Odjak of Algiers
| Odjak of Algiers | |
|---|---|
| Ujaq | |
A Janissary of Algiers | |
| Active | 1518-1830 |
| Disbanded | De jure 1830, De facto 1837 |
| Country | Regency of Algiers |
| Allegiance | Agha of the Odjak |
| Size | 12,000 (1600) 7,000 (1750) 4,000 (1800) |
| Main location | Algiers |
| Equipment | Initially: Equipment by the Ottoman Empire Nimcha, Kabyle musket, and other locally made weapons |
| Engagements | Algiers expedition (1541) Tuggurt Expedition (1552) Odjak of Algiers Revolution French-Algerian War 1681–88 Battle of Moulouya Tunisian-Algerian Wars Invasion of Algiers (1775) Invasion of Algiers in 1830 Battle of Constantine |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Ibrahim Agha |
The "Odjak of Algiers" (also spelled Ujaq) was a unit of the Algerian army. It was a highly autonomous part of the Janissary Corps, acting completely independently from the rest of the corps, similar to the relationship between Algiers and the Sublime Porte. Led by an Agha, they also took part in the country's internal administration and politics, ruling the country for several years. They acted as a defense unit, a Praetorian Guard, and an instrument of repression until 1817.
The Odjak of Algiers was a faction in the country which encompassed all Janissaries. Its main institution was the diwân of Algiers which was established in the 16th century by Hayreddin Barbarossa and seated first in the Djenina Palace, then at the kasbah citadel. This assembly, initially led by a janissary Agha, evolved from a military body, the Odjak of Algiers, into the country's primary administrative institution. The diwân held true power in the Regency, and by the mid-17th century elected the head of state.They also often controlled the country, for example during the period of Aghas from 1659 to 1671.