Cezayirli Gazi Hasan Pasha
Encyclopedia
Cezayirli Gazi Hasan Pasha or Hasan Pasha of Algiers (1713 - 1790) was an Ottoman
captain, Grand Admiral (1770-1790), Grand Vizier (1790) and general of the late 18th century.
He is known to have been bought as a Georgian
slave in eastern Turkey
by a Turkish
merchant of Tekirdağ
, who raised him in that city considering him on a par with his own sons.
He rose through the ranks of the Ottoman military hierarchy and was for a time with the Barbary Coast
pirates based in Algiers
(whence his name Cezayirli, meaning "from Algiers" in Turkish). He was a fleet commander during the Battle of Chesma
aboard the Real Mustafa and was able to extract the forces under his command from the general disaster for the Turkish navy that occurred there. He arrived at the Ottoman capital with the bad news, but was highly praised for his own accomplishment and promoted, first to chief of staff and later to grand vizier. He dislodged the Russian fleet which had established a base on the Aegean island of Limni
.
Anecdotal evidence indicates that, immediately after the defeat at Chesma, he and his men were lodged by a local priest in Ayvalık
who did not know who they were. Hasan Pasha did not forget the kindness shown at that hour of crisis and later accorded virtual autonomy to the Greek-dominated town of Ayvalık, paving the way for its becoming an important cultural center for that community in the Ottoman Empire
in the 19th century.
The defeat also prompted Hasan Pasha to establish the Naval Engineering Golden Horn Shipyard (later Turkish Naval Academy
) in 1773.
In the Russo-Turkish War of 1787-1792, Hasan Pasha (then 85) commanded the Turkish troops in the beginning campaigns, taking part in the Action of 17 June 1788
, the Battle of Fidonisi
, and the Siege of Ochakov.
He died in March, 1790, from illness or perhaps poisoned.
His statue today graces the resort town of Çeşme
, along with the lion that domesticated while in Africa
and took along with him everywhere.
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
captain, Grand Admiral (1770-1790), Grand Vizier (1790) and general of the late 18th century.
He is known to have been bought as a Georgian
Georgians
The Georgians are an ethnic group that have originated in Georgia, where they constitute a majority of the population. Large Georgian communities are also present throughout Russia, European Union, United States, and South America....
slave in eastern Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
by a Turkish
Turkic peoples
The Turkic peoples are peoples residing in northern, central and western Asia, southern Siberia and northwestern China and parts of eastern Europe. They speak languages belonging to the Turkic language family. They share, to varying degrees, certain cultural traits and historical backgrounds...
merchant of Tekirdağ
Tekirdag
Tekirdağ , the ancient Bisanthi , is a city in Eastern Thrace, in the European part of Turkey. Tekirdağ is the capital of Tekirdağ Province, felt by the local people to be a quieter and more pleasant town than the industrial centre of Çorlu, which it administers. The city population as of 2009 was...
, who raised him in that city considering him on a par with his own sons.
He rose through the ranks of the Ottoman military hierarchy and was for a time with the Barbary Coast
Barbary Coast
The Barbary Coast, or Barbary, was the term used by Europeans from the 16th until the 19th century to refer to much of the collective land of the Berber people. Today, the terms Maghreb and "Tamazgha" correspond roughly to "Barbary"...
pirates based in Algiers
Algiers
' is the capital and largest city of Algeria. According to the 1998 census, the population of the city proper was 1,519,570 and that of the urban agglomeration was 2,135,630. In 2009, the population was about 3,500,000...
(whence his name Cezayirli, meaning "from Algiers" in Turkish). He was a fleet commander during the Battle of Chesma
Battle of Chesma
The naval Battle of Chesma took place on 5 -7 July 1770 near and in Çeşme Bay, in the area between the western tip of Anatolia and the island of Chios, which was the site of a number of past naval battles between the Ottoman Empire and the Republic of Venice...
aboard the Real Mustafa and was able to extract the forces under his command from the general disaster for the Turkish navy that occurred there. He arrived at the Ottoman capital with the bad news, but was highly praised for his own accomplishment and promoted, first to chief of staff and later to grand vizier. He dislodged the Russian fleet which had established a base on the Aegean island of Limni
Lemnos
Lemnos is an island of Greece in the northern part of the Aegean Sea. Administratively the island forms a separate municipality within the Lemnos peripheral unit, which is part of the North Aegean Periphery. The principal town of the island and seat of the municipality is Myrina...
.
Anecdotal evidence indicates that, immediately after the defeat at Chesma, he and his men were lodged by a local priest in Ayvalık
Ayvalik
Ayvalık is a seaside town on the northwestern Aegean coast of Turkey. It is a district of the Balıkesir Province.It was alternatively called by the town's formerly indigenous Greek population, although the use of the name Ayvalık was widespread for centuries among both the Turks and the Greeks...
who did not know who they were. Hasan Pasha did not forget the kindness shown at that hour of crisis and later accorded virtual autonomy to the Greek-dominated town of Ayvalık, paving the way for its becoming an important cultural center for that community in the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
in the 19th century.
The defeat also prompted Hasan Pasha to establish the Naval Engineering Golden Horn Shipyard (later Turkish Naval Academy
Turkish Naval Academy
The Turkish Naval Academy is a four year co-educational military academy located in the district of Tuzla in Istanbul. Its mission is to develop cadets mentally and physically for service as commissioned officers in the Turkish Navy...
) in 1773.
In the Russo-Turkish War of 1787-1792, Hasan Pasha (then 85) commanded the Turkish troops in the beginning campaigns, taking part in the Action of 17 June 1788
Action of 17 June 1788
This was a series of mainly small-ship actions which occurred along the coast of what is now Ukraine during the Russo-Turkish War as Russian and Turkish ships and boats supported their land armies in the struggle for control of Ochakov, a strategic position. The main actions at sea happened on 17,...
, the Battle of Fidonisi
Battle of Fidonisi
The naval Battle of Fidonisi took place on 14 July 1788 between the fleets of the Russian Empire and the Ottoman Empire during the Russo-Turkish War of 1787-1792 near Ochakov...
, and the Siege of Ochakov.
He died in March, 1790, from illness or perhaps poisoned.
His statue today graces the resort town of Çeşme
Çesme
Çeşme is a coastal town and the center-town of the district of the same name in Turkey's western-most end, on a promontory on the tip of the peninsula which also carries the same name and which extends inland to form a whole with the wider Karaburun Peninsula...
, along with the lion that domesticated while in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
and took along with him everywhere.
Sources
- Nuttall Encyclopedia: http://www.fullbooks.com/The-Nuttall-Encyclopaedia25.html
- World Statesman: Turkey – Grand Viziers
- J.H. Mordtmann, in E.J. Brill's first encyclopaedia of Islam, 1913-1936, Volume 2, p 1039 http://books.google.com/books?id=rezD7rvuf9YC&lpg=PA1039&dq=%22scimitar%20moutsache%22&hl=fr&pg=PA1039#v=onepage&q&f=false