Small Wars of Scarcity investigates the surge in sea raiding activities by the Ottoman regencies of Tripoli, Tunis, and Algiers from 1776 to 1816. It connects these raids to severe local environmental conditions, such as droughts, epidemics, and consequent famines. The recurring environmental challenges during that time triggered economic decline, fueling revolts, and administrative turmoil across the three North African regencies. On the brink of losing power, the rulers of these beleaguered regencies deployed their corsairs to bustling maritime trade routes in a desperate bid to feed their people and regain control. While traditional historical narratives attribute this rise in corsairing to Europe’s distraction with the Napoleonic Wars, I argue that it was predominantly a strategic response by North African authorities to address environmental and economic challenges of their time and maintain their dominion.     

Building on this book project, I am also examining how the terms “corsairs” and “qarāṣinah” (corsairs in Arabic) have evolved in British, French, and North African discourses. Were North African corsairs merely profit-driven “pirates” as seen by European diplomats, or were they “ġuzat”/ “mujāhidin” (holy warriors) as celebrated by North African rulers and their societies? Initially referring to state-sanctioned sea raiders, these labels evolved in meaning as the corsairs’ activities blurred the lines between lawful and unlawful actions. The political motivations of North African rulers and European diplomats further complicated our understanding of these terminologies, adding to this ambiguity. By analyzing the etymological differences of these terms and exploring their usage in various historical contexts, I aim to illuminate the complex interplay of language, politics, and power in understanding Mediterranean maritime violence.