algiers with his prisoners and booty. The In Salah expedition was a success for the Regency of Algiers, as it had secured control of an important oasis town on the trans-Saharan trade route.

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