List of Ottoman governors of Egypt facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

The Ottoman Empire's governors of Egypt from 1517 to 1805 were at various times known by different but synonymous titles, among them beylerbey, viceroy, governor, governor-general, or, more generally, wāli. Furthermore, the Ottoman sultans very often changed positions of their governors in rapid succession, leading to complex and long lists of incumbents (this being the main reason for a political crisis in 1623, where the local Ottoman soldiers successfully sued to keep Kara Mustafa Pasha as governor after his replacement by Çeşteci Ali Pasha after only one year).

Governors ruled from the Cairo Citadel in Cairo. They ruled along with their divan (governmental council), consisting of a kadı (judge) and defterdar (treasurer). The title "beylerbey" refers to the regular governors specifically appointed to the post by the Ottoman sultan, while the title "kaymakam", when used in the context of Ottoman Egypt, refers to an acting governor who ruled over the province between the departure of the previous governor and the arrival of the next one. Although almost all governors were succeeded and preceded by a kaymakam due to the traveling distance from their old post to Egypt, only the most notable are included in this list.

Below is a list of Ottoman wālis of the Egypt Eyalet of the Ottoman Empire from 1517 (the Ottoman conquest of Egypt) to 1805 (the beginning of the Muhammad Ali dynasty; see list of monarchs of the Muhammad Ali dynasty). Governors of Egypt after 1805 are not included in this list because, although they were still nominally and officially Ottoman governors of the province, they assumed the monarchical title "Khedive" that was unrecognized by the central Ottoman government and passed the role in a hereditary fashion. Acting governors (kaymakams) are not included in the numbering.

No.	Governor		Start	End	Title	Tenure notes
1	Yunus Pasha		1517	1517	Beylerbey	Governorship revoked for corruption
2	Hayır Bey	No picture available	1517	1522	Beylerbey	Died in office
3	Çoban Mustafa Pasha	No picture available	1522	1523	Beylerbey	Put down a small Mamluk revolt
4	Hain Ahmed Pasha	No picture available	1523	1524	Sultan	Rebelled, declared himself sultan; was executed
5	Güzelce Kasım Pasha [ar] (1st)	No picture available	1524	1525	Beylerbey
6	Pargalı Ibrahim Pasha		1525	1525	Beylerbey	Remained for 3 months, organized the civil and military system of Ottoman Egypt
7	Güzelce Kasım Pasha [ar] (2nd)	No picture available	1525	1525	Beylerbey
8	Hadım Süleyman Pasha (1st)		1525	1535	Beylerbey
9	Divane Hüsrev Pasha	No picture available	1535	1537	Beylerbey
10	Hadım Süleyman Pasha (2nd)		1537	1538	Beylerbey
11	Davud Pasha	No picture available	1538	1549	Beylerbey	Long-standing feud with Rüstem Pasha; died in office
–	Lala Kara Mustafa Pasha		1549	1549	Kaymakam	Served only a few months as acting governor
12	Semiz Ali Pasha	No picture available	1549	1553	Beylerbey	Appointed to another position in Constantinople
13	Dukakinzade Mehmed Pasha	No picture available	1553	1556	Beylerbey	Used to sing in public with a guitar; executed for violating sharia
14	Iskender Pasha	No picture available	1556	1559	Beylerbey	Had many public works built between Bab Zuweila and Bab al-Khalq
15	Sofu Hadım Ali Pasha	No picture available	1559	1560	Beylerbey	Also known as Sufi Ali Pasha or Hadım Ali Pasha; died in office
