List of Kapudan Pashas


The Kapudan Pasha, also known in Turkish as Kaptan-ı Derya, was the commander-in-chief of the navy of the Ottoman Empire. Around 160 captains served between the establishment of the post under Bayezid I and the office's replacement by the more modern Ottoman Ministry of the Navy during the Tanzimat reforms.
The title of Kapudan Pasha itself is only attested from 1567 onwards; earlier designations for the supreme commander of the fleet include derya begi and re'is kapudan.
NameAppointedVacatedNotes
Kara Mürsel Bey1324
Saruca Pasha1390Turk?
Çavlı Bey1412Turk?
Baltaoğlu Süleyman Bey14511453Bulgarian?
Hamza Bey14531456Albanian
Has Yunus Bey14561459
Kasım Bey14591460
Kadim İsmail Bey14611462Devşirme?
Yakub Bey14621463Albanian
Zagan Pasha14631466Albanian, Greek or Serb; previously grand vizier.
Veli Mahmud Pasha14661478Serb, Devşirme; later grand vizier.
Gedik Ahmed Pasha14781480Albanian or Serb, Devşirme; invaded Mediterranean and seized Santa Maura, Kefalonia, and Zante; later grand vizier.
Mesih Pasha14801491Greek, converted member of the Palaiologoi; later grand vizier.
Güveği Sinan Pasha14911492Albanian, Devşirme, founder of Vlora dynasty of Albanian generals and politicians.
Kara Nişancı Davud14921503Devşirme?
Küçük Davud Pasha15031506
Hersekzade Ahmed Pasha15061511Slav; later grand vizier.
İskender Ağa Pasha15111514Devşirme?
Sinan Bey15141516Devşirme?
Frenk Cafer Ağa Pasha15161520Devşirme
Parlak Mustafa Pasha15201522Bosniak
Bayram Pasha1522
Kurdoğlu Muslihiddin Reis
Süleyman Pasha1531
Kemankeş Ahmed Bey15311533Devşirme?
Hayreddin Barbarossa15331546Albanian or Turk; position raised to beylerbey, granted Eyalets of the Islands of the Mediterranean and Ottoman Algeria.
Sokollu Mehmed Pasha15461550Serb, Devşirme; invaded Libya; later grand vizier.
Sinan Pasha15501554Croat; supported Turgut Reis's western raids; later grand vizier.
Piyale Pasha15541567Held the title of Kapudan Beg. Hungarian or Croatian. captured Corsica with the French in 1554, defeated Spanish at Piombino in 1555, raided Calabria, Salerno, Tuscany, Spain, and seized the Balearics in 1558, won crushing Battle of Djerba in 1560; captured Naples in 1563.
Müezzinzade Ali Pasha15677 October 1571First to hold the title of Kapudan Pasha. Effected conquest of Cyprus from Venice, but killed at Lepanto.
Hasan Pasha (son of Barbarossa)15671572Born in Algiers in 1517. He was called to Constantinople and named Kapudan Pasha of the Ottoman Navy in 1567, like his father before him. Hasan Pasha was at the Great Siege of Malta in 1565, and Battle of Lepanto in 1571. He died in Constantinople in 1572.
Kılıç Ali Paşa157121 June 1587Italian, born Giovanni Dionigi Galeni, known after conversion as Uluç and Uluç Ali Reis; rebuilt Turkish fleet, recaptured Tunis from Don Juan and ended War of Cyprus, raided Calabria and put down numerous revolts.
Cigalazade Yusuf Sinan Pasha15911595Italian, born Scipione Cicala; first term; later grand vizier.
Cigalazade Yusuf Sinan Pasha15991604Second term; previously grand vizier.
Derviş Pasha1604Bosnian Serb
Güzelce Ali Pasha1617?
Cataldjali Hasan Pasha16251631
Gazi Hüseyin Pasha16321635Turk; later grand vizier.
Kemankeş Mustafa Pasha17 October 163524 December 1638Albanian, later grand vizier.
Gazi Hüseyin Pasha16391641Turk
Yusuf Pasha164X164XDalmatian Slav; executed by Sultan.
Koca Musa Pasha16451647Bosniak; died at Kandiye during Cretan War before he could receive his promotion to grand vizier.
