[3] As there were no well-established government institutions running daily state affairs in Tripolitania at the time, only a ruler's ability to directly assert his authority could secure political stability, which 'Ali did not.

[4] In late 1787, 'Ali ibn Mehmed fell seriously ill, and both Hasan and Yusuf formed armed factions and readied themselves to seize power by force; but 'Ali recovered, and the looming succession crisis was postponed.

[5] The Fezzan-based Sayf Al Nasr clan exploited the power struggle by rebelling in 1788; Hasan could only barely repulse their attack on the capital, and only with the help of other tribal groups.

[5] Ottoman schemes for an amphibious campaign led by admiral Hasan Pasha of Algiers to retake all the semi-independent on the Mediterranean coast, including Karamanli Tripolitania, were abandoned when the sudden death of sultan Abdul Hamid I in April 1789 also resulted in a power struggle in Istanbul.

[5] 'Ali's middle son Ahmad (Hamet Karamanli) was then promoted to bey, which Yusuf initially recognised in an attempt to restore his blemished reputation, but in June 1791 he declared open rebellion against his father and brother, and besieged Tripoli.

[7] Scholar Abun-Nasr (1987) stated: 'Shortly after arriving in Istanbul, [Ali Burghul] secured the Ottoman government's approval for his invasion of Tripolitania without any help from the empire with the understanding that he would rule it in the name of the sultan.

'[7] Some authors such as Panzac (2005) describe him as 'an Algerian usurper who claimed to be supported by the sultan', rejecting the idea that Burghul was a legitimate representative of the Ottoman government of Tripolitania.

[1] Hamet later tried unsuccessfully to return and seize the throne with American support in the Battle of Derna during the First Barbary War (1801–1805), but a plan to proclaim him as Ahmad Bey the Governor of Cyrenaica was prevented by the English, who mediated a treaty.