Hain Ahmed Pasha

Hain Ahmed Pasha, was an Ottoman governor and a statesman, who became the Ottoman governor of Egypt Eyalet in 1523.

Early life

Ahmed Pasha was of Georgian origin. He was educated in the Enderun palace school.

Hain Ahmed Pasha wanted to become the grand vizier, to become the grand vizier, Hain Ahmed Pasha tried to persuade Suleiman the Magnificent to dismiss Piri Mehmed Pasha, using the old age of Piri Mehmed Pasha as an excuse, and ultimately succeeded. His rival Pargalı Ibrahim Pasha was then appointed instead as grand vizier, so Hain Ahmed Pasha offered Suleiman I. to make him the governor of Egypt Eyalet, which got accepted by Suleiman I. When Hain Ahmed Pasha went to Egypt, he declared himself the sultan of Egypt, independent from the Ottoman Empire. He struck coins with his own face and name in order to legitimize his power and captured Cairo Citadel and the local Ottoman garrisons in January 1524.

After surviving an assassination attempt in his bath by two emirs that he had previously sacked, he fled Cairo. Ottoman authorities finally captured him and executed him by decapitation. His rebellion occasioned a short period of instability in the nascent Egypt Eyalet. After his death, his rival Pargalı İbrahim Pasha visited Egypt and reformed the provincial military and civil administration.

Ahmed married Ilaldi Sultan, a daughter of Sultan Bayezid II.
They had at least a son and a daughter:

Sultanzade Koçî Bey. He married his cousin Hanzade Hanımsultan, the daughter of Selçuk Sultan and had a son, Ahmed Çelebi.
Şahzade Aynişah Hanımsultan. She married Abdüsselâm Çelebi and had a daughter, Ümmihan Hanım.