Ahmed Ali Hussein (Corsair)

Sayyid Ahmed Ali Hussein
Died	Barbary Coast
Cause of death	drowning
Body discovered	December the 8th 1630
Monuments	A statue in National Heroes' Park, Saranidia
Nationality	Al-Saranidi
Citizenship	Ottoman (nominally), Al-Saranidi
Education	Primary education and Naval officer training
Era	Early Modern Era
Known for	Barbary corsair
Title	Sayyid
Successor	Khalid Ibn Ahmed Hussein
Movement	Islamic Imperialism
Opponent(s)	Habsburg Spain
Criminal charge(s)	manslaughter
Criminal penalty	payment of diyya
Spouse(s)	Mariam Hussein, Fatima Hussein, Khadija Hussein
Children	Khalid Ibn Ahmed Hussein, Aisha Bint Ahmed Hussein and suleiman Bint Ahmed Hussein
Parent(s)	Ali Hussein and Maria Hussein
Piratical career
Nickname	Al-Mirza ("the Prince")
Other names	Khalid Al-Saranidi
Type	corsair
Allegiance	Emirate of Saranidia
Years active	1615-1630
Rank	Captain
Base of operations	Barbary coast
Commands	Al-Yunus
Battles/wars	Ottoman–Habsburg wars
Wealth	£5 million (in today's money)

Ahmed Ibn Ali Hussein, often called Ahmed Ali Hussein was an Al-Saranidi privateer, nobleman and naval officer during the Early Modern period.

Early life

Born in 1595 was the son of Ahmed Ali Hussein (a Sayyid and judge) and his Christian wife Maria Hussein. He received a primary education, as evidenced by his ability to read and write.

Naval career

In 1609 he was an officer trainee aboard an Al-Saranidi ship called Al-Faris, he completed his three year training in 1612 then served for three years as a naval officer, leaving in 1615.

Barbary corsair

He purchased a ship called Al-Yunus during the Spanish-Habsburg Wars and used it to plunder Spanish shipping eventually involving ahis sons, the eldest of whom eventually became his successor. He made a fortune from gold, jewellery and ransoms as well as selling sailors whose families could not afford ransoms into slavery. He was known for his daring courage, earning him the respect of his crew and the fear of the Spanish whilst his sophistication and wealth which caused him to be referred to as Al-Mirza meaning "the Prince".

Controversy

In Saranidia he is largely regarded as a national hero, Islamic hero and war hero. However, there is some controversy about him as he was known to have sold slaves and allegedly captured a Spanish woman called Valeria as a concubine.

Veneration

In modern Saranidia, Ahmed Ibn Ali Hussein is venerated as a saint by Sufis.

Shahid Ahmed Ibn Ali Hussein Sayyid
Reis (Captain), Sayyid
Born	Ahmed Ibn Ali Hussein unknown Benghazi (then part of Saranidia)
Hometown	Benghazi
Residence	Benghazi
Died	Barbary Coast
Venerated in	Sufi Islam in Saranidia and Libya
Major shrine	National Heroes' Park, Saranidia
Patronage	Sailors, Naval officers, combat soldiers, Marines, slave traders (historically), reformed convicts and privateers.
Controversy	involvement in the slave trade, alleged concubinage
Influenced	Many Al-Saranidi corsairs and military men ever since.