16	Kara Şahin Mustafa Pasha	No picture available	1560	1563	Beylerbey	Founder of the Ridwan dynasty, former governor of Gaza
17	Müezzinzade Ali Pasha		1563	1566	Beylerbey	Also known as Sufi or Sofu Ali Pasha
18	Mahmud Pasha	No picture available	1566	1567	Beylerbey	Built the Mosque of Mahmud Pasha and assassinated in office by gunfire
19	Koca Sinan Pasha (1st)		1567	1569	Beylerbey
20	Çerkes Iskender Pasha [ar]	No picture available	1569	1571	Beylerbey	Known locally as al-Faqih, "the jurist"
21	Koca Sinan Pasha (2nd)		1571	1573	Beylerbey
22	Hüseyin Pasha Boljanić	No picture available	1573	1574	Beylerbey	Of a mild disposition, but thieves multiplied during his short term
23	Hadim Mesih Pasha	No picture available	1574	1580	Beylerbey	Put to death many thieves, stunting robbery in the region for centuries
24	Hadım Hasan Pasha	No picture available	1580	1583	Beylerbey	Jailed in Constantinople
25	Damat Ibrahim Pasha	No picture available	1583	1585	Beylerbey
26	Defterdar Sinan Pasha [ar]	No picture available	1585	1587	Beylerbey	Dismissed after being unable to collect enough taxes
27	Kara Üveys Pasha [tr]	No picture available	1587	1590	Beylerbey	Died in office
28	Hadım Hafız Ahmed Pasha	No picture available	1590	1594	Beylerbey	Appointed governor of Bursa
29	Kurd Mehmed Pasha	No picture available	1594	1596	Beylerbey
30	Emir Mehmed Pasha	No picture available	1596	1598	Beylerbey	Known as al-Sharif and seyyid, often visited the Al-Hussein Mosque
31	Hızır Pasha [ar]	No picture available	1598	1601	Beylerbey
32	Yavuz Ali Pasha	No picture available	1601	1603	Beylerbey	Appointed as Grand Vizier
33	Maktul Hacı Ibrahim Pasha	No picture available	1604	1604	Beylerbey	Murdered in a sepahi mutiny
34	Hadım Mehmed Pasha	No picture available	1604	1605	Beylerbey	Attempted to get the mutiny under control, but failed
35	Yemenli Hasan Pasha [ar]	No picture available	1605	1607	Beylerbey	Previously the beylerbey of Yemen Eyalet (1580–1604)
36	Öküz Mehmed Pasha		1607	1611	Beylerbey	Known as "kul kıran" (slavebreaker) for putting down sipahi mutiny
37	Sofu Mehmed Pasha	No picture available	1611	1615	Beylerbey	Not to be confused with Grand Vizier Sofu Mehmed Pasha
38	Nişancı Ahmed Pasha	No picture available	1615	1618	Beylerbey	Head of Janissaries (1615); not the same as Grand Vizier Nişancı Ahmed Pasha
39	Lefkeli Mustafa Pasha	No picture available	1618	1618	Beylerbey	Left governance mostly in the hands of his family, corruption ensued
40	Cafer Pasha	No picture available	1618	1619	Beylerbey	Educated in various sciences and formerly governor of Yemen
41	Hamidi Mustafa Pasha [ar]	No picture available	1619	1620	Beylerbey	Also known as Ispartalı Mustafa Pasha, dismissed for anti-merchant policies
42	Mere Hüseyin Pasha	No picture available	1620	1622	Beylerbey	Dismissed after the flooding of the Nile caused a drought
43	Biber Mehmed Pasha [ar]	No picture available	1622	1622	Beylerbey	Dismissed after 75 days; also known as Pır or Babür; former wali of Budin
44	Silahdar Ibrahim Pasha [ar]	No picture available	1622	1623	Beylerbey	Drought led to his dismissal and successor accused him of financial fraud
45	Kara Mustafa Pasha (1st)	No picture available	1623	1623	Beylerbey	Not the same as Grand Vizier Kara Mustafa Pasha
46	Çeşteci Ali Pasha [ar]	No picture available	1623	1623	Beylerbey	Soldiers restored Kara Mustafa Pasha
47	Kara Mustafa Pasha (2nd)	No picture available	1624	1626	Beylerbey	Soldiers, angry at the rapid change in governors, restored him
