Kapudan Pasha
TheKapudan Pasha(Ottoman Turkish:قپودان پاشا,modern Turkish:Kaptan Paşa), also known as theKapudan-ı Derya(Ottoman Turkish:قپودان دریا,modern:Kaptan-ı Derya,"Captain of the Sea" ) was theGrand Admiralof thenavyof theOttoman Empire.Typically, he was based atGalataandGallipoliduring the winter and charged with annual sailings during the summer months.[1]The title ofKapudan Pashaitself is only attested from 1567 onwards; earlier designations for the supreme commander of the fleet includeDerya Bey( "beyof the sea ") andRe'is Kapudan( "head captain" ).[2]
The titleDerya Beyas an official rank within the Ottoman state structure originated during the reign ofBayezid I(r. 1389–1402). Following the 1453conquest of Constantinople,Mehmed IIraised Baltaoğlu Süleyman Bey to the status ofsanjak beyfor his efforts against theByzantinesin theGolden Horn.[1]Baltaoğlu received thesanjak of Gallipoli(the principal Turkish naval base) and thekazasof Galata (until the Conquest aGenovesecolony) and ofİzmit(whose tax remittance consisted of ship timber).[1]
The success ofHayreddin Barbarossa(c. 1478-1546) saw the Kapudan Pasha elevated to the ranks ofbeylerbeyandvizierin 1535, with his territories expanded into theEyalet of the ArchipelagoandAlgiers.Hayreddin's successors succeeded to these holdings, but saw their rank drop totwo-horsetailvizier for several centuries.[1]
The official residence of the Kapudan Pasha was in theDivankhanein theImperial Arsenalin the Golden Horn, but he was often away as his governorship of the Eyalet of the Archipelago entailed visiting its various provinces in person every year.[2]The post was one of great power and prestige within the Ottoman hierarchy:Evliya Çelebireports that it had an annual income of 885,000 silverakçe.Additional income, to the amount of 300,000kuruşin the 18th/19th centuries, came from leasing a number ofAegean islandstotax farmers(iltizam).[2]
The heyday of the post of Kapudan Pasha came in the 16th century, when a succession of capable holders brought Ottoman naval power to its height, and for a time ensured its supremacy in the Mediterranean.[2]Although in theory the post could only be filled by a servingadmiral(Kapudan-i Hümayun), a chief of the Imperial Arsenal (Tersane Kethüdasi) or, at the very least, by thesanjak-beyofRhodes,from the turn of the 17th century the appointment of courtfavouritesand/or persons lacking in military or naval experience marked the beginning of Ottoman naval decline.[2]
As a part of theTanzimat reformsof 1839-1876, the Eyalet of the Archipelago was reduced in rank and granted to thewaliof Rhodes in 1848. The Kapudan Pashas retained their rank, but were thereafter solely military servicemen.
A total of161 captainsserved until 13 March 1867 when the post of Derya Kaptan was abolished[4]and replaced by ministers (Bahriye Nazırı) of theOttoman Naval Ministry.After 1877, these were replaced by theFleet Commanders.
See also[edit]
- List of Kapudan Pashas
- List of Fleet Commanders of the Ottoman Navy(which replaced this office)
- List of Ottoman admirals
References[edit]
- ^abcdShaw, Stanford J.History of the Ottoman Empire and Modern Turkey,Vol. 1, pp. 131 ff. Cambridge University Press (Cambridge), 1976. Accessed 12 Sept 2011.
- ^abcdeOzbaran, S. (1978)."Ḳapudan Pas̲h̲a".Invan Donzel, E.;Lewis, B.;Pellat, Ch.&Bosworth, C. E.(eds.).The Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition.Volume IV: Iran–Kha.Leiden: E. J. Brill. pp. 571–572.OCLC758278456.
- ^Le Gras, Alexandre; le Gras, M.A. (1858).Album des pavillons, guidons, flammes de toutes les puissances maritimes[Album of the Flags, Guidons, Penoles of all the Maritime Powers] (in French). Au Dépot des cartes et plans de la marine. p. 65.
Further reading[edit]
- Bostan, İdris (2021)."Kapudan Paşa".In Fleet, Kate;Krämer, Gudrun;Matringe, Denis; Nawas, John;Rowson, Everett(eds.).Encyclopaedia of Islam(3rd ed.). Brill Online.ISSN1873-9830.