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?
Yakup Bey14621463Albanian
Zagan Pasha14631466Albanian;, Greek or Serb; previously grand vizier
Veli Mahmud Pasha14661478SerbDevşirme; 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 :sq:Familja Vlora|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 Barbarossa15331546Greek, Albanian, or Turk; position raised to beylerbey, granted Eyalets of the Islands of the Mediterranean and Ottoman Algeria
Sokollu Mehmed Pasha15461550Bosniak>Devşirme; invaded Libya; later grand vizier
Sinan Pasha15501554Croat; supported Turgut Reis's western raids; later grand vizier
Piyale Pasha15541567Held the title of Kapudan Beg. Croat; 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
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 Pasha1604Bosniak
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 Pasha16661670Albanian; 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 ; first term.
Ibrahim Pasha17171718Defeated in the Battle of Matapan
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 Constantine Kanaris following Massacre of Chios; ancestor of Turkish author Nasuh Mahruki
Kara Mehmet1822
Husrev PashaDecember 18221826
Aghan Ephrikian Pasha1828Governor
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
unknown13 March 1867Office abolished