Ahmed Karamanli | |
|---|---|
| First Pasha of Tripoli | |
| In office 1711–1745 | |
Ahmed orAhmedKaramanli orQaramanli oral-Qaramanli, (most commonlyAhmed Karamanli) (1686–1745) was anOttoman official ofJanissary background.[1][2][3] He founded theKaramanli dynasty (1711–1835) ofTripolitania orTripoli (in present-dayLibya). He reigned (1711–1745), as the first Karamanli ruler ofTripolitania.
In the early 18th century, theOttoman Empire was losing its grip on itsNorth African holdings, including Tripoli. A period of civil war ensued, with no ruler able to hold office for more than a year. Ahmed Karamanli, a Janissary and popularcavalry officer, murdered the Ottoman governor and seized the throne in the1711 Karamanli coup. After persuading the Ottomans to recognize him as governor, Ahmed established himself as ruler and made his post hereditary. Though Tripoli continued to pay nominal tribute to the Ottomanpadishah, it acted otherwise as an independent kingdom.
An intelligent and able man, Ahmed greatly expanded his city's economy, particularly through the employment ofcorsairs on crucialMediterranean shipping routes. Nations that wished to protect their ships from the corsairs were forced to pay tribute to the pasha. On land, Ahmed expanded Tripoli's control as far asFezzan andCyrenaica before his death in 1745.
Ahmed's successors proved less capable rulers, however, and the kingdom was soon wracked by internal strife. The Karamanli dynasty would end a century later as the Ottomans retook control.