48	Bayram Pasha	No picture available	1626	1628	Beylerbey	Invested and speculated heavily in local merchants and businesses
49	Tabanıyassı Mehmed Pasha	No picture available	1628	1630	Beylerbey	Only appeared 6 times in public, but was well-liked
50	Koca Musa Pasha	No picture available	1630	1631	Beylerbey	Army forced his resignation after his brutality and murder of a local bey
51	Halil Pasha	No picture available	1631	1633	Beylerbey	Known for his "gentle, impartial, and prosperous administration"
52	Bakırcı Ahmed Pasha	No picture available	1633	1635	Beylerbey	Dismissed and executed either for his cruelty or his monetary policy
53	Gazi Hüseyin Pasha	No picture available	1635	1637	Beylerbey	Cruel and violent, but kept the army in check
54	Sultanzade Mehmed Pasha	No picture available	1637	1640	Beylerbey	Confiscated many emirs' and wealthy residents' inheritances
55	Nakkaş Mustafa Pasha [ar]	No picture available	1640	1642	Beylerbey	His officials were the de jure rulers and plundered the land
56	Maksud Pasha [ar]	No picture available	1642	1644	Beylerbey	Previous wali of Diyarbekir; overthrown by army and executed by sultan
57	Eyüb Pasha [ar]	No picture available	1644	1646	Beylerbey	Restored order, and after term, gave up all possessions to become a dervish
58	Haydarzade Mehmed Pasha [ar]	No picture available	1646	1647	Beylerbey	All of his rule was reportedly "only a series of confusions and revolutions"
59	Mostarlı Mustafa Pasha [ar]	No picture available	1648	1648	Beylerbey	Neglected affairs and was soon dismissed, but no insurrections occurred
60	Tarhoncu Ahmed Pasha	No picture available	1648	1651	Beylerbey	His rule was "agitated by great disturbances," but he managed to raise more funds than expected, as he was known for his economic skill
61	Hadım Abdurrahman Pasha [ar]	No picture available	1651	1652	Beylerbey	After his dismissal, he was jailed by successor for not paying debts
62	Haseki Mehmed Pasha	No picture available	1652	1656	Beylerbey	Known locally as Abu'l-Nur, "father of light", for restoring buildings
63	Halıcı Damadı Mustafa Pasha [ar]	No picture available	1656	1657	Beylerbey
64	Şehsuvarzade Gazi Mehmed Pasha [ar]	No picture available	1657	1660	Beylerbey	Known locally as Gazi for putting down a rebellion; jailed afterwards
65	Gürcü Mustafa Pasha [ar]	No picture available	1660	1661	Beylerbey	Some soldiers tried to replace him with his predecessor but failed
66	Melek Ibrahim Pasha [tr]	No picture available	1661	1664	Beylerbey	Reasserted the power of the office over the beys; aka Şeytan Ibrahim Pasha
67	Silahdar Ömer Pasha [ar]	No picture available	1664	1667	Beylerbey	Also wali of Baghdad (1677–81, 1684–86), Diyarbekir (1688), and Erzurum
68	Şişman Ibrahim Pasha [ar]	No picture available	1667	1668	Beylerbey	Epithet means "fat"; also called Sofu Ibrahim Pasha; died in office Nov. 1668
69	Karakaş Ali Pasha [ar]	No picture available	1668	1669	Beylerbey	Assumed office October 1668 or April 1669
70	Bayburtlu Kara Ibrahim Pasha		1669	1673	Beylerbey
71	Canpuladzade Hüseyin Pasha [ar]	No picture available	1673	1675	Beylerbey
72	Cebeci Ahmed Pasha [ar]	No picture available	1675	1676	Beylerbey	Jailed by the army due to his violence during tax collection
73	Abdi Pasha the Albanian		1676	1680	Beylerbey
74	Osman Pasha the Bosnian	No picture available	1680	1683	Beylerbey
75	Hamza Pasha [ar]	No picture available	1683	1687	Beylerbey
76	Mollacık Hasan Pasha	No picture available	1687	1687	Beylerbey	Also called by the epithet Kethüda/Ketkhoda, but mostly just Hasan Pasha
