The Captive Sea: Slavery, Communication, and Commerce in Early Modern Spain and the Mediterranean

In the 17th century, Muslim and Christian captives, as well as the Spanish Empire, Ottoman Algiers, and Morocco, were entangled in a political economy of ransom and communication networks. Daniel Hershenzon's book explores how piracy, captivity, and redemption shaped the Mediterranean as an integrated region, with captives and captors connected by a political economy of ransom and communication networks.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 304 pages
Publication date: 05 September 2023
Publisher: University of Pennsylvania Press

In his captivating book, "The Captive Sea," Daniel Hershenzon delves into the intricate and interconnected histories of Muslim and Christian captives during the seventeenth century, shedding light on the profound impact of piracy, captivity, and redemption on the Mediterranean region. Despite their religious differences, the lives of captives and captors were intricately intertwined, forming a complex political economy driven by ransom, communication networks, and the influence of Spanish, Ottoman, and Moroccan rulers, as well as ecclesiastic institutions, Jewish, Muslim, and Christian intermediaries, and the captives themselves. Hershenzon offers a comprehensive analysis of competing maritime dominance projects and a granular exploration of the personal tragedies that unfolded as a result of these agendas. Through meticulous research, he examines the poignant stories of individuals such as an Algerian Muslim girl sold into slavery in Livorno in 1608, the son of a Spanish marquis enslaved by pirates in Algiers and brought to Istanbul, where he converted to Islam, three Spanish Trinitarian friars detained in Algiers on their way to Spain in the company of Christians they had redeemed, and a high-ranking Ottoman official from Alexandria captured by the Spanish squadron in 1613. By examining the circulation of bodies, currency, and information in the contested Mediterranean, Hershenzon draws a compelling conclusion that the practice of ransoming captives, intended to separate Christians from Muslims, inadvertently reinforced the bonds between Iberia and the Maghrib. "The Captive Sea" is a seminal work that offers a fresh perspective on the complex tapestry of seventeenth-century Mediterranean history, illuminating the ways in which piracy, captivity, and redemption shaped the social, political, and economic landscape of the region.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781512825527