The Çapanoğlu dynasty, also ''Cebbarzâdeler'', ''Çaparzâdeler'' and ''Çaparoğulları'', is a Turkish dynasty that originates in the 17th-century

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

and was once one of the most prominent Ottoman families. They became one of the most powerful dynasties in the empire in the 18th century. The family was founded by the Turkoman Ömer Ağa, who had a son, Ahmet Ağa, credited as the founder of

Yozgat Yozgat is a city in the Central Anatolia Region of Turkey. It is the seat of Yozgat Province and Yozgat District. who rose to prominence in the region of Bozok. In the time of

Süleyman Bey Suleyman or Süleyman is a variant of Suleiman (the Arabic name ). It means 'man of peace'. Notable people with the name include: Suleyman * Suleyman I of Rûm or Suleiman ibn Qutulmish (d. 1086), founder of an independent Seljuq Turkish state in ...

, Capanoğlu Ahmed Pasha's son, the family thrived in Bozok, and expanded to

Ankara Ankara is the capital city of Turkey and List of national capitals by area, the largest capital by area in the world. Located in the Central Anatolia Region, central part of Anatolia, the city has a population of 5,290,822 in its urban center ( ...

Aleppo Aleppo is a city in Syria, which serves as the capital of the Aleppo Governorate, the most populous Governorates of Syria, governorate of Syria. With an estimated population of 2,098,000 residents it is Syria's largest city by urban area, and ...

Çankırı Çankırı, historically known as Gangra (Greek language, Greek: Γάγγρα), is a city in Turkey, about northeast of Ankara. It is situated about 800 m (2500 ft) above sea level. It is the seat of Çankırı Province and of Çankır ...

Çorum Çorum () is a northern Anatolian city in Turkey. Çorum is located inland in the central Black Sea Region of Turkey and is approximately from Ankara and from Istanbul. It is the seat of Çorum Province and of Çorum District.< ...

Amasya Amasya () is a city in northern Turkey, in the Black Sea Region. It was called Amaseia or Amasia in antiquity."Amasya" in ''Encyclopædia Britannica, The New Encyclopædia Britannica''. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 15th edn., 1992, Vol ...

, Şarkikarahisar,

Sivas Sivas is a city in central Turkey. It is the seat of Sivas Province and Sivas District.İl Beledi ...

Kayseri Kayseri () is a large List of cities in Turkey, city in Central Anatolia, Turkey, and the capital of Kayseri Province, Kayseri province. Historically known as Caesarea (Mazaca), Caesarea, it has been the historical capital of Cappadocia since anc ...

Kırşehir Kırşehir, historically known as Mocissus or Mokissos () and Justinianopolis () in ancient times, is a city in Turkey. It is the seat of Kırşehir Province and Kırşehir District.Nevşehir Nevşehir (; from 'new' and 'city') is a city in the Central Anatolia Region of Turkey. It is the seat of Nevşehir Province and Nevşehir District.Konya Ereğli,

Niğde Niğde (; ; Hittite: Nahita, Naxita) is a city and is located in the Central Anatolia region of Turkey. It is the seat of Niğde Province and Niğde District.Tarsus,

Adana Adana is a large city in southern Turkey. The city is situated on the Seyhan River, inland from the northeastern shores of the Mediterranean Sea. It is the administrative seat of the Adana Province, Adana province, and has a population of 1 81 ...

, Rakka, and

Gaziantep Gaziantep, historically Aintab and still informally called Antep, is a major city in south-central Turkey. It is the capital of the Gaziantep Province, in the westernmost part of Turkey's Southeastern Anatolia Region and partially in the Medi ...

. Çapanoğlu Ahmed Ağa built a mosque in Saray village in 1749, and ''

madrasah Madrasa (, also , ; Arabic: مدرسة , ), sometimes romanized as madrasah or madrassa, is the Arabic word for any type of educational institution, secular or religious (of any religion), whether for elementary education or higher learning ...

'' in Yozgat in 1753. His son Hacı Mustafa Bey built the baroque and domed Çapanoğlu Mosque. At the same time, Yozgat grew through the 80 shops and the inn he allocated. The family reached its peak with Süleyman Bey, who held political, military, and economic dominance in the region, and influence in the empire. He also managed well the feud with the rival Canikli family. Süleyman Bey also expanded the Çapanoğlu Mosque, built a school, a Turkish bath and his famous mansion, and expanded the city with sixty shops and a Turkish bath. Members of the family, such as Abdülfettah Efendi, were part of the ''

ilmiye The İlmiye is one of four institutions that existed within the state organisation of the Ottoman Empire, the other three being the Imperial (''mülkiye'') institution; the military (''seyfiye'') institution; and the administrative (''kalemiye'') i ...

