Rålamb Book of Costumes, Silahdar Agha (cropped)

The Silahdar Agha was a palace office 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) ...

, denoting the principal page of the

Ottoman Sultan The sultans of the Ottoman Empire ( tr, Osmanlı padişahları), who were all members of the Ottoman dynasty (House of Osman), ruled over the transcontinental empire from its perceived inception in 1299 to its dissolution in 1922. At its hei ...

. As such its holders were persons of great influence, and provided many senior officials and even

Grand Viziers 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 h ...

. The title derives from the Persian ''silahdar'', meaning "arms-bearer", a title originally adopted by the

Great Seljuks The Great Seljuk Empire, or the Seljuk Empire was a high medieval, culturally Turko-Persian, Sunni Muslim empire, founded and ruled by the Qïnïq branch of Oghuz Turks. It spanned a total area of from Anatolia and the Levant in the west to th ...

to denote one of the Sultan's principal aides, who bore his weapon and was responsible for the army's arsenal. The Ottomans inherited this title and elevated it further: by the time of

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 ...

() the Silahdar Agha was the second-in-command of the Sultan's Privy Chamber (''Hass Oda'') underneath the ''hass oda bashi''. The Privy Chamber in turn was the senior of the four chambers making up the palace's Inner Service (''

Enderûn ''Enderûn'' ( ota, اندرون, from Persian ''andarûn'', "inside") was the term used in the Ottoman Empire to designate the "Interior Service" of the Imperial Court, concerned with the private service of the Ottoman Sultans, as opposed to the ...

'') under the

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 ...

. The Silahdar Agha's duties in the palace involved handling all communications to and from the Sultan, as well as assisting him in all public ceremonies or travels, where the Agha accompanied the sovereign carrying his sword. The Silahdar Agha was also in charge of a special bodyguard regiment, the ''silahdar bölüğü'' or ''sarı bayrak bölüğü'' ("Yellow Banner Division") after its distinctive flag. The unit grew from 2,000 ''silahdars'' under Mehmed II to 2,780 in 1568, 2,930 in 1588, 5,000 in 1597, 6,244 in 1660, 7,683 in 1699, 10,821 in 1713, reaching 12,000 under

Mahmud II Mahmud II ( ota, محمود ثانى, Maḥmûd-u s̠ânî, tr, II. Mahmud; 20 July 1785 – 1 July 1839) was the 30th Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1808 until his death in 1839. His reign is recognized for the extensive administrative, ...

(). Due to their proximity to the Sultan, the holders of the post were highly influential, and many occupants moved on to senior positions in the Ottoman government, including the supreme post of

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 ...

. Under the capable

Çorlulu Ali Pasha Çorlulu Damat Ali Pasha ( in Çorlu – 1711 in Lesbos) was an Ottoman grand vizier who held the office from 1706 to 1710. Early life and career As his surname indicates, Ali was born in Çorlu in , the son of a peasant or barber. His handso ...

, who held the post in the reign of

Mustafa II Mustafa II (; ota, مصطفى ثانى ''Muṣṭafā-yi sānī''; 6 February 1664 – 29 December 1703) was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1695 to 1703. Early life He was born at Edirne Palace on 6 February 1664. He was the son of Sult ...

(), it rose to such importance under that it assumed the last remaining powers of the once powerful Kapi Agha. The last holder of the office was Giritli Ali Pasha, who died in 1831. Sultan Mahmud II thereupon abolished the post, merging it with the steward of the treasury (''khazine

kethüda ( ota, كدخدا), often corrupted to or in daily speech, was an Ottoman Turkish title meaning "steward, deputy, lieutenant". It derives from the Persian word ("master of a household", later "chieftain, headman"). The term originated in med ...

sı'').

References

Sources

* * * {{EI2 , volume=4 , title = Ḳapu Ag̲h̲asi̊ , first = Halil , last = İnalcık , authorlink = Halil İnalcık , pages = 570–571 , url = http://referenceworks.brillonline.com/entries/encyclopaedia-of-islam-2/k-apu-ag-h-asi-SIM_3882 Military of the Ottoman Empire Ottoman court Ottoman titles Royal guards Persian words and phrases