Kara Musa Pasha164721 September 1647
Kılavuz Köse Ali Pasha16471648
Koca Dervish Mehmed Pasha16521653Circassian; later grand vizier.
Kara Murad Pasha165311 May 1655Albanian; effected the breakout First Battle of the Dardanelles during the Cretan War; prior and later grand vizier.
Merzifonlu Kara Mustafa Pasha16661670Turk; later grand vizier.
Bozoklu Mustafa Pasha16801684Later grand vizier.
Mezzo Morto Hüseyin Pasha16951701Turk or Aragonese; commanded at Andros in 1696 during the Morean War, attempted moderate reforms and published the Kannunname.
Baltacı Mehmet Pasha17041704Turk; later grand vizier.
Veli Mehmed Pasha17061707Turk
Moralı Ibrahim PashaNovember 17071709
Küçük Ali Pasazade Mehmed Pasha17091711Turk
Canım Hoca Mehmed PashaDecember 1714February 1717Turk from Koroni, former galley slave in the Venetian fleet. Led the Ottoman navy in the Ottoman–Venetian War (1714–18); first term.
Ibrahim Pasha17171718Defeated in the Battle of Matapan.
Süleyman PashaApril 5, 17181721-
Kaymak Mustafa Pasha17211730Bosniak
Canım Hoca Mehmed Pasha17301730Second term, lasted for only a few days.
Hacı Hüseyin Pasha17321732
Koca Bekir Pasha17321732Turk; first term.
Canım Hoca Mehmed Pasha17321736Third term.
Hacı Mehmed Pashac. 1735. Turk?
Hatibzade Yahya Pasha17431743
Râtip Ahmed Pasha17431744Turk
Koca Bekir Pasha17501753Turk; second term.
Macar Hacı Hasan PashaFebruary 1761December 1761
Ahıskalı Mehmed PashaDecember 1761August 1762
Eğribozlu İbrahim Pasha1769Turk?
Mandalzade Hüsameddin Pasha17701770Removed following the disastrous naval defeat at Chesma during the Russo-Turkish War of 1768–1774.
Cezayirli Gazi Hasan Pasha17701789 or 1790Georgian; dislodged Russians from Aegean, commanded forces during the Russo-Turkish Wars of 1768–1774 and 1787–1792; later grand vizier.
Koca Yusuf Pasha19 December 1789Georgian; former grand vizier.
17891792
Küçük Hüseyin Pasha11 March 17927 December 1803Georgian; commanded the Turkish invasion fleet of French-occupied Egypt.
Mehmed Kadri Pasha18031804
Hafız İsmail Pasha18041805Later grand vizier.
Hacı Salih Pasha18051805Turk; later grand vizier.
Hacı Mehmed Pasha II21 November 18061808Turk
Seydi Ali Pasha1807 or 18081808Georgian
Abdullah Ramiz Efendi18081808Crimean Tatar
Koca Hüsrev Mehmed Pasha18111818Abazin; later grand vizier.
Deli Abdullah Pasha1821Turk; later grand vizier.
Nasuhzade Ali Pasha18217 June 1822Albanian; also known as Kara-Ali Pasha; commanded Turkish fleet during the Greek War of Independence: directed Massacre of Samothrace, killed by fireship directed by Konstantinos Kanaris following Massacre of Chios; ancestor of Turkish author Nasuh Mahruki.
Kara Mehmet1822
Koca Hüsrev Mehmed PashaDecember 18221826
Aghan Ephrikian Pasha1828Probably Armenian; Governor
Damat Gürcü Halil Rifat Pasha18301832
Çengeloğlu Tahir Mehmed PashaNovember 18321836Turk
Ahmed Fevzi Pasha10 November 18361839Greek, defected to Egypt.
Topal İzzet Pasha1840Reformer
Damat Gürcü Halil Rifat Pasha18431845
Damat Gürcü Halil Rifat Pasha18471848
unknownLost administrative control of the Eyalet of the Islands c. 1848.
Mahmud Pasha18531854
Damat Gürcü Halil Rifat Pasha18541855
Damat Mehmed Ali Pasha13 March 1867Office abolished.