Fun Fact #401 The Barbossa Brothers

Fun Fact #401

    The Barbossa Brothers

    In 1516 HIzir, Oruç, and Ishak Reis were three of the most dangerous men in the world. Their leader was Baba Oruç “Gümüş Kol (Silver armed) Barbossa who was still very much upset about losing his arm to a Spaniard setting his sights on the Barbary states of Jijel and Algeria. Originally planning on liberating these countries from the Spaniards as they gave them their “Markers”, things very quickly changed when they realized that they could just take over and forget about the whole “Marker” business. Soon they controlled most of the Barbary coast before Oruç was killed by yet more Spaniards.

    His brother Hizir would then take up the kingdom adopting the name Hayreddin Barbarossa, before conquering or subduing the rest of the Barbary coast. From here he turned his attention to The Mediterranean where no one could stop him. Eventually the Sultan Suleiman The Magnificent successfully sought his aid. Hayreddin then quickly eliminated anyone who could challenge Turkish rule and helped to establish the Ottoman Empire as a major player in the Mediterranean for the next 300 years. The title of Barbossa was then passed from Corsair to corsair with corsairs bearing the name having ended up all over the world from the Caribbean to Madascar, to the modern day with some raiders in the Indian Ocean claiming to be Barbossas.

    Today Hayreddin is remembered as the most successful pirate in history (Though Zheng Yi Sao in China ended up as the richest) and honored in Turkey, and most of the Barbery Coast.

Image By Osman Nuri Pasha and Hovhannes Umed Behzad (1809–1874)