galley
A galley is a type of ship optimised for propulsion by oars. Galleys were historically used for naval warfare, warfare, Maritime transport, trade, and piracy mostly in the seas surrounding Europe. It developed in the Mediterranean world during ...
which was the site of a
rebellion
Rebellion is an uprising that resists and is organized against one's government. A rebel is a person who engages in a rebellion. A rebel group is a consciously coordinated group that seeks to gain political control over an entire state or a ...
by its
galley slave
A galley slave was a slave rowing in a galley, either a Convict, convicted criminal sentenced to work at the oar (''French language, French'': galérien), or a kind of human chattel, sometimes a prisoner of war, assigned to the duty of rowing.
...
s in January 1748. The vessel was the flagship of Mustafa, Pasha of Rhodes, and the revolt broke out upon the end of his governorship of
Rhodes
Rhodes (; ) is the largest of the Dodecanese islands of Greece and is their historical capital; it is the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, ninth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Administratively, the island forms a separ ...
, while he was en route to
Karaman
Karaman is a city in south central Turkey, located in Central Anatolia, north of the Taurus Mountains, about south of Konya. It is the seat of Karaman Province and Karaman District.
In January 1748, 16
Hungarians
Hungarians, also known as Magyars, are an Ethnicity, ethnic group native to Hungary (), who share a common Culture of Hungary, culture, Hungarian language, language and History of Hungary, history. They also have a notable presence in former pa ...
,
Georgians
Georgians, or Kartvelians (; ka, ქართველები, tr, ), are a nation and Peoples of the Caucasus, Caucasian ethnic group native to present-day Georgia (country), Georgia and surrounding areas historically associated with the Ge ...
and
Maltese
Maltese may refer to:
* Someone or something of, from, or related to Malta
* Maltese alphabet
* Maltese cuisine
* Maltese culture
* Maltese language, the Semitic language spoken by Maltese people
* Maltese people, people from Malta or of Maltese ...
who were enslaved on board the galley revolted and commandeered the ship. Three of the rebels – Antonio Montalto, Claudio Camilleri and Pietro Schembri – were Maltese, eleven others were non-Maltese Christians, and two were Muslims. The planners behind the revolt included Montalto and Cara Mehmet; the latter was a Muslim who had been granted his freedom by Mustafa's father but had continued to be treated as a slave by Mustafa. The rebel slaves took more than 150 Ottoman personnel and passengers captive, then massacred the ship's Turkish sailors and threw their bodies in the sea. Around 160 slaves on board the galley were liberated as a result of the revolt.
Some sources state that the rebel slaves were led by Cara Mehmet, while others mention that they elected Demetrius, an
Albanian
Albanian may refer to:
*Pertaining to Albania in Southeast Europe; in particular:
**Albanians, an ethnic group native to the Balkans
**Albanian language
**Albanian culture
**Demographics of Albania, includes other ethnic groups within the country ...
, as their leader. They sailed the ship to
Hospitaller Malta
Hospitaller Malta, known in Maltese history as the Knights' Period (, ), was a '' de facto'' state which existed between 1530 and 1798 when the Mediterranean islands of Malta and Gozo were ruled by the Order of St. John of Jerusalem. It was for ...
, and by the time of their arrival, there were 22 Ottoman captives on board, including Mustafa. The ''Lupa'' was spotted off the island on 1 February, and a galley of the Hospitaller fleet, the ''San Luigi'', was sent to investigate. When the Hospitallers learnt of the rebellion, they provided the former slaves with supplies and towed the galley to Malta's
Marsamxett Harbour
Marsamxett Harbour (), historically also referred to as Marsamuscetto, is a natural harbour on the island of Malta. It is located to the north of the larger Grand Harbour. The harbour is generally more dedicated to leisure use than the Grand Ha ...
. The ship and its passengers were quarantined at the
Lazzaretto of Manoel Island
The Lazzaretto () is a former quarantine facility and hospital on Manoel Island in Gżira, Malta. It is a complex of various buildings dating back to between the 17th and 19th centuries. Most of the structures still exist, although they are in a ...
until 2 March.
By 6 April 1748, the Ottoman sultanate had been made aware of the loss of the ''Lupa'' and had reportedly began seeking to recover the vessel. Mustafa was enslaved in Malta until he was released on 5 May 1749 due to French efforts as a result of the
Franco-Ottoman alliance
The Franco-Ottoman alliance, also known as the Franco-Turkish alliance, was an alliance established in 1536 between Francis I of France, Francis I, King of France and Suleiman the Magnificent, Suleiman I of the Ottoman Empire. The strategic and s ...
. Together with Cara Mehmet and other conspirators, he plotted to instigate a slave revolt on 29 June 1749 and take over Malta, but the plot was uncovered and many conspirators including Cara Mehmet were tortured and executed. Mustafa himself was not punished due to French intervention, and he left Malta on a French ship in 1751.
See also
* '' Corona Ottomana'', another Ottoman ship on which a slave revolt occurred in 1760