Sea Ghazis, Warrior Priests, and One Ottoman Patron's Articulation of Just War, c. 1497–1508

As a candidate for the Ottoman throne and governor first of the Northern Aegean province of Saruhan and then the Mediterranean province of Antalya, Prince Korkud backed a series of naval conflicts and engaged in diplomatic correspondence with the Rhodes-based Knights of the Order of St. John.  No ordinary prince, Shehzade Korkud also authored at least seven learned Arabic treatises addressing shari‘a’s application to governance in the Ottomans’ real world.

Korkud was the primary financial and political backer for several renowned sea ghazis, including Oruç Reis, Hayrettin Barbarossa, Kemal Reis, and others.  While his brothers Selim and Mahmud also cultivated relationships with various captains, only Korkud’s interactions with such sea ghazis was sufficient enough to be noted in Ghazavat-i Hayreddin Pasha, the narrative panegyric authored upon the order of Kanuni Süleyman and devoted to the exploits of such sea ghazis.

I plan to examine Korkud’s correspondence with the Knights and his legal writings in order to see how his experiences may have shaped his political viewpoints.  In particular, I will examine his A Solution for Intellectual Difficulties Concerning the Proper Disposal of Infidel Properties.  This Arabic text addressed the legal requirements for proper ghaza [holy war], especially concentrating on the correct distribution of booty.  By advocating a shari‘a-minded approach to such issues, Korkud touched on sensitive issues of military administration and may have been defending an imperial system which frequently conflicted with fundamental tenets of shari‘a.  With this presentation, I will present what the sources suggest about Korkud’s scholarship, real-world ghaza experience, relations with the Knights, and his rather mysterious connection to the Mamluk sultan.