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18 Evrim Türkçelik

was also worried that his little military experience, and even almost
none in the sea, could produce disrespect for the position. A rare testi-
mony of Halil Pasha’s initial motivational talk to his staff in the arsenal
indicates that he sought historical premises to legitimize his situation.
Halil Pasha, recognizing that he accepted the post of admiral “despite
having little practice and competence for that position”, reminded the
seamen in the arsenal of the career of Piyale Pasha (d. 1578), who had
become admiral after having “left the palace at a younger age with no
experience”. In spite of his inexperience, Piyale Pasha had given “a very
good account of himself and left behind a good name that everyone
knew”. Halil Pasha told the seamen that “he expected [to do] the same
with their help and good advice” . Halil Pasha’s reference to the exem-
38
plariness of Piyale Pasha, a dynastic son-in-law like himself, shows that
he wanted to be seen in relation to the figures that marked the Mediter-
ranean politics despite their attachment to the palace.
Ironically, despite this pretentious but implicitly insecure com-
mencement, Halil Pasha’s admiralty was hampered by his condition of
dynastic damad as well as his reluctance to set out with the armada.
Since his appointment, the limits of Halil Pasha’s relationship with the
fleet were mainly drawn by his mother-in-law and wife. Such explana-
tions referring to Safiye Sultan’s and Fatma Sultan’s interference ap-
peared more frequently in the records. According to Venier, besides the
fact that Halil Pasha was “not at all accustomed to sailing nor practical
in maritime affairs”, there was another factor that would mark his ad-
miralty: “he has a wife, the sultan’s sister, who will not voluntarily see
him go away from her” . Even some Spanish avisos were employing a
39
dramatized tone: “the new Pasha [the admiral] being hombre regalado,
his wife will not let him cross the Canal when it rains or it is windy, for
fear that he will drown” . Similarly, Leonardo Dona stated that he
40
heard personally from Halil Pasha his reluctance to sail with the

38 De Constantinopla, 20-21 February 1595, Ags.E, 1545, n. 81. «Que el nuevo ge-
neral de la mar Halil Baxa havia hecho un largo razonamiento a todos los capitanes y
comitres de las galeras en que después de havelles dado cuenta de su elección, les dixo
que no obstante la poca prattica y suficiencia que tiene para aquel cargo, lo havia acep-
tado, acordándose de Piali Baxa que con haver salido del serrallo para lo mismo, de
menos edad, y sin ninguna experiencia, havia dado muy buena cuenta de si y dejado el
nombre que todos sabían, que lo mismo esperava él con su ayuda y buen consejo».
English rendering of this passage is available in E. Türkçelik, Meritocracy, Factionalism
and Ottoman Grand Admirals cit., pp. 103-104.
39 «Non essendo egli punto assuefatto al navigare nè pratico delle cose maritimi ha
la moglie, sorella del Re che no al volontieri lo vedrà andar discosto da lei». Marco Venier
to the Senate, Constantinople, 31 January 1595, Asv, Sdc, 40, f. 482v.
40 «Que el nuevo baxa por ser hombre regalado, no le dexara su muger passar el
Canal cuando llovia, o, hazia viento, de temor que no se ahogasse». De Constantinopla,
16 March 1595, Ags.E, 1545, n. 84.

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