The battle ended Tunisian resistance to Algerian expansion and directly enabled Al-Husayn I ibn Ali to found the Husainid dynasty on 15 July 1705.
Key Facts
- Battle date
- 8 July 1705
- Algerian demand: camels
- 1,000 camels as war reparations
- Defecting tribes
- Ouled Saïd and Drid defected to Algerian side
- Husainid dynasty founded
- 15 July 1705
- Tunisian commander imprisoned
- Ibrahim sent to Algiers after surrender
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Prolonged animosity following the Maghrebi War between the Beylik of Tunis and the Regency of Algiers reached a breaking point in 1705. The Algerian army invaded Tunisian territory on 8 July, encamping near Kef along the Oued el-Tin, escalating the conflict into open battle.
Algerian forces encircled the Tunisian army commanded by Ibrahim and his Agha Al-Husayn I ibn Ali at El Kef. Key Tunisian Arab tribes, including the Ouled Saïd and the Drid, defected to the Algerians mid-battle, along with part of Ibrahim's regular troops, overwhelming the Tunisian position and forcing Ibrahim's eventual surrender.
Ibrahim was imprisoned and transported to Algiers, while the remaining Tunisian troops retreated to Tunis under Agha Al-Husayn I ibn Ali. Capitalizing on the power vacuum, Al-Husayn proclaimed himself Dey, founded the Husainid dynasty on 15 July 1705, and ended the Muradid War of Succession.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Ibrahim, Al-Husayn I ibn Ali.
Side B
1 belligerent
Dey Mustapha.