77	Damat Hasan Pasha (1st)	No picture available	1687	1689	Beylerbey
78	Sarhoş Ahmed Pasha [ar]	No picture available	1689	1691	Beylerbey	Died in office on 13 March 1691
79	Hazinedar Moralı Ali Pasha [ar]	No picture available	1691	1695	Beylerbey	Also known as Moralı Hazinedar Ali Pasha (epithets switched)
80	Çelebi Ismail Pasha	No picture available	1695	1697	Beylerbey	Deposed by the local soldiers
–	Kesici Hasan Pasha [ar]	No picture available	1697	1698	Kaymakam	Acting governor, installed by soldiers; served for 5 to 8 months
81	Firari Hüseyin Pasha [ar]	No picture available	1698	1699	Beylerbey	Also known by the epithets Boşnak (Bosniak), Sarı, Dizveren, and Muradi
82	Kara Mehmed Pasha (1st)	No picture available	1699	1704	Beylerbey
83	Baltacı Süleyman Pasha [ar]	No picture available	1704	1704	Beylerbey	Never took office
84	Rami Mehmed Pasha	No picture available	1704	1706	Beylerbey
85	Dellak Ali Pasha [ar] (1st)	No picture available	1706	1707	Beylerbey
86	Damat Hasan Pasha (2nd)	No picture available	1707	1709	Beylerbey
87	Moralı Ibrahim Pasha	No picture available	1709	1710	Beylerbey	Jailed and exiled by the sultan after dismissal
88	Köse Halil Pasha	No picture available	1710	1711	Beylerbey	Overthrown by local beys
89	Veli Mehmed Pasha (1st)	No picture available	1711	1712	Beylerbey	There was an insurrection begun by a Turkish religious fanatic, but it failed
90	Kara Mehmed Pasha (2nd)	No picture available	1712	1712	Beylerbey	Held the office for a minuscule amount of time
91	Veli Mehmed Pasha (2nd)	No picture available	1712	1714	Beylerbey
92	Abdi Pasha [ar] (1st)	No picture available	1714	1716	Beylerbey	Ended the remains of the insurrection begun in 1711 by the religious fanatic
93	Dellak Ali Pasha [ar] (2nd)	No picture available	1716	1720	Beylerbey	His rule was calm, but the sultan ordered his execution
94	Recep Pasha	No picture available	1720	1721	Beylerbey	Dismissed after failing to assassinate ibn Iwaz on the sultan's orders
95	Nişancı Mehmed Pasha [tr] (1st)	No picture available	1721	1725	Beylerbey	Deposed by the forces of Çerkes Mehmed Bey after displeasing him
96	Moralı Ali Pasha	No picture available	1725	1726	Beylerbey
97	Nişancı Mehmed Pasha [tr] (2nd)	No picture available	1726	1727	Beylerbey
98	Ebubekir Pasha (1st)	No picture available	1727	1729	Beylerbey
99	Abdi Pasha [ar] (2nd)	No picture available	1729	1729	Beylerbey
100	Köprülü Abdullah Pasha	No picture available	1729	1731	Beylerbey
101	Silahdar Damat Mehmed Pasha [tr]	No picture available	1731	1733	Beylerbey
102	Muhassıl Osman Pasha	No picture available	1733	1735	Beylerbey	There was a man claiming to be a prophet, and widespread apocalyptic fears
103	Ebubekir Pasha (2nd)	No picture available	1735	1739	Beylerbey	Deposed by local troops
104	Sulayman Pasha al-Azm	No picture available	1739	1740	Beylerbey	Deposed by local troops
105	Hekimoğlu Ali Pasha (1st)		1740	1741	Beylerbey	His rule was peaceful and free of insurrections
106	Hatibzade Yahya Pasha	No picture available	1741	1743	Beylerbey	He was the son-in-law of predecessor Hekimoğlu Ali Pasha
107	Yedekçi Mehmed Pasha [ar]	No picture available	1743	1744	Beylerbey	Troops rioted, demanding pay and rations from the granary
108	Koca Mehmed Ragıp Pasha	No picture available	1744	1748	Beylerbey	He was a "profound scholar"; forced to step down by local troops
109	Yeğen Ali Pasha [ar]	No picture available	1748	1748	Beylerbey	Nephew of Yedekçi Mehmed Pasha; never took office, only appointed for a week
