Abstract:

Striving to push its borders especially towards the west as from its genesis, the Ottoman Empire first extended deep into the Balkans and then into Europe. It was clear that a permanent dominance over the Balkans and Europe would only be possible through a powerful navy cruising on The Danube, which constituted a natural border. To this end, in the late 15th and early 16th centuries, the Ottoman Empire formed its own fleet in the lower parts of the Danube. Thus, thanks to its navy light cruisers, the Ottoman Empire reinforced its influence on the Danube Basin. An officer with the title Captain Pasha was appointed to the command of the Danube Navy. Captain Pasha was the highest-rank in an Ottoman fleet. This study deals with the Captain Pashas in the Ottoman Navy on the Danube in the 18thcentury who were considered to be the symbols of the Ottoman dominance over the Balkans and Europe during this time. With reference to the information gathered especially from archival records and classical sources, the study dwells on the way the Captain Pashas were appointed and the way they performed their duties in the navy.

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