Mesih Pasha
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Mesih Pasha or Misac Pasha (died November 1501) was an Ottoman of
Eastern Roman The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...
origin, being a nephew of the last Roman emperor,
Constantine XI Palaiologos Constantine XI Dragases Palaiologos or Dragaš Palaeologus ( el, Κωνσταντῖνος Δραγάσης Παλαιολόγος, ''Kōnstantînos Dragásēs Palaiológos''; 8 February 1405 – 29 May 1453) was the last List of Byzantine em ...
. He served as
Kapudan Pasha The Kapudan Pasha ( ota, قپودان پاشا, modern Turkish: ), was the Grand Admiral of the navy of the Ottoman Empire. He was also known as the ( ota, قپودان دریا, links=no, modern: , "Captain of the Sea"). Typically, he was based ...
of the Ottoman Navy and was
Grand Vizier Grand vizier ( fa, وزيرِ اعظم, vazîr-i aʾzam; ota, صدر اعظم, sadr-ı aʾzam; tr, sadrazam) was the title of the effective head of government of many sovereign states in the Islamic world. The office of Grand Vizier was first ...
of the
Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
in 1501.


Life


Origin and early life

Mesih was related to the
Palaiologoi The House of Palaiologos ( Palaiologoi; grc-gre, Παλαιολόγος, pl. , female version Palaiologina; grc-gre, Παλαιολογίνα), also found in English-language literature as Palaeologus or Palaeologue, was a Byzantine Greek f ...
, the last ruling dynasty of the
Byzantine Empire The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...
. According to the 16th-century ''
Ecthesis Chronica The Ecthesis ( el, Ἔκθεσις) is a letter published in 638 CE by the Byzantine emperor Heraclius which defined monotheletism as the official imperial form of Christianity. Background The ''Ecthesis'' was another attempt by the Byzantine empe ...
'', he was the son of a certain Gidos Palaiologos, identified by the contemporary ''
Historia Turchesca Historia may refer to: * Historia, the local version of the History channel in Spain and Portugal * Historia (TV channel), a Canadian French language specialty channel * Historia (newspaper), a French monthly newspaper devoted to History topics * ...
'' (attributed to Donado da Lezze or
Giovanni Maria Angiolello Giovanni Maria Angiolello was a Venetian traveller, author of an important historical report on the Aq Qoyunlu and early Safavid Persia. Born around 1451 or 1452 in Vicenza, under the rule of Venice since 1404, Angiolello left Venice in 1468, too ...
) as a brother of a
Byzantine emperor This is a list of the Byzantine emperors from the foundation of Constantinople in 330 AD, which marks the conventional start of the Eastern Roman Empire, to its fall to the Ottoman Empire in 1453 AD. Only the emperors who were recognized as le ...
. This emperor is commonly held to have been
Constantine XI Palaiologos Constantine XI Dragases Palaiologos or Dragaš Palaeologus ( el, Κωνσταντῖνος Δραγάσης Παλαιολόγος, ''Kōnstantînos Dragásēs Palaiológos''; 8 February 1405 – 29 May 1453) was the last List of Byzantine em ...
, the last Byzantine emperor, who was killed during the
Fall of Constantinople The Fall of Constantinople, also known as the Conquest of Constantinople, was the capture of the capital of the Byzantine Empire by the Ottoman Empire. The city fell on 29 May 1453 as part of the culmination of a 53-day siege which had begun o ...
to the Ottoman Sultan
Mehmed II Mehmed II ( ota, محمد ثانى, translit=Meḥmed-i s̱ānī; tr, II. Mehmed, ; 30 March 14323 May 1481), commonly known as Mehmed the Conqueror ( ota, ابو الفتح, Ebū'l-fetḥ, lit=the Father of Conquest, links=no; tr, Fâtih Su ...
in 1453. If true, since Constantine XI died childless, and had the Ottomans failed to conquer Constantinople, Mesih or Hass Murad might have succeeded him. Instead, Mesih rose to become one of the most powerful men in the state that destroyed the Byzantine Empire. The Byzanto-Italian chronicler
Theodore Spandounes Theodore Spandounes ( el, Θεόδωρος Σπανδούνης, it, Teodoro Spandugino) was an early 16th-century Greek historian of noble Byzantine extraction, the son of exiles fleeing the Ottoman conquest of Byzantium who had settled in Venice ...
, who claimed that Mesih was the brother of his own paternal grandmother, wrote that Mesih was ten years old at the time of Constantinople's fall. He and two of his brothers, one of whom was
Hass Murad Pasha Hass Murad Pasha was an Ottoman statesman and commander of Byzantine Greek origin. Origin According to the 16th-century ''Ecthesis Chronica'', Hass Murad and his brother, Mesih Pasha, were sons of a certain Gidos Palaiologos, identified by the c ...
, were captured, converted to Islam, and raised as pages under the auspices of Sultan
Mehmed II Mehmed II ( ota, محمد ثانى, translit=Meḥmed-i s̱ānī; tr, II. Mehmed, ; 30 March 14323 May 1481), commonly known as Mehmed the Conqueror ( ota, ابو الفتح, Ebū'l-fetḥ, lit=the Father of Conquest, links=no; tr, Fâtih Su ...
, as part of the ''
devşirme Devshirme ( ota, دوشیرمه, devşirme, collecting, usually translated as "child levy"; hy, Մանկահավաք, Mankahavak′. or "blood tax"; hbs-Latn-Cyrl, Danak u krvi, Данак у крви, mk, Данок во крв, Danok vo krv ...
'' system.


