TNT History Archives: Ottoman Caspian Sea Shipbuilding (1580s)/Part III/FINAL

//Ed. note:  Saffet concludes his article with the remainder
of Sokullu's 1579 letter to Özdemiroğlu Osman Paşa and
adds other correspondence from Sokullu's successor
(probably Koca Sinan Paşa) in 1582, regarding the 
building of the galleys for the Caspian Sea fleet.//

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"The details of these matters remain unclear.  Last year, four or five
'kalita' (a type of galley) were to be built in Ardahan and put into the
Kura River and craftsmen and wood were sent from here (Istanbul).
However, some of the wood was badly cut there so the 'kalita' were
not built and the craftsmen returned....perhaps they can be built with
wood at Tiflis (Tbilisi) and brought to the 'Kulzüm' (Caspian) for
Demirkapı (Derbent)."


Ardahan is north of Kars, left-center, at the source of the 
Kura River. 'Demirkapı' (Derbent) is between Baku and 
Makhachkala on the Caspian Sea coast.

"In any case, all of these matters are submitted for your consideration,
depending on your assessment of the situation there, but make your
recommendations quickly.  The Sultan (Murad III) is personally
involved and intends to make Demirkapı a 'vilayet' (province) of
the east.  5 Cemazilevvel 987 (August 1579)

 //Ed. note: Sokullu Mehmet Paşa was assassinated 
in Istanbul in October 1579.//

"Order for the 'Bahr-i Kulzüm' (Caspian Sea) Fleet Commander:

My order has been sent to the Kefe Beylerbeyi Cafer Paşa for the
shipment of the requisite tool and materials to Demirkapı for the
construction of ships.  You are ordered to make the necessary
arrangements for the movement of these goods to Demirkapı upon
arrival.  9 Cemaziyel'ahir 990" (Summer 1582)

"Order for the 'Bahr-i Kulzüm' (Caspian Sea) Fleet Commander:

With regard to the ships to be built at 'Bahr-i Kulzüm', the requisite
tools and materials have been ordered sent to 'Kulzüm' Fleet
Commander.  As for wood and iron and other necessities, obtain
them all.  May you work diligently and with perseverance and do your
very best. 9 Cemazyel'ahir 990" (Summer 1582)


The Kefe Beylerbeyliği (principality) is in purple
at the top of the Black Sea. From 1578 to the 
1660s Kefe served as a transit point for war
materials sent from Istanbul and the Ottoman
western Black Sea regions to the eastern front for
the continuous wars with Iran.

We see that these things were also said in a letter from the PM
(probably Koca Sinan Paşa in 1582) to Özdemiroğlu Osman Paşa:


"Twenty men cognizant of maritime matters and galleys, along with
carpenters, artillery masters, wheelwrights, and sufficient funds for
building the galleys have been sent to Kefe Subdivision Bey Mehmed
Serdar along with an order commanding him to send all of the above
to Demirkapı."

Saffet

//Ed. note:  As for Özdemiroğlu Osman Paşa (ÖOP), he 
had more subsequent adventures. In 1583 he left the 
Caucasus on a mission to Kefe, on the orders of Sultan 
Murad III, to remove Mehmed Giray Khan II.  However, 
ÖOP was surrounded and only liberated after 37 days by 
the arrival of Kılıç Ali Paşa's fleet from Istanbul. A brief 
3-month stint as PM was followed by missions to Crimea
and then back to the Iranian front.  ÖOP died in 1588.//

340 years later click here for the final part of an 11-part 
TNT series on the Ottoman Islamic Army of the Caucasus 
in Dagistan in 1918.

//END of PART III/FINAL//