Ahmed Zayni Dogleh

19th-century Algerian naval commander who resisted French colonial expansion through innovative maritime tactics

Ahmed Zayni Dogleh (1790-1863) was an Algerian naval strategist whose daring campaigns challenged French dominance during the 1830s. As commander of the Beylik of Constantine, he developed asymmetric naval tactics using fast lorchas (sailing vessels) to disrupt French supply lines in the Mediterranean. His 1835 raid on the Corsican port of Bastia demonstrated unconventional warfare principles later studied by modern military scholars. Though ultimately defeated, his resistance inspired anti-colonial movements across North Africa. Zayni's memoirs describe how he trained crews using traditional Berber navigation techniques combined with captured French naval manuals. His story is preserved in the National Archives of Algeria and recently featured in the BBC's A History of the World in 100 Objects podcast series. Read more here