| Honorific-Prefix: | Hersekzade / Hersekli ⋅ Damat |
| Ahmed | |
| Honorific-Suffix: | Pasha |
| Office1: | 19th Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire |
| Term Start1: | 1497 |
| Term End1: | 1498 |
| Monarch1: | Bayezid II |
| Predecessor1: | Koca Davud Pasha |
| Successor1: | Çandarlı Ibrahim Pasha the Younger |
| Term Start2: | 1503 |
| Term End2: | 1506 |
| Monarch2: | Bayezid II |
| Predecessor2: | Hadım Ali Pasha |
| Successor2: | Hadım Ali Pasha |
| Term Start3: | 1511 |
| Term End3: | 1511 |
| Monarch3: | Bayezid II |
| Predecessor3: | Hadım Ali Pasha |
| Successor3: | Koca Mustafa Pasha |
| Term Start4: | 1512 |
| Term End4: | November 28, 1514 |
| Monarch4: | Selim I |
| Predecessor4: | Koca Mustafa Pasha |
| Successor4: | Dukakinzade Ahmed Pasha |
| Term Start5: | 8 September 1515 |
| Term End5: | 26 April 1516 |
| Monarch5: | Selim I |
| Predecessor5: | Dukakinzade Ahmed Pasha |
| Successor5: | Hadım Sinan Pasha |
| Birth Date: | 1456 |
| Birth Place: | Novi, Kingdom of Bosnia |
| Birth Name: | Stjepan Hercegović |
| Death Place: | Kızılçöl, Dulkadir Eyalet, Ottoman Empire |
| Nationality: | Ottoman |
| Father: | Stjepan Vukčić Kosača |
| Mother: | Jelena Balšić |
| Spouse: | Hundi Sultan |
| Children: | Sultanzade Musa Bey Sultanzade Mustafa Bey Kamerşah Sultan Hümaşah Sultan Aynışah Hanimsultan Mahdümzade Hanimsultan |
| Allegiance: | Ottoman Empire |
| Branch: | Ottoman Navy |
| Rank: | Kapudan Pasha (grand admiral) |
Hersekzade or Hersekli Ahmed Pasha ("Ahmed Pasha, son of the Herzog"; Serbo-Croatian: Ahmed-paša Hercegović; Aхмед-паша Херцеговић; 1456 – 21 July 1517), born as Stjepan Hercegović, was an Ottoman Bosnian general and five-times grand vizier of the Ottoman Empire.
He was the youngest son of the Herceg Stjepan Vukčić. Between late 1473 and early 1474 he departed from Novi (today Herceg Novi) to Istanbul, where he adopted Islam along with the peculiar way of life of the Ottoman court, which made possible his advancement through the Ottoman government and military ranks, eventually occupying top offices of the Empire's government and military as a statesman and navy's grand admiral.
Stjepan was born into the Kosača family in 1456. He was third and youngest son of Herceg Stjepan Vukčić, at the time most powerful Bosnian noblemen. Stjepan's half-siblings from his father's first marriage included Queen Katarina, wife of King Stjepan Tomaš, Vladislav Hercegović, and Vlatko Hercegović, their father's successor. Stjepan's family belonged to the Bosnian Church, but were "shaky Christians" like most of their countrymen. His half-sister, Catherine, converted to Roman Catholicism upon marriage and became pious follower of the church.[1] [2]
Stjepan himself left Novi and departed for Istanbul in early 1474, at the latest, where he adopted Islam and changed his name to Ahmed.[3]
After settling in Istanbul at the Bayezid II's court, he assumed various high offices, and after marrying Bayezid II's daughter, Hûndi-Hâtûn, he reached the very top of the empire's government and military in a 40-years long career.[4] Hersekli Ahmed Pasha[1] was a five-time Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire and Grand Admiral to the sultan, serving five times as Grand Vizier in the period from 1497 to 1515. He died on 21 July 1517 of natural causes, toward the end of the reign of Selim I.[5]
He married Hundi Sultan, a daughter of Sultan Bayezid II by his concubine Bülbül Hatun, in 1484. They had two sons and four daughters: