Mustapha Bouchelaghem
Mustapha Bouchelaghem, also known as Bey Bouchelaghem was the Bey of the Western Beylik from 1686 to 1734/37. Origins and early life Mustapha, born as Mustapha ben Youcef was the son of an Algerian Arabic man called Youcef el-Mesrati, a noble from the Kalaa of Beni Rached, and an Algerian woman. His father served as Khalifa (lieutenant-governor) to the Bey of Constantine. He moved back to Mostaganem where he had 8 children, the first-born being Mustapha. Several of his siblings would also become Beys of Oran later on. His full name was Mustapha ben Youcef Ben Mohamed ben Ishaq el-Mesrati. The name Bouchelaghem, and its Spanish version "El Bigotillos," was an epithet referring to his Moustache. Bey He was elected as Bey in 1686, after the previous bey Chaban-ez-Zenagui was killed in front of Oran. In 1701 he moved his capital to Mascara, and built a garrison there. The reason for this was its more central location. He worked hard to accumulate a large army mainly composed of thousands of Arab-Berber tribal levy. Early wars (1680s–1708) Conflicts with Morocco In 1699 the Maghrebi war started, which was a conflict between Algiers and the other Barbary States. In the same year