Career under Mehmed II

Mesih is first attested in historical accounts in 1470, by which time he was the ''
sanjak bey Sanjaks (liwāʾ) (plural form: alwiyāʾ) * Armenian: նահանգ (''nahang''; meaning "province") * Bulgarian: окръг ('' okrǔg''; meaning "county", "province", or "region") * el, Διοίκησις (''dioikēsis'', meaning "province" ...
'' of
Gallipoli The Gallipoli peninsula (; tr, Gelibolu Yarımadası; grc, Χερσόνησος της Καλλίπολης, ) is located in the southern part of East Thrace, the European part of Turkey, with the Aegean Sea to the west and the Dardanelles ...
. As the chief Ottoman naval base, the post also entailed command over much of the Ottoman fleet. In this capacity he distinguished himself in the Ottoman conquest of
Euboea Evia (, ; el, Εύβοια ; grc, Εὔβοια ) or Euboia (, ) is the second-largest Greek island in area and population, after Crete. It is separated from Boeotia in mainland Greece by the narrow Euripus Strait (only at its narrowest poin ...
(medieval Negroponte) from the Venetians during the Ottoman–Venetian War of 1463–1479. However, Venetian archives document that soon after he offered to surrender Gallipoli and its fleet to Venice, in exchange for 40,000 gold
ducat The ducat () coin was used as a trade coin in Europe from the later Middle Ages from the 13th to 19th centuries. Its most familiar version, the gold ducat or sequin containing around of 98.6% fine gold, originated in Venice in 1284 and gained wi ...
s and the possibility to become ruler over the
Morea The Morea ( el, Μορέας or ) was the name of the Peloponnese peninsula in southern Greece during the Middle Ages and the early modern period. The name was used for the Byzantine province known as the Despotate of the Morea, by the Ottoman ...
(the
Peloponnese The Peloponnese (), Peloponnesus (; el, Πελοπόννησος, Pelopónnēsos,(), or Morea is a peninsula and geographic regions of Greece, geographic region in southern Greece. It is connected to the central part of the country by the Isthmu ...
peninsula in southern
Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...
), which had long been a semi-autonomous
despotate Despot or ''despotes'' ( grc-gre, δεσπότης, despótēs, lord, master) was a senior Byzantine court title that was bestowed on the sons or sons-in-law of reigning emperors, and initially denoted the heir-apparent of the Byzantine emperor. ...
under the Palaiologoi emperors. Mesih was raised to the rank of
vizier A vizier (; ar, وزير, wazīr; fa, وزیر, vazīr), or wazir, is a high-ranking political advisor or minister in the near east. The Abbasid caliphs gave the title ''wazir'' to a minister formerly called ''katib'' (secretary), who was a ...
in the central imperial government (the Imperial Council or ''divan'') in 1476 or early 1477; contemporary documents show him already as second vizier in 1478, but the ''Historia Turchesca'' records that he was "newly appointed" as fourth vizier in 1480, when he was given command of the Ottoman army and navy during the siege of Rhodes in 1480. His failure to take Rhodes led to his dismissal from the vizierate, but he retained his governorship of Gallipoli and his post as commander-in-chief of the navy. The late 16th-century historian Münejjim Bashi includes Mesih among Mehmed II's
Grand Vizier Grand vizier ( fa, وزيرِ اعظم, vazîr-i aʾzam; ota, صدر اعظم, sadr-ı aʾzam; tr, sadrazam) was the title of the effective head of government of many sovereign states in the Islamic world. The office of Grand Vizier was first ...
s, but this is most likely a confusion due to his post as vizier during this period.


