<p>For 350 years, from the late 15th century onwards, Europeans travelling by boat in the Mediterranean Sea were under constant threat of pirate attack. But these were not pirates as normally understood; rather, they were Muslim warriors officially sanctioned to plunder ships from Christian countries and kill or enslave anyone they found aboard.</p> <p>The pirates came from the North African port cities of Algiers, Tunis, Tropoli and Sale, known collectively as the Barbary states. Although these cities were officially part of the Ottoman Empire, they enjoyed considerable autonomy and lived mainly from the proceeds of piracy.</p> <p>The ships of the Barbary corsairs, as the pirates were known, were usually owned by the local ruler, or pasha, who granted the captain of each ship license to engage in piracy against ships from non-Muslim countries. Local merchants would also invest in corsair ships, which could be a source of handsome profits.</p> 2009-08-10T21:49:29-04:00 barbary-pirates 8251912 History 2009-08-29T02:24:41-04:00 2010-02-02T21:58:36-05:00 iMinds Pty Ltd Atlantic, Barbary states, Mediterranean, Muslim warriors, pirate, slaves For 350 years, from the late 15th century onwards, Europeans travelling by boat in the Mediterranean Sea were under constant threat of pirate attack. But these were not pirates as normally understood; rather, they were Muslim warriors officially sanctioned to plunder ships from Christian countries and kill or enslave anyone they found aboard. The pirates came from the North African port cities of Algiers, Tunis, Tropoli and Sale, known collectively as the Barbary states. Although these cities were officially part of the Ottoman Empire, they enjoyed considerable autonomy and lived mainly from the proceeds of piracy. The ships of the Barbary corsairs, as the pirates were known, were usually owned by the local ruler, or pasha, who granted the captain of each ship license to engage in piracy against ships from non-Muslim countries. Local merchants would also invest in corsair ships, which could be a source of handsome profits. 2009-06-30T02:38:14-04:00 manual 0 22561572 deny 1 MP3 AudioBook 1 1.69 8251912 false AUWD30900051 false 2010-02-02T21:58:46-05:00 2010-02-02T21:58:56-05:00 manual 0 32578692 deny 1 ePUB eBook 2 1.69 8251912 false 9781921746048  false 2010-02-02T21:58:56-05:00 2009-08-10T22:03:01-04:00 16875132 1 8251912 2009-08-10T22:03:01-04:00 http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0032/9902/products/barbary.jpg?1265170713 Format