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22 Evrim Türkçelik

the administration had risen considerably after the victory of his son
in Central Europe .
58
It is clear that Halil Pasha’s career as admiral has absolutely nothing
to do with the image of Piyale Pasha, with whom he rhetorically identified,
whose successful expeditions with the Ottoman armada had changed the
history of the Mediterranean. However, it should be taken into account
that Halil Pasha was promoted to admiralty to carry out a policy in the
Mediterranean that was clearly defensive, never offensive, maintaining
the political guidelines set at the beginning of Mehmed III’s reign. Thus,
Halil Pasha’s unambitious and limited policy reversed the hazardous out-
comes of Cigalazade’s aggressive actions and became especially effective
in preventing the escalation of tensions with Venice, whose neutrality was
vital for Ottoman interests in the Mediterranean. Nevertheless, in the long
run, neither his defensive policy nor his practice of delegation of the de
facto command of the armada was sustainable under the ever-changing
international and domestic contexts. In March 1598, the Ottomans lost
the important castle of Györ in Hungary, a defeat that had much reper-
cussion in Istanbul as well the recent news of the imminent peace be-
tween the Spanish and French . Under these conditions, Halil Pasha’s
59
adequacy for the the admiralty was seriously called into question by the
new government formed in April 1598, which was decisive in breaking
the influence that Safiye Sultan exerted on the decisions of the sultan .
60
The new grand vizier and new grand mufti convinced Mehmed III of the
importance of sending a powerful navy and of electing a new admiral ca-
pable of maintaining the tension in the Mediterranean. On 18 April 1598,
the sultan quickly dismissed Halil Pasha, his brother-in-law, and gave
the post of grand admiralty back to Cigalazade Sinan Pasha .
61

Between meritocracy and favouritism: Halil Pasha’s patronage
network

Halil Pasha’s three years long tenure in grand admiralty involved
several changes in the offices related to the maritime organization of
the Ottoman Empire. Despite his reluctance to sail with the Ottoman
fleet, he was actively involved in the administration of the arsenal, in
choosing his captains, and in the appointments of governors (sancakbeyi)

58 L.P. Peirce, The Imperial Harem cit., p. 126.
59 E. Türkçelik, Meritocracy, Factionalism and Ottoman Grand Admirals cit., p. 101.
60 E. Türkçelik, Damad Halil Paşa cit., p. 1646.
61 «Kapudanlık: ma’a-vezâret ve eyâlet-i Cezâyir sâbıkan vezîr-i a‘zam olub Şam mu-
hâfazası fermân olunan Cigalazâde vezîr Sinan Paşa hazretlerine virilmek buyuruldı [the
admiralty is ordered to be given to…Cigalazade Sinan Pasha with vizierate and the prov-
ince of kapudan pasha]». BOA, A.RSK.d 1475, 12 Ramazan 1006 (18 April 1598), p. 8.

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