Military ranks of the Ottoman Empire

The military ranks of the Ottoman Empire may be visually identified by the military insignia used during the Military of the Ottoman Empire.

Army ranks

Classic Army

• Aghas were commanders of the different branches of the military services, like "azap agha", "besli agha", "janissary agha", for the commanders of azaps, beslis, and janissaries, respectively. This designation was given to commanders of smaller military units, too, for instance the "bölük agha", and the "ocak agha", the commanders of a "bölük" (company) and an "ocak" (troops) respectively.
• Boluk-bashi was a commander of a "bölük", equivalent with the rank of captain.
• Chorbaji (Turkish for "soup server") was a commander of an orta (regiment), approximately corresponding to the rank of colonel (Turkish: Albay) today. In seafaring, the term was in use for the boss of a ship's crew, a role similar to that of boatswain.

Modern Army

Military personnel in the Ottoman Empire were assigned different duties according to their capabilities in order to administer the Armed Forces and particularly to be successful in battle. They were given various ranks so that they could conduct relations with each other and be fully aware of their duties. The issue of what sort of duties should be allocated to which unit or to which military institution used to be determined by the ranking within the Armed Forces. In Islamic countries, certain 'degrees', instead of ranks, were given in accordance with the categorization of government duties. In the course of time, these 'degrees' had taken on certain characteristics. In the Ottoman Empire, besides the ranks that were awarded after passing through certain stages of promotion, there was also the rank of "Pasha" that was given directly by the Ottoman Sultan. This rank, which continued until the establishment of the Republic of Turkey, was also given to civilian administrators who were approved of and found suitable. After the establishment of the Republic, the Sultanate was abolished, and the title became synonymous with the General rank, restricted to the Armed Forces only. Paymaster of a regiment - Captain of the Right Wing (Alay Emini - Sağ Kolağası): The rank of the Captain of the Right Wing was very high. The rank of the Adjutant and Paymaster of a regiment was also high but such individuals were not from the military class and they dealt with clerical duties and equipment needed by the regiment. Captain of the Wing - The Captain of the Left Wing- (Kolağası - Sol Kolağası): Captain of the Wing or the Captain of the Left Wing was the senior Captain. If he was educated in the regiment, he was called "Ağa" but if he was the son of a pasha, he was called "Bey".

Officers

The rank insignia of commissioned officers.

Rank group	General / flag officers										Senior officers						Junior officers
Ottoman Army (1827-1856)
	مشير Müşîr		فريق Ferik				ميرلواء Mirliva				ميرالاي Miralay		قايمقام Kaymakam		بن باشي Binbaşı		كول اغاسي Kolağası		يوزباشي Yüzbaşı		ملاظم Mülâzım
Ottoman Army (1856-1876)
	مشير Müşîr		فريق Ferik				ميرلواء Mirliva				ميرالاي Miralay		قايمقام Kaymakam		بن باشي Binbaşı		كول اغاسي Kolağası		يوزباشي Yüzbaşı		ملاظم اول Mülâzım-ı evvel		ملاظم ثاني Mülâzım-ı sânî
Ottoman Army (1876-1909)
	مشير Müşîr		فريق Ferik				ميرلواء Mirliva				ميرالاي Miralay		قايمقام Kaymakam		بن باشي Binbaşı		كول اغاسي Kolağası		يوزباشي Yüzbaşı		ملاظم اول Mülâzım-ı evvel		ملاظم ثاني Mülâzım-ı sânî
Ottoman Army (1909–1922)
	مشير Müşîr		فريق اول Ferik-i evvel		فريق Ferik		ميرلواء Mirliva				ميرالاي Miralay		قايمقام Kaymakam		بن باشي Binbaşı		كول اغاسي Kolağası		يوزباشي Yüzbaşı		ملاظم اول Mülâzım-ı evvel		ملاظم ثاني Mülâzım-ı sânî

Other ranks

The rank insignia of non-commissioned officers and enlisted personnel.

Rank group	Non-commissioned officer				Enlisted
Ottoman Army (1827-1856)								No insignia
				چاووش Çavuş	سنققدار Sancaktar		اون باشي Onbaşı	نفر Nefer
Ottoman Army (1856-1876)								No insignia
		باش چاووش Başçavuş		چاووش Çavuş		بلوك اميني Bölük emini	اون باشي Onbaşı	نفر Nefer
Ottoman Army (1876-1911)								No insignia
		باش چاووش Başçavuş		چاووش Çavuş		بلوک امینی Bölük emini	اون باشی Onbaşı	نفر Nefer
Ottoman Army (1911–1916)								No insignia
	تاکم باشی Takım başı (Machine Guns)	باش چاووش Başçavuş (Artillery)	باش چاووش معینی Başçavuş muavini (Cavalry)	چاووش Çavuş (Infantry)			اون باشی Onbaşı (Infantry)	نفر Nefer
Ottoman Army (1916–1922)								No insignia
	تاکم باشی Takım başı (Machine guns)	باش چاوش Başçavuş (Artillery)	باش چاوش معینی Başçavuş muavini (Cavalry)	چاوش Çavuş (Infantry)			اون باشی Onbaşı (Infantry)	نفر Nefer

Navy ranks

Officers

The rank insignia of commissioned officers.

