Beyond Captivity: Christian Prisoners in North Africa and the Dynamics of Forced Migration (1578-1774)

Abstract

The capture and ransom of captives constituted a central element of migratory dynamics in the Luso-Maghrebi space. Beyond voluntary movements driven by politic, religious or economic factors, captivity configured a specific pattern of forced mobility that linked the Christian coasts of the Iberian Peninsula with the corsair ports of the Maghreb. From the conquest of Ceuta (1415) to the peace treaties of the eighteenth century, thousands of individuals were displaced against their will as a result of frontier warfare, privateering and piracy. In this context, the Order of the Most Holy Trinity played a central role as mediator, organising networks for fundraising and negotiating ransoms with Muslim authorities. By examining the evolution of these practices “ from individual rescues to diplomatic exchanges “ this study seeks to understand captivity as a form of coerced migration, distinct from slavery but essential to interpreting Luso-Maghrebi interactions in the early modern period