'', while, in the modern period, others became prominent journalists and authors. The family contributed with provisions and soldiers to both the Russo-Turkish War of 1768–1774 and the Russo-Turkish War of 1787–1792. In the latter conflict, Süleyman Bey himself led 4000 of his soldiers to the front.

History

Origin and rise to power

The family settled in the Bozok sanjak in the middle of the 17th century. The earliest known ancestor of the family is the Mamalu Turkmen Ömer Ağa (died 1704), the son of Çapar Ömer Ağa. The Mamalu Turkmen were subordinate to Hodja, subject to the Tokat voivodeship, and lived in Bozok as nomads. Ahmed Ağa, who was able to unite the diverse people in the region, became voivoda of the New Province in 1728, voivoda of the Mamalu Turkmen in 1732, and voivode of the Bozok sanjak in 1732. He would also provide soldiers and food to Istanbul whenever needed. Specifically, he helped with the shortages of meat in the capital. He was rewarded with the post of tax-farmer (''voyvoda'') of the region. He ruled the region for many years, becoming the most powerful man thereof. He had the Tokat voivodeship for a while, and in 1761 became the governor (''vali'') of

Sivas Sivas is a city in central Turkey. It is the seat of Sivas Province and Sivas District.İl Beledi ...

, a post he kept for two years. He was then given

appanage An appanage, or apanage (; ), is the grant of an estate, title, office or other thing of value to a younger child of a monarch, who would otherwise have no inheritance under the system of primogeniture (where only the eldest inherits). It was ...

(as ''arpalik''). In 1764 he gained Nigde as well after he succeeded in keeping the bandits away from the region. Ahmed had two sons, Mustafa and Süleyman. They inherited the Mamalu mansion. After Ahmed's death, his brother Mustafa Bey was given the Bozok sanjak. He kept his tribesmen from disturbing the peace, and fended off the

levent Levent is a neighbourhood in the municipality and district of Beşiktaş, Istanbul Province, Turkey. Its population is 2,911 (2022). It is one of the main business districts of Istanbul located on the European side of the city. It is situated ...

s, and was soon appointed ''

kapıcıbaşı The Ottoman title of ''kapıcıbaşı'' designated the chief of the palace gatekeepers, or "chief warder". In the early phase of Ottoman statehood there was one single title-holder. It multiplied over time and there were in the 18th century some ...

'', a high central post. Mustafa stayed loyal to the

Sublime Porte The Sublime Porte, also known as the Ottoman Porte or High Porte ( or ''Babıali''; ), was a synecdoche or metaphor used to refer collectively to the central government of the Ottoman Empire in Istanbul. It is particularly referred to the buildi ...

in the

Russo-Turkish War The Russo-Turkish wars ( ), or the Russo-Ottoman wars (), began in 1568 and continued intermittently until 1918. They consisted of twelve conflicts in total, making them one of the longest series of wars in the history of Europe. All but four of ...

of (1768–1774). He satisfied the Sublime Porte and became a favourite, and his brother Selim Bey came to rule in Sivas. In 1771 Sivas passed to Mustafa. In 1773, Mustafa became trustee of Kayseri sanjak. Mustafa's son Ali Rıza Bey and his brother Süleyman Bey were named ''kapıcıbaşılıkla'', in reward for their services. Meanwhile, though the governor (''mutasarriflik'') of Bozok changed frequently, the actual control of the tax-farms remained in the family's hand, with Mustafa as ''

mütesellim ''Mütesellim'' or ''mutesellim'' () was an Ottoman gubernatorial title used to describe mainly the head of a ''nahiye'', but also other positions within the Ottoman hierarchy, depending on the context. Mostly this title was used for civil gover ...

''.

Feud with the Canikli

There was a feud between them and the Canikli family, who were both expanding their territory in Anatolia. This conflict escalated in 1772. The titles and the privileges that had been bestowed on Canikli Hacı Ali Pasha (the head of the Canikli family) worried the Çapanoğlu: thanks to their new appointments, the Canikli surrounded the Çapanoğlu's Çankırı sanjak. Bad conduct and failure in the Crimean conflict by the Canikli, and their ongoing feud, caused the Sublime Porte to take the decision of eliminating the Canikli Haji Ali Pasha. He was stripped of the governorship of Sivas in 1779. Capanoğlu Mustafa Bey, trying to take advantage of the situation, sent a letter to Mikdad Ahmed Pasha in 1779. The latter who was a pasha with the title of

vizier A vizier (; ; ) is a high-ranking political advisor or Minister (government), minister in the Near East. The Abbasids, Abbasid caliphs gave the title ''wazir'' to a minister formerly called ''katib'' (secretary), who was at first merely a help ...

