The Historical Background of European Colonialism in the Muslim World: the Journey of Ali Bey el Abbassi (1803–1808)

This chapter analyses the journey of Domingo Badía y Leblich, disguised as Ali Bey el Abbassi, through North Africa and the Ottoman territories in the early 19th century, which can be understood as a precursor to European colonialism on both continents. The aim is to present the character and motivations behind his journey, before examining its scientific results and political implications, both of which were significant. The author compares Badía’s book, published in Paris in 1814 and translated almost immediately into several languages, with the documentation present in French and Spanish archives, in order to understand the ultimate reasons for the second part of his journey, and place it in a colonial context where England and France were already fighting for control of the territories that our protagonist travelled through. From the analysis and comparison of the sources emerges a unique and little-known political journey, marked by outstanding scientific results in various branches of knowledge, which was almost hidden from history due to the political situation in Spain at the time. England considered him an enemy, and France never recognised his merits