Struggles for and Between the Merchants of Oran

This chapter explores a series of rivalries between Jewish merchants whom in order to illuminate the intricacies of Jewish power and identity in Oran at the dawn of conquest. It illustrates the remarkable power of certain Jewish merchants in Oran and highlights the serious conflicts that erupted between them. It also underlines how rivalries could prove threatening for European consuls involved in the region’s commercial life. Among merchants, business interests (as well as the disputes they engendered) could be more meaningful than boundaries of religious affiliation—especially in a town that was so Jewish. These stories allow us to consider the French conquest of Algeria through the history of local merchants, revealing how the conquest caused problems for Jewish merchants, and how their commercial importance and adaptive strategies forced the French to adjust their policies.