Rise under Bayezid II

Following the death of Mehmed II, the leading ''devşirme'' military officials were able to place
Bayezid II Bayezid II ( ota, بايزيد ثانى, Bāyezīd-i s̱ānī, 3 December 1447 – 26 May 1512, Turkish: ''II. Bayezid'') was the eldest son and successor of Mehmed II, ruling as Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1481 to 1512. During his reign, ...
on the throne. As a leading member of this faction, Mesih returned to the ''divan'' as vizier. Relying on the support of the
Janissaries A Janissary ( ota, یڭیچری, yeŋiçeri, , ) was a member of the elite infantry units that formed the Ottoman Sultan's household troops and the first modern standing army in Europe. The corps was most likely established under sultan Orhan ( ...
, the chief ''devşirme'' leader, the Grand Vizier
Gedik Ahmed Pasha Gedik Ahmed Pasha (; died 18 November 1482) was an Ottoman statesman and admiral who served as Grand Vizier and Kapudan Pasha (Grand Admiral of the Ottoman Navy) during the reigns of sultans Mehmed II and Bayezid II. Very little was known abou ...
, flaunted his power and was said to be sympathetic to Bayezid's rival half-brother,
Cem Cem Sultan (also spelled Djem or Jem) or Sultan Cem or Şehzade Cem (December 22, 1459 – February 25, 1495, ; ota, جم سلطان, Cem sulṭān; tr, Cem Sultan; french: Zizim), was a claimant to the Ottoman throne in the 15th century. Ce ...
. Mesih, on the other hand, was careful to earn Bayezid's trust and opposing Cem's claims. In summer 1482, Bayezid had Gedik Ahmed imprisoned in the palace. In response, the enraged Janissaries invaded the palace, and Mesih was sent to negotiate with them. He was able to appease them by promising, among other things, that only members of the ''devşirme'' would become viziers. Mesih thus demonstrated both his loyalty and his diplomatic skills, and managed to become one of a small group of ''devşirme'' officials who henceforth came to dominate the ''divan''. In order to counterbalance them, Bayezid began sending trusted chief eunuchs (''
kapi agha The Kapi Agha ( tr, Kapı ağası, " Agha of the Gate"), formally called the Agha of the Gate of Felicity (''Bâbüssaâde ağası''), was the head of the eunuch servants of the Ottoman Seraglio until the late 16th century, when this post was taken ...
s'') to important provincial governorships. Mesih's diplomatic credentials were further burnished when Cem fled to the
Knights Hospitaller The Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem ( la, Ordo Fratrum Hospitalis Sancti Ioannis Hierosolymitani), commonly known as the Knights Hospitaller (), was a medieval and early modern Catholic Church, Catholic Military ord ...
in
Rhodes Rhodes (; el, Ρόδος , translit=Ródos ) is the largest and the historical capital of the Dodecanese islands of Greece. Administratively, the island forms a separate municipality within the Rhodes regional unit, which is part of the So ...
. In the ensuing negotiations, Gedik Ahmed took up an intransigent stance, but Mesih managed to find a mutually acceptable compromise, further elevating him in the eyes of the Sultan. Mesih's support within the palace allowed him to weather the deposition and execution of Gedik Ahmed on 18 November 1482. By February 1483, he had advanced to second vizier within the ''divan''. Some sources suggest that he succeeded
Ishak Pasha Ishak Pasha ( ota, إسحق پاشا, tr, İshak Paşa; 1444 – died 30 January 1487) was an Ottoman general, statesman, and later Grand Vizier of Albanian or Greek origins. Origin Turkish orientalist Halil Inalcik (1916–2016) believed tha ...
as Grand Vizier in autumn 1483, remaining in the post until 1485, but most historians consider that
Davud Pasha David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...
held the position during that time, with Mesih as his deputy, as is recorded in contemporary documents.


