Ottoman High Politics and the Ulema Household by Michael Nizri

Author:Michael Nizri [Nizri, Michael]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
ISBN: 9781137326911
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan UK
Published: 2014-04-07T16:00:00+00:00

The relationship between Feyzullah and Grand Vizier Daltaban Mustafa Pasha

Daltaban Mustafa Pasha was chosen to succeed Amcazade Hüseyin Pasha at the recommendation of Feyzullah. The new grand vizier was born in the village of Petriç, near the city of Bitola (historically known as Manastır in the province of Rumeli). He became a client of Kara İbrahim Pasha, grand vizier in 1683–5, and was promoted by him to the office of Superintendent of the Ushers (kapıcılar kethüdası). Daltaban Mustafa Pasha continued to fill various positions in the center, the most important of which was head of the Janissary Corps (1691). In 1692 he was appointed military commander of the Babadağı region (province of Moldavia) and was awarded the rank of vizier. He gained fame as an excellent military officer by deploying a small armed force to prevent the Poles from invading the area.169

In 1697, while Daltaban Mustafa Pasha was serving as governor of Diyarbekir (south-eastern Anatolia), residents of the area complained that he laid a heavy hand on them in order to enrich himself. Apparently, the then grand vizier, Elmas Mehmed Pasha, who envied his military prowess, had spread the accusation with the aim of getting rid of him. Accordingly, the grand vizier asked for the death penalty in a hearing on the matter in the presence of the Şeyhülislam and the chief military judges. However, due to the intervention of Feyzullah Efendi the death penalty was mitigated to exile in Bosnia and the confiscation of his property. Daltaban Mustafa Pasha received a pardon after the Ottoman army was defeated by the Habsburg army at Zenta (September 1697), and was appointed governor of Bosnia. He won victories against the Habsburgs who had succeeded in seizing a large part of the province, and it led him to appreciate the efficacy of military force. Daltaban Mustafa Pasha also proved his military abilities later, as governor of Baghdad (1699). He prevailed against local Arabs who had seized several cities in the region and he re-established Ottoman rule in Basra. In September 1702 he became grand vizier.170

According to chroniclers Silahdar and Cantemir, this grand vizier in fact “bought” his office when well before the decision was made he sent a large sum of money to Feyzullah Efendi in order to assure that he would be selected for the job. Silahdar says the sum was 100,000 gold coins while Cantemir refers to 60,000 gold coins.171 The latter adds that Daltaban Mustafa Pasha promised the Şeyhülislam that he would serve him faithfully, would accept him as patron, and would give him more gifts if he succeeded Amcazade Hüseyin Pasha:

To this Daltaban answers, That he thought indeed, the services he had done the Othman empire deserved some recompence: [sic] and knowing he could not rise to the dignity that was offered him, without his protection and assistance, he therefore desired him [Feyzullah] to attach to himself a new and ever-faithful vassal by so important a favour: that he did not want means of making him amends for the same, and accordingly had prepared presents for him much larger than the former.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.