Moustapha Khodja ( ar, مصطفى خوجة; died October 10, 1800), was a

Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = , capital = Tunis , largest_city = capital , ...

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking ...

and a

mamluk Mamluk ( ar, مملوك, mamlūk (singular), , ''mamālīk'' (plural), translated as "one who is owned", meaning " slave", also transliterated as ''Mameluke'', ''mamluq'', ''mamluke'', ''mameluk'', ''mameluke'', ''mamaluke'', or ''marmeluke'') ...

Georgian Georgian may refer to: Common meanings * Anything related to, or originating from Georgia (country) ** Georgians, an indigenous Caucasian ethnic group ** Georgian language, a Kartvelian language spoken by Georgians **Georgian scripts, three scrip ...

origin. He became Prime Minister of the

Beylik of Tunis The Beylik of Tunis (), also known as Kingdom of Tunis ( ar, المملكة التونسية) was a largely autonomous beylik of the Ottoman Empire located in present-day Tunisia. It was ruled by the Husainid dynasty from 1705 until the abolit ...

Early career

Born in the

Caucasus The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, mainly comprising Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia (country), Georgia, and parts of Southern Russia. The Caucasus Mountains, including the Greater Caucasus range ...

, he was enslaved and sent to Tunis in 1730 at a very young age. There he was placed in the charge of Ali Pasha who lodged him in the Madrasa El Bachia, which he had just built in the

medina of Tunis The Medina of Tunis is the medina quarter of Tunis, the capital of Tunisia. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979. The Medina contains some 700 monuments, including palaces, mosques, mausoleums, madrasas and fountains dating from ...

, where he followed a religious course under renowned teachers. He excelled there, especially in the art of bookbinding. When Muhammad Rashid Bey took power, Moustapha Khodja went into the service of his brother the future Ali Bey as his private khaznadar (treasurer). In this capacity he was responsible for the education of his son, Hammouda Bey, together with Hammouda Ben Abdelaziz, Ali Bey's principal secretary. He became khaznadar of the regency when Ali Bey came to power in 1759. He married Ali Bey's eldest daughter, who died around 1777.

Prime Minister

When Prince Hammouda became bey in 1782, he made Moustapha Khodja his main minister and advisor. Very pious, he left to make the hajj pilgrimage at the beginning of the reign. Upon his return he guided the new Bey both in matters of military policy involving conflict with the regencies of

Tripoli Tripoli or Tripolis may refer to: Cities and other geographic units Greece *Tripoli, Greece, the capital of Arcadia, Greece * Tripolis (region of Arcadia), a district in ancient Arcadia, Greece * Tripolis (Larisaia), an ancient Greek city in ...

and Algiers an in negotiations with the European consuls. In 1782 he granted an exclusive concession to the :fr:Compagnie royale d'Afrique to harvest coral in all Tunisian waters. Under his leadership Tunisia had stable government stability, regular tax collection and significant agricultural and textile exports. In addition, Tunisia was freed from the influence of Algiers, whose involvement had been decisive in the reestablishment of power of the sons of Hussein Bey in 1756 and which had frequently interfered in the affairs of the country. In 1795 he established a military expedition to Tripoli to restore

Yusuf Karamanli Yusuf (ibn Ali) Karamanli, Caramanli or Qaramanli or al-Qaramanli (most commonly Yusuf Karamanli), (1766 – 1838) was the longest-reigning Pasha of the Karamanli dynasty of Tripolitania (in present-day Libya). He is noted for his role in th ...

, who was friendly to the

Husainid dynasty The Husainid dynasty or Husaynid dynasty ( ar, الحسينيون) was a ruling dynasty of the Beylik of Tunis, which was of Greek origin from the island of Crete. It came to power under al-Husayn I ibn Ali in 1705, succeeding the Muradid dynast ...

Family life

He died in 1800 without leaving any descendants. Around 1781 he married Khadija, the youngest daughter of Ali II Bey, in his second marriage. His political successor was the powerful minister

Youssef Saheb Ettabaa Youssef Saheb Ettabaa ( ar, يوسف صاحب الطابع; born c. 1765, died 23 January 1815), was a Tunisian politician and a mameluk of Moldavian origin. He became a Prime Minister of the Beylik of Tunis. Early career He was enslaved as a ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Khodja, Moustapha 18th-century births 1800 deaths Year of birth unknown Tunisian people of Georgian descent Prime Ministers of Tunisia