110	Nişancı Ahmed Pasha	No picture available	1748	1751	Beylerbey	Interested in the sciences, but found Egyptians to be largely uneducated
111	Seyyid Abdullah Pasha	No picture available	1751	1753	Beylerbey
112	Divitdar Mehmed Emin Pasha	No picture available	1753	1753	Beylerbey	Died very soon after taking office
113	Baltacızade Mustafa Pasha [ar]	No picture available	1752	1756	Beylerbey
114	Hekimoğlu Ali Pasha (2nd)		1756	1757	Beylerbey	His second term was again largely peaceful
115	Sa'deddin Pasha al-Azm	No picture available	1757	1757	Beylerbey	Nephew of Sulayman Pasha al-Azm
116	Yirmisekizzade Mehmed Said Pasha		1757	1758	Beylerbey
117	Köse Bahir Mustafa Pasha (1st)	No picture available	1758	1761	Beylerbey
118	Kamil Ahmed Pasha [ar]	No picture available	1761	1761	Beylerbey	Deposed in August 1761 by the local emirs
119	Köse Bahir Mustafa Pasha (2nd)	No picture available	1761	1762	Beylerbey	Reinstalled by the local emirs
120	Ebubekir Rasim Pasha [ar]	No picture available	1762	1762	Beylerbey	Died two months into term, buried in the City of the Dead necropolis in Cairo
121	Ahıskalı Mehmed Pasha [ar]	No picture available	1762	1764	Beylerbey
122	Hacı Ahmed Pasha [ar]	No picture available	1764	1764	Beylerbey	Died soon after taking office in September 1764
123	Macar Hacı Hasan Pasha	No picture available	1764	1765	Beylerbey	Dismissed soon after taking office
124	Silahdar Mahir Hamza Pasha [tr]	No picture available	1765	1767	Beylerbey	Deposed by the local emirs
125	Çelebi Mehmed Pasha [ar]	No picture available	1767	1767	Beylerbey
126	Rakım Mehmed Pasha [ar]	No picture available	1767	1768	Beylerbey	Deposed by Ali Bey Al-Kabir after making a move against him
–	Ali Bey Al-Kabir		1768	1769	Kaymakam	Became acting governor after forcing out the last governor
127	Köprülü Hafız Ahmed Pasha [ar]	No picture available	1769	1769	Beylerbey	Died shortly after taking office
128	Kelleci Osman Pasha [ar]	No picture available	1769	1771	Beylerbey	After him, a kaymakam (acting governor) probably ruled for a year
129	Vekil Osman Pasha [ar]	No picture available	1772	1773	Beylerbey	Died shortly after taking office
130	Kara Halil Pasha [ar]	No picture available	1773	1774	Beylerbey	Had little power; actual power was held by Mamluk Muhammad Bey Abu'l-Dhahab
131	Hacı Ibrahim Pasha [ar]	No picture available	1774	1775	Beylerbey
132	Izzet Mehmed Pasha	No picture available	1775	1778	Beylerbey	Deposed by local emirs Mamluk on 15 July 1778
133	Raif Ismail Pasha [ar] (1st)	No picture available	1779	1779	Beylerbey	He was replaced by the sultan in late September 1779 with Ibrahim Pasha
134	Ibrahim Pasha	No picture available	1779	1779	Beylerbey	He died in office in November 1779 (one month after his arrival)
135	Raif Ismail Pasha [ar] (2nd)	No picture available	1779	1780	Beylerbey	Reappointed November 1779, but deposed by local Mamluk emirs in July 1780
–	Ibrahim Bey (1st)		1780	1781	Kaymakam	The sultan gave office back to Raif Ismail Pasha, but Ibrahim Bey didn't comply
136	Melek Mehmed Pasha [tr]	No picture available	1781	1782	Beylerbey	His rule was peaceful and he was well-liked by the emirs
137	Name unknown	No picture available	1782	1783	Beylerbey	His identity is unknown, perhaps partially named "Sharif/Şerif Pasha"
138	Silahdar Mehmed Pasha [tr]	No picture available	1783	1784	Beylerbey	Deposed by the Mamluk bey Murad Bey on 30 October 1784
–	Murad Bey		1784	1785	Kaymakam	He deposed his predecessor, but he was already the de facto ruler of Egypt
