Page 33 - mediterranea 57

The “reluctant” admiral: Damad Halil Pasha and the Ottoman navy (1595-1598) 33

indirect praise to Cigalazade’s Italian origins but also an indirect crit-
icism towards Halil Pasha through his Bosnian provenience.
In fact, Halil Pasha’s Mediterranean-wide image was also gradually
becoming an object of comparison with Cigalazade’s career. The re-
marks of Íñigo de Mendoza, the Spanish ambassador in Venice, are
illustrative as to how the Mediterranean powers perceived the differ-
ence between these two admirals. In 1597, Mendoza, after having in-
formed Philip II that it was not known who would be the head of the
Ottoman armada in the following summer, made the following com-
mentary: “if [the Ottoman armada] sets off under the order of Cigala
[Cigalazade], there will be much to fear and if Halil Baxa [Halil Pasha]
sets out with [the armada], the danger will be much less” 126 . In another
letter, Mendoza regarded Halil Pasha’s admiralty as a strong factor of
certain relief: “They write as a good news that Halil Baxa is confirmed
as the general of the navy, being as he is a man of no substance” 127 .
This international image did not take time to be reflected in Otto-
man domestic politics when the political and military conditions
started to change in 1598. The Ottoman government began to see Halil
Pasha’s admiralty as a factor diffusing an image of weakness in the
Mediterranean politics. Whereas the very name of Cigalazade, “capi-
tano valoroso”, was “enough to terrify everyone”, Halil Pasha was “too
pleasant in nature, nor he made himself fear” 128 .
In the end, Halil Pasha’s positive features, which were once ideal-
ized and instrumentalized, were regarded as the cause of debility and,
in fact, undermined his admiralty.

Conclusion

Halil Pasha’s overall career has received little attention, and even
less attention his career as kapudan pasha. His admiralty was very
brief, inconclusive, and left very little documentation. Yet, the existing
historical material has proved that although his possession of the

126 «No se sabe quien será cabeça desta Armada que si saliere a orden de Cigala abrá
mucho que temer y si saliere con ella Halil Baxa será mucho menor el peligro». Íñigo de
Mendoza to Philip II, Venice, 31 January 1597, Ags.E, 1676, n. 7.
127 «Escriven por buena nueva que Halil Baxa está confirmado por general de la armada
de mar siendo como es hombre de ninguna sustancia». Íñigo de Mendoza to Philip II,
Venice, 8 February 1597, Ags.E, 1676, n. 8.
128 «Parendo che il suo nome solo basti ad apportar terrore a tutti». Girolamo Cap-
pello to the Senate, Constantinople, 21 April 1598, Asv, Sdc, 47, fol. 12; «il Re non per
altro ha levato il carrico ad Halil che per esser di natura tropo piacevole, ne si faceva
temere». Girolamo Cappello to the Senate, Constantinople, 1 May 1598, Asv, Sdc, 47,
fol. 14; E. Türkçelik, Meritocracy, Factionalism and Ottoman Grand Admirals cit., p. 103.

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