Damad Halil Paşa

Damat Halil Pasha (died 1629, Istanbul), also known as Khalil Pasha, was an Ottoman Armenian statesman. He was grand vizier of the Ottoman Empire in 1616–1619 and 1626–1628. He also served in the Ottoman Navy, and led a number of attacks including the Raid of Żejtun in Malta in 1614 and the Sack of Manfredonia in 1620.

Biography He was born in the village of “Fernos” (or Fırnız) near Zeytun, modern Süleymanlı, in the province of Kahramanmaraş. Recruited as a dervish he was brought up in this condition. His brother Shahid Mehmed Pasha held high positions (beylerbey and vizier) and this helped him to prosper. Shahid died on April 2, 1589, in what is considered the first revolt of the Janissaries which ended in the death of a vizier (not a great vizier ). After being a court falconer he came to Agha of the Janissaries on January 4, 1607. The military campaign that year was directed against the rebels of Anatolia, under the direction of the commander in chief ( serdar ). Kuyucu Murad Pasha . In 1608 Khalid went to eastern Anatolia by order of Murad Pasha; so he was able to return to Istanbul triumphantly.

On February 16, 1609, Captain Pasha Hafız Ahmed was removed and Halil was appointed in his place; he defeated the pirates of the eastern Mediterranean and defeated a Maltese fleet near Cyprus by capturing the " Red Galleon " armed with 80 guns, commanded by the knight Fraissinet in the naval battle of Kara Djahannam. He was appointed vizier on 25 November 1609. On 16 July 1610 he led a new campaign against pirates and privateers without major battles; he began negotiations to forge an alliance with the Netherlands and Morocco against Spain, sending the first letter to the States General of The Hague on July 16, 1610. France and Venice opposed but maintained good relations with these states. He lost his post from 1611 to 1613 when he was occupied by court favorite Öküz Kara Mehmed Pasha. However he continued to negotiate with Holland and a Dutch ambassador, Cornelius Haga, arrived in Istanbul on 17 March 1612 and under the influence of Damat was received by the caimacam and other high dignitaries, and by the sultan on 1 May 1612, however no treaty was never reached, as at that time Holland was in truce (from 1609) with Spain (and remained so until 1621).

Tabriz is plundered by the Ottoman army of The Grand Vizier Ḫalīl Paşa (1618). Şehnāme-i Nādirī Abaza Mehmed Pasha rebelled against Erzerum with the Sipahi to avenge the assassination of Osman II, against the rival corps of the Janissaries accused of having killed him. Abaza was considered a believer in Khalil. When Murad IV ascended the throne, the Valide sultan Kösem restored him to the rank of vizier but without receiving any post.

Finally, on 1 or 2 December 1626 he was appointed Grand Vizier for the second time with the order to obtain the submission of Abaza Mehmed Pasha, still in revolt in Anatolia, and to conclude a treaty with Persia . In August 1627 he began talks with Abaza in Erzurum, unsuccessfully, and protected in the fortress, Abaza could not be subdued. The Persians occupied Akhiskha and Khalil, without artillery and with the cold season approaching, lifted the siege of Erzurum in November, spending the winter in Tokat. Having failed to subdue Abaza and not having won the war with Persia, he was deposed on 6 April 1628. The only one who accepted the succession was Gazi Ekrem Hüsrev Pasha., agha of the Janissaries, who obtained the surrender of Abaza some time later. In May 1628 Khalil returned to Istanbul with his rank of vizier and prestige still intact.

He died on August 5, 1629.

Family He married Beyhan Sultan, a daughter of Mehmed III, in 1612. The couple had two children, Sultanzade Mahmud Bey and Sultanzade Ebubekir Bey.