Moor Pirates Jun 2026

We often discuss the transatlantic slave trade, but the Barbary slave trade ran concurrently and is less discussed in Western curricula. The Moor pirates were masters of razzia (raid).

If this is a game where the player plays as the Moors: moor pirates

The Barbary states declared jihad (holy war) against Christian nations, which allowed them to attack "infidel" ships legally under Islamic law. They saw themselves as holy warriors and naval soldiers, not common thieves. This religious veneer made their brutality feel righteous to them, and utterly terrifying to their victims. We often discuss the transatlantic slave trade, but

[Fall of Granada (1492)] ──> [Mass Expulsion of Moors] ──> [North African Refuges] │ [Ottoman Proxy Fleet] <── [State-Sanctioned Privateering] <───────┘ Strategy, Technology, and Targets They saw themselves as holy warriors and naval

To be clear, "Moor" is a broad, somewhat outdated term. Historically, Europeans used it to describe the Muslim, Berber, and Arab peoples of North Africa and Spain. But the pirates we’re discussing today—often called the —were a terrifying and sophisticated naval force that held the Mediterranean and even the Atlantic hostage.