Nasuhzade Ali Pasha

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Nasuhzade Ali Pasha, known as Kara Ali Pasha, was an Albanian admiral in the Ottoman navy during the early Greek War of Independence. He came from Shkodra and was highly regarded for his intelligence and education.

In 1821, as the second-in-command of the Ottoman fleet (often called the fleet’s chief deputy), he led a mission from the Dardanelles to supply Ottoman fortresses in the Peloponnese. His squadron, joined by Egyptian and Algerian ships, ferried ammo and supplies to Methoni and Koroni, helping them resist Greek attacks and then reinforcing Patras to lift a blockade. An Egyptian squadron under Ismael Gibraltar destroyed Galaxeidi. Because of these successes, Ali was promoted to Kapudan Pasha, the commander-in-chief of the Ottoman navy.

As Kapudan Pasha, Ali led the naval campaign against the island of Chios in 1822. The Greek revolutionary leader of Samos, Lykourgos Logothetis, landed on Chios on March 22, 1822. The Ottoman fleet arrived in early April, landing about 7,000 troops to suppress the revolt. After some initial resistance, many Samiots fled, and Chios faced widespread punishment. Ali tried to protect the island’s mastic villages, which were important to the island’s economy, and called for amnesty for inhabitants who submitted. Nevertheless, much of Chios was devastated, and the local population suffered.

There was ongoing tension between Ali and Vehid Pasha, the commander of the Chios garrison. Vehid supported harsher reprisals, while Ali pressed for order and restraint. The European consuls, and even the sultan’s sister, helped push for a more measured approach, and Vehid was removed.

The naval fighting around Chios was indecisive for a time, with the Greek fleet under Admiral Andreas Miaoulis trying to attack Ottoman ships with fireships, while Ali’s heavier ships avoided direct engagement. On June 18, during a Ramadan Eid al-Fitr celebration on his flagship, the 84-gun Mansur al-liwa, a fireship commanded by Konstantinos Kanaris struck his vessel. The flagship burned, Ali Pasha was killed, and his body was brought ashore.

After his death, the Ottoman fleet returned to the Dardanelles, and Chios again suffered destruction as revenge. Ali’s tomb still lies in the Castle of Chios. He is remembered as a capable and educated naval leader who played a key role in the early Ottoman response to the Greek War of Independence.