Disgrace and restoration to favour

For unknown reasons, in January 1485 Mesih fell into disfavour with Bayezid and was dismissed again from the vizierate, being demoted to '' subashi'' (town governor) of
Filibe Plovdiv ( bg, Пловдив, ), is the second-largest city in Bulgaria, standing on the banks of the Maritsa river in the historical region of Thrace. It has a population of 346,893 and 675,000 in the greater metropolitan area. Plovdiv is the c ...
. He was then sent to Kaffa, a popular place of exile for disgraced officials, as its sanjak bey. He probably remained there until replaced in 1489, and is next mentioned in 1497 as ''sanjak bey'' of
Akkerman Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi ( uk, Бі́лгород-Дністро́вський, Bílhorod-Dnistróvskyy, ; ro, Cetatea Albă), historically known as Akkerman ( tr, Akkerman) or under different names, is a city, municipality and port situated on ...
. In the latter post he was instrumental in stopping a Polish invasion of
Moldavia Moldavia ( ro, Moldova, or , literally "The Country of Moldavia"; in Romanian Cyrillic: or ; chu, Землѧ Молдавскаѧ; el, Ἡγεμονία τῆς Μολδαβίας) is a historical region and former principality in Centr ...
during the
Polish–Ottoman War (1485–1503) The Polish–Turkish War of 1485–1503 was a prolonged conflict, rather a series of conflicts, between the Kingdom of Poland and the Ottoman Empire. The conflict formally lasted eighteen years, but during this time hostilities were ceased on seve ...
), and regained imperial favour by dispatching captured Polish nobles and 29 captured standards to Bayezid. Following his victory, Mesih performed the
pilgrimage A pilgrimage is a journey, often into an unknown or foreign place, where a person goes in search of new or expanded meaning about their self, others, nature, or a higher good, through the experience. It can lead to a personal transformation, aft ...
to
Mecca Mecca (; officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, commonly shortened to Makkah ()) is a city and administrative center of the Mecca Province of Saudi Arabia, and the Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red ...
in 1499. This seems to confirm reports of Mesih's religiosity—Spandounes wrote that "he was a fierce enemy of the Christians"—particularly since no other Ottoman viziers or sultans of the period performed the pilgrimage due to the heavy demands of office. In addition, as Halil İnalcık suggests, the pilgrimage was an excellent excuse to leave his post and visit Constantinople, where to work for his recall. Indeed, with another Ottoman–Venetian war having broken out, Mesih's naval expertise and knowledge of the Venetians led to his reinstatement as second vizier in the ''divan'' upon his return from Mecca, under the Grand Vizier Yakub Pasha.The historian Hedda Reindl, in her prosopographical study of Bayezid's court, erroneously suggests that Mesih directly succeeded Çandarlı Ibrahim Pasha the Younger when he died in August 1499; however, in contemporary documents Mesih is still referred to as second vizier until August 1500. .


Grand Vizierate and death

In spring 1501, Mesih was named Grand Vizier, and left Constantinople to suppress the rebellion by the Warsak tribe in
Anatolia Anatolia, tr, Anadolu Yarımadası), and the Anatolian plateau, also known as Asia Minor, is a large peninsula in Western Asia and the westernmost protrusion of the Asian continent. It constitutes the major part of modern-day Turkey. The re ...
which was supporting a
Karamanid The Karamanids ( tr, Karamanoğulları or ), also known as the Emirate of Karaman and Beylik of Karaman ( tr, Karamanoğulları Beyliği), was one of the Anatolian beyliks, centered in South-Central Anatolia around the present-day Karaman Pro ...
pretender known as Mustafa. Through his diplomatic skills, Mesih was able to persuade the Warsaks to end their support of Mustafa. Upon his return to Constantinople, the Franco-Venetian invasion of
Lesbos Lesbos or Lesvos ( el, Λέσβος, Lésvos ) is a Greek island located in the northeastern Aegean Sea. It has an area of with approximately of coastline, making it the third largest island in Greece. It is separated from Anatolia, Asia Minor ...
occurred, which so infuriated Bayezid that he struck Mesih with his bow. Shortly afterward, Mesih was injured while supervising the suppression of a fire in
Galata Galata is the former name of the Karaköy neighbourhood in Istanbul, which is located at the northern shore of the Golden Horn. The district is connected to the historic Fatih district by several bridges that cross the Golden Horn, most notabl ...
, and died of his wounds (November 1501). He was buried in a mosque erected by his brother in the
Aksaray Aksaray (, Koine Greek: Ἀρχελαΐς ''Arhelays'', Medieval Greek: Κολώνεια ''Koloneya'', Ancient Greek: Γαρσάουρα ''Garsaura'') is a city in the Central Anatolia Region, Turkey, Central Anatolia region of Turkey and the ca ...
district of Constantinople, which Mesih had completed after Hass Murad's death in battle. Mesih had also established a mosque in Gallipoli in .


Family

Mesih had three known sons: Ali Bey, Mahmud Čelebi, and Bali Bey, who served as sanjak bey of Vulçitrin in 1503.


References


Sources

* * * * {{Palaiologoi 15th-century births 1501 deaths 15th-century Byzantine people 15th-century people from the Ottoman Empire 16th-century Grand Viziers of the Ottoman Empire Converts to Islam from Eastern Orthodoxy Devshirme Former Greek Orthodox Christians Greek Muslims Greek slaves from the Ottoman Empire People from the Ottoman Empire of Greek descent Palaiologos dynasty Ottoman people of the Ottoman–Venetian Wars Governors of the Ottoman Empire