–	Ibrahim Bey (2nd)		1784	1785	Kaymakam	The incoming governor made him acting governor on 20 February 1785
139	Yeğen Seyyid Mehmed Pasha [tr]	No picture available	1785	1786	Beylerbey	Cezayirli Gazi Hasan Pasha expelled the Mamluk emirs (Murad and Ibrahim)
–	Cezayirli Gazi Hasan Pasha		1786	1787	Admiral	De facto ruler when Keki Abdi Pasha refused the office until emirs were defeated
140	Keki Abdi Pasha (1st)	No picture available	1787	1788	Beylerbey	Appointed on 24 October 1786, but left governance to Hasan Pasha for a while
141	Ismail Pasha the Tripolitanian (1st)	No picture available	1788	1789	Beylerbey	The sultan reinstated Keki Abdi Pasha upon his request on 3 January 1789
142	Keki Abdi Pasha (2nd)	No picture available	1789	1789	Beylerbey	Cezayirli Gazi Hasan Pasha, Ismail Pasha's mentor, asked sultan to reinstate him
143	Ismail Pasha the Tripolitanian (2nd)	No picture available	1789	1791	Beylerbey	Dismissed and appointed governor of Morea Eyalet
144	Safranbolulu Izzet Mehmet Pasha	No picture available	1791	1794	Beylerbey	Murad Bey and Ibrahim Bey, previously exiled in 1786, returned to de facto power
145	Kayserili Hacı Salih Pasha	No picture available	1794	1796	Beylerbey	Mamluk emirs Murad Bey and Ibrahim Bey continued to wield de facto power
The French occupy Egypt in 1798, with Napoleon Bonaparte (1798–99), Jean Baptiste Kléber (1799–1800), and Jacques-François Menou (1800–01) holding de facto governing power.
146	Lokmacı Hacı Ebubekir Pasha [ar]	No picture available	1796	1798	Beylerbey	French troops under Napoleon landed at Alexandria and later reached Cairo
147	Abdullah Pasha al-Azm	No picture available	1798	1799	Beylerbey	Napoleon had him confirmed governor as a sign of Ottoman consent to his rule
147	Nasuh Pasha al-Azm	No picture available	1800	1801	Beylerbey	The French left Cairo (and eventually Egypt altogether)
The French occupation ends in 1801, succumbing to a combined British and Ottoman attack.
148	Ebu Merak Mehmed Pasha [ar]	No picture available	1801	1801	Beylerbey	Dismissed 21 September 1801, he left for his estate on 8 January 1802
149	Koca Hüsrev Mehmed Pasha (1st)		1802	1803	Beylerbey	Arrived 22 January 1802; he was instructed to kill or imprison Mamluk emirs
–	Tahir Pasha	No picture available	1803	1803	Kaymakam	Seized power; head of Albanian troops; assassinated by Janissaries in 26 days
Albanian troops led by Muhammad Ali of Egypt, originally sent in 1801 by the Ottoman sultan to fight the French, grab de facto control of Egypt from the Ottomans.
150	Müftizade Ahmed Pasha	No picture available	1803	1803	Governor	Took power in June against the Albanians, although they had de facto control
–	Ibrahim Bey (3rd; concurrently)		1803	1804	Kaymakam	Made governor by Muhammad Ali of Egypt in June, who governed through him
151	Trabluslu Ali Pasha (concurrently)		1803	1804	Beylerbey	Sent by the Ottomans in July to take back Egypt from the Albanians, but killed
152	Koca Hüsrev Mehmed Pasha (2nd)		1804	1804	Beylerbey	He was a puppet governor for 2 days under Muhammad Ali of Egypt
153	Hurshid Ahmed Pasha		1804	1805	Beylerbey	Allowed by Muhammad Ali of Egypt to govern, but forced to step down in favor of him
154	Muhammad Ali of Egypt		1805	Muhammad Ali, head of the Albanians, is officially appointed governor in 1805, beginning the Muhammad Ali dynasty; see List of monarchs of the Muhammad Ali Dynasty for viceregal governors after 1805.

List of Ottoman governors of Egypt facts for kids

See also