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16 Evrim Türkçelik

sultan’s closest circle in late 1594 did Murad III begin to show certain
discontent towards his gran admiral. The successive complaints about
Cigalazade’s attitude towards Venetian interests were combined with
his unapproved ambition to take the Ottoman navy into the Adriatic
and his alleged tolerance towards the local Christians in the Reggio di
Calabria . If one reads Selaniki’s chronicle, a detailed account of the
26
late sixteenth century Ottoman court, Cigalazade would still seem to
have been in the grace of the sultan . Nevertheless, the Venetian dis-
27
pacci reveal the dynamics working against him that paved the way for
Halil Pasha’s involvement with the admiralty. According to the new bailo
Marco Venier, Murad III, “becoming furious and suspicious” of the ac-
cusations against Cigalazade, had ordered Halil Pasha to investigate
them and Gazanfer Ağa was reported to have said that Halil Pasha
would conduct an inspection by taking over the admiralty . Thus, in
28
early January 1595, it was constantly being publicly expressed without
doubt that Cigalazade would be dismissed and Halil Pasha would be
appointed grand admiral . Nevertheless, probably the sudden illness of
29
the sultan prevented the officialization of such a delicate ministerial
change at a time when the Hungarian War was still going on and the
possibility of a retaliatory attack by the Spanish navy was still feared .
30
Mehmed III’s accession to the throne in late January 1595 after the
death of his father provided Halil Pasha with new domestic political
background favourable to his long-intended appointment to admiralty.
Safiye Sultan, who already enjoyed great power especially during the
last years of Murad III, now, as the mother of the new sultan, obtained
much higher prestige and power with considerable influence over the
decisions of her son, who had only recently arrived at Istanbul . Just
31
two days after his accession, Mehmed III appointed his brother-in-law

26 Marco Venier to the Senate, Constantinople, 23 December 1594, Asv, Sdc, 40, f.
376v. «ho inteso per cosa certa esser stato presentato al Re al chioscho un arz contra di
lui nel qual tra le altre cose vien imputato che a Reggio non habbia voluto permettere
che i soldati delle galee che si mostravano volontorosi et che potevano farlo sicuramente
andassero a pigliar le genti».
27 Selaniki, Tarih-i Selaniki, ed. M. İpşirli, Türk Tarih Kurumu, Istanbul, 1989, vol.
II, p. 418.
28 «Che dalla bocca del proprio Capiaga havea saputo come il Capitaneato del mar
sarebbe di Alil [Halil Pasha] con carico di Teftis che vuol dir sindicato contra il capitano».
Marco Venier to the Senate, Constantinople, 23 December 1594, Asv, Sdc, 40, f. 371v;
«il Re adiratosi et insospetitosi haveva dato l’arz in mano di Alil perche ne dovesse far
inquisitione». Marco Venier to the Senate, Constantinople, 23 December 1594, Asv, Sdc,
40, f. 376v.
29 Marco Venier to the Senate, Constantinople, 4 January 1595, Asv, Sdc, 40, f. 396r.
30 «Had the death of the Sultan not taken place a week would not have passed before
the dismissal of the Capudan Pasha [Cigalazade]». Csp Ven, vol. 9, n. 324, Marco Venier
to the Senate, 21 January 1595.
31 L.P. Peirce, The Imperial Harem cit., p. 126.

Mediterranea - ricerche storiche - Anno XX - Aprile 2023
ISSN 1824-3010 (stampa) ISSN 1828-230X (online)