Rare illustrations depict brutal aftermath of 1749 Slaves’ Conspiracy

An immersive exhibition will explore the iconic 1749 Slaves’ Conspiracy, opening at the Inquisitor’s Palace and the National Museum of Ethnography in September.

The exhibition ‘Betrayal and Vengeance: The Slaves’ Conspiracy of 1749 in 19 Historical Drawings’, will commemorate the 275th anniversary of the failed slaves’ revolt of 1749.

The exhibition analyses one of the most intriguing and tumultuous periods in Maltese history, through more than 58 news sheets exchanged between the Inquisitor and Apostolic Delegate Paolo Passionei and the Vatican between 1748 and 1751.

The exhibition will feature a collection of 19 contemporary drawings, each vividly depicting the intense and often brutal aftermath of the conspiracy.

The rare illustrations, recently restored by Heritage Malta, serve as the centrepiece of a narrative that delves deep into the political, social, and cultural dynamics of 18th-century Malta.

Visitors to the exhibition will be taken on a journey through time, exploring the dramatic events that were set in motion with the arrival of the mutinied Ottoman galley named ‘Lupa of Rhodes’ at the Grand Harbour on February 2nd, 1748. The exhibition will delve into how the subsequent attempts at escape and revenge by the galley’s owner, Mustafà, the high-ranking Pasha of Rhodes, could have dramatically altered the trajectory of Malta’s history.

In addition to the gripping story of the conspiracy itself, the exhibition will also offer insight into the broader themes of power, diplomacy, treason, and the complex relationships between the West and the East during this period. Historical documents, including contemporary reports, sermon sheets and more recent literature on the subject, will provide rich context and deepen visitors’ understanding of the era and the impact that this episode had on collective memory.

“Heritage Malta encourages all those interested to mark the 20th of September on their calendars and to keep a close eye on the agency’s official channels for further updates and sneak peeks leading up to the exhibition’s launch,” a spokesperson for HM said.

The slaves’ conspiracy dates to the February 1748 revolt when Hungarian, Georgian and Maltese slaves on board the Ottoman ship Lupa took over 150 Ottomans prisoner, including Mustafa, the Pasha of Rhodes.

The captured ship was sailed to Malta and the prisoners enslaved. Mustafa was placed under house arrest on the insistence of France due to the Franco-Ottoman alliance and eventually freed. He converted to Christianity and married a Maltese woman, so he was allowed to remain in Malta.

In the mid-18th century, there were around 9,000 Muslim slaves in Hospitaller-ruled Malta, who enjoyed freedom of religion.

Mustafa planned a slave revolt on 29 June 1749 on the day of the feast of Saints Peter and Paul (L-Imnarja), by gathering 100 palace slaves to poison the food at a banquet at the Grandmaster’s Palace in Valletta, and assassinate Grand Master Manuel Pinto da Fonseca in his sleep.

The plan was to free Muslim slaves from prison, attack Fort St Elmo and take weapons from the armouries. The Ottoman Beys of Tunis, Tripoli and Algiers were to send a fleet to invade Malta.

The plot was discovered on 6 June, three weeks before it was to take place. The slaves had met in a coffee shop in Valletta to win the support of a Maltese guard. A quarrel ensued, and the shop owner Giuseppe Cohen, a former Jew who had converted to Catholicism, overheard them mention the revolt.

The slaves were arrested and revealed details of the plan under torture. 38 were tried and executed. 125 others were hanged in Palace Square in Valletta,  eight branded with the letter R (for ribelli, ‘rebels’) on their forehead, and were condemned to the galleys for life.

On the insistence of France, Mustafa Pasha, who was behind the revolt, was not executed but was taken back to Rhodes on a French vessel.

Entrance to the exhibition will be included in the Inquisitor’s Palace and the National Museum of Ethnography experience. Persons with impaired mobility may find access to the exhibition hall challenging, given the historic building’s structural limitations.