Ahmed Pasha 'the Traitor'

Ahmed Pasha, known in the chronicles as 'the Traitor', the rebel governor of Egypt in 930/1524 ².

Al-Salabi records that he coveted the grand vizierate and, failing it, asked Sultan Süleyman for Egypt's governorship; on arrival he courted the people and declared himself independent sultan, whereupon the men of the law and the state's Janissary troops rose and killed him — and his name stayed yoked to 'the Traitor' in the chronicles ².

The Encyclopaedia of Islam (2nd ed.), article signed Halil Inalcik, describes Ahmad Pasha as a Georgian by origin who entered Selim's palace as an ichoglan. As büyük emir-i ahur he took part in the Mamluk campaign of 1516–17, and he became beylerbeyi of Rumeli in 1519. In Süleyman's siege of Belgrade he took Bogurdelen (Sabac) on 8 July 1521 and invaded Syrmia; he was made vizier of the divan in autumn 1521. As commander-in-chief at Rhodes he directed the landing and the siege, and he negotiated the surrender of the castle with the Knights of St John on 21 December 1522. ³

He helped bring about the fall of Piri Mehmed Pasha and expected to be promoted to the first vizierate, but the grand vizierate went to the chief of the privy chamber, Ibrahim. Disappointed, he asked for the governorship of Egypt on 19 August 1523. There he reconciled the discontented Mamluks and the bedouin chiefs. Süleyman, still under Ibrahim's influence, appointed Kara Musa governor of Egypt with orders to execute him. Learning this, Ahmad declared his independence with the title of sultan in January 1524, massacred and dispersed the Janissaries in the citadel of Cairo, and made contacts with the Christian powers against the Ottomans. An army under the vizier Ayas Pasha was sent against him. A wounded escape into the territory of the Banu Bakr bedouin ended with their handing him over for execution. ³