Rank group	General / flag officers										Senior officers						Junior officers
Ottoman Navy (1827-1856)
	قَبْطَان پَاشَا Kaptan paşa		بَحْرِيَّة فَرِيقِی Bâhriye feriki				بَحْرِيَّة مِيرلِيوَاسِی Bâhriye mirlivası		اُچْ آمْبَارْلِی سُوَارِيسِی Üç ambarlı süvarisi		مِيرَلاَی Miralay		قَايْمَقَام Kaymakam		بِينبَاشِی Binbaşı		قُول آغَاسِی Kolağası		يُوزبَاشِی Yüzbaşı		مُلَازِم Mülâzım
Ottoman Navy (1856-1861)
	رَئِيس پَاشَا Reis paşa		فَرِيق پَاشَا Ferik paşa				لِوَاء پَاشَا Liva paşa		اُچْ آمْبَارْلِی سُوَارِيسِی Üç ambarlı süvarisi		مِيرَلاَی Miralay		قَايْمَقَام Kaymakam		بِينبَاشِی Binbaşı				بُويْرُلْتُلُو قَبْطَان Buyrultulu kaptan
Ottoman Navy (1861-1876)
	رَئِيس پَاشَا Reis paşa		فَرِيق پَاشَا Ferik paşa				لِوَاء پَاشَا Liva paşa		اُچْ آمْبَارْلِی سُوَارِيسِی Üç ambarlı süvarisi		مِيرَلاَی Miralay		قَايْمَقَام Kaymakam		بِينبَاشِی Binbaşı				بُويْرُلْتُلُو قَبْطَان Buyrultulu kaptan		مُلَازِم Mülâzım
Ottoman Navy (1876-1909)
	مُشِير Müşîr		فَرِيق Ferik				مِيرلِيوَا Mirliva				مِيرَلاَی Miralay		قَايْمَقَام Kaymakam		بِينَباشِی Binbaşı		كُولْ أُول Kolevvel	كُولْ صَانِی Kolsânî	يُوزبَاشِی Yüzbaşı		مُلَازِمِ اوَّل Mülâzım-ı evvel	مُلَازِمِ ثَانِی Mülâzım-ı sânî
Ottoman Navy (1909–1922)
	مُشِير أَمِيرَال Müşîr amiral		أَمِيرَال Amiral		فِيس أَمِيرَال Vice amiral		لِوَاء أَمِيرَال Liva amiral			قُومُودُور Komodor	قَلْيُون قَبْطَانِی Kalyon kaptanı		فِرْقَاطَيْن قَبْطَانِی Fırkateyn kaptanı		قُورْوِيت قَبْطَانِی Korvet kaptanı		بِيرِينْجِی صِنِفْ يُوزبَاشِی Birinci sınıf yüzbaşı		يُوزبَاشِی Yüzbaşı		مُلَازِمِ اوَّل Mülâzım-ı evvel	مُلَازِمِ ثَانِی Mülâzım-ı sânî	مُهَنْدِس Mühendis

Other ranks

The rank insignia of non-commissioned officers and enlisted personnel.

Rank group	Senior non-commissioned officer				Non-commissioned officer				Enlisted
Ottoman Navy (1827-1856)											No insignia
								چاووش Çavuş		اُونباشی Onbaşı	نَفَر Nefer
Ottoman Navy (1856-1876)											No insignia
							باش چاووش Başçavuş	چاووش Çavuş	بُولُوك اَمينی Bölük emini	اُونباشی Onbaşı	نَفَر Nefer
Ottoman Navy (1876-1914)											No insignia
	سِرْگِدِيكْلِی Sergedikli	گِدِيكْلِی اَوَّل Gedikli evvel	گِدِيكْلِی ثَانِی Gedikli sânî	گِدِيكْلِی ثَالِث Gedikli sâlis			باش چاووش Başçavuş	چاووش Çavuş	بُولُوك اَمِينی Bölük emini	اُونباشی Onbaşı	نَفَر Nefer
Ottoman Navy (1914–1922)											No insignia
	بِيرِينْجِی صِنِفْ گِدِيكْلِی Birinci sınıf gedikli	اِيكِينْجِی صِنِفْ گِدِيكْلِی İkinci sınıf gedikli		اُچُونْجِی صِنِفْ گِدِيكْلِی Üçüncü sınıf gedikli	گِدِيكْلِی نَامْزَدِی Gedikli namzedi	بَاش چاووش Başçavuş		چاووش Çavuş		اُونباشی Onbaşı	نَفَر Nefer

References

Bibliography

• Geçer, Kadir (2022). Osmanlı İmparatorluğu Askerî Kıyafetleri 1826-1922 [Ottoman Empire Military Clothing 1826-1922] (in Turkish). Hisart Culture Publications. ISBN 9786050699814.

External links

• "Geçmi̇şten Günümüze, Bahri̇ye Üni̇forma Ve Rütbeleri̇ - Türker Geçer". YouTube (in Turkish). Çamli̇mani Akademi̇. 24 May 2021. Retrieved 29 March 2025.