, became infuriated with this affront: Çapanoğlu was in a position inferior to Mikdad. Thus, Mikdad attacked Capanoğlu's lands. However, the Capanoğlu defeated him. Canikli Hacı Ali Pasha then fled to the Crimea, while Mikdad was detained in

Bursa Bursa () is a city in northwestern Turkey and the administrative center of Bursa Province. The fourth-most populous city in Turkey and second-most populous in the Marmara Region, Bursa is one of the industrial centers of the country. Most of ...

. However, by February 1781, the Canikli were pardoned. It was the sultan's move to check the Çapanoğlu's power in the region. Canikli Hacı Ali Pasha became vizier of the province Erzurum ( Erzurum Eyalet), and his son Mikad governor of the same, while the family were returned their old domains. Mehmed also became the sanjak of Amasya. At this point, the feud between the families was reignited, with the exception that this time it was kept secret. The Canikli were more prudent: instead of openly attacking, Hacı Ali got some of his rival's

slaves Slavery is the ownership of a person as property, especially in regards to their labour. Slavery typically involves compulsory work, with the slave's location of work and residence dictated by the party that holds them in bondage. Enslavemen ...

. Next, he had Capanoğlu Mustafa Bey killed by them. It was the spring of 1782.

Return to power and expansion

With Süleyman Bey came the most prosperous period of the Çapanoğlu. He was smart and cautious in his dealings with the Sublime Porte. With him the family dominated in Bozok and extended their sphere of influence throughout Anatolia all the way to Aleppo and

Raqqa Raqqa (, also , Kurdish language, Kurdish: ''Reqa'') is a city in Syria on the North bank of the Euphrates River, about east of Aleppo. It is located east of the Tabqa Dam, Syria's largest dam. The Hellenistic, Roman, and Byzantine city and b ...

Syria Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...

. Süleyman Bey was the voivode of the New Province since 1783. He continued to appease Istanbul, such as in 1786, when he sent 1000 soldiers to suppress the turmoil in Egypt. He became governor Çankırı sanjak in 1787 and of the Ankara sanjak next year. Khusruwiyah mosque and Aleppo view2

He contributed with grain and soldiers to the

of (1787–1792). He went to the Rumelian front with 4000 soldiers in 1790, joining the expedition himself. The family headed their own troops to the front at the Danube in 1790. Süleyman Bey's son Abdülfettah was named ''

''. Süleyman maintained his dominance and in 1794 secured the Fertile and Bozkır mines for himself and his associates from Tarsus and Andana sanjaks. Some troubles with the Sublime Porte followed. However, he suppressed uprisings in and around his region, and sent soldiers to help against the Pazvandoğlu revolt in Rumelia and fight in the French occupation in Egypt. He helped in the establishment of the new Anatolian army, providing soldiers and building barracks. Selim III gave him the Amasya sanjak, provided he establishes the Nizam-ı Cedid by 1805. The sultan then also gave the governorship of Sivas to Süleyman's son Mehmed Celaleddin Pasha as a

. This post had been coveted by Tayyar Mahmud Pasha, grandson of Canikli Haci Ali Pasha, who was not able to obtain it two years before. Tayyar Mahmud Pasha started recruiting soldiers to go to war against the Çapanoğlu. The sultan was worried about what was going on. He stripped the Çapanoğlu of the Amasya sanjak. Süleyman Bey respected the sultan's decision. Tayyar Mahmud Pasha, however, was not satisfied yet. He declared that he would abolish the ''îrâd-ı cedî'' ("new revenue" coming from previously untaxed subjects, which was supporting the army), and occupied Amasya in June 1805. He then seized Tokat and Zile, which belonged to the Çapanoğlu. At this point, the Capanoğlu decided to take action. The Sublime Porte declared Tayyar Mahmud Pasha ''fermanlı'' ("outlawed"). Defeated, Tayyar fled to

Crimea Crimea ( ) is a peninsula in Eastern Europe, on the northern coast of the Black Sea, almost entirely surrounded by the Black Sea and the smaller Sea of Azov. The Isthmus of Perekop connects the peninsula to Kherson Oblast in mainland Ukrain ...

. In the end, Süleyman Bey also regained the Amasya sanjak. With the Kabakçı Mustafa revolt in May, the Nizam-ı Cedid ended. Amasya sanjak was taken from Süleyman Bey after the sultan was deposed (Süleyman had supported the Nizam-ı Cedid). His son Mehmed Celaleddin Pasha was removed from Governor of Sivas, and instead appointed Governor of Diyarbekir. Tayyar Mahmud Pasha, who had opposed Nizam-ı Cedid, was pardoned and given Trabzon, and Canik and Şarkîkarahisar ad a governor. However, Süleyman Bey's son soon became governor of Sivas again. Another sultan, Mahmud, came to the throne. The new sultan executed Tayyar Mahmud Pasha. Süleyman Bey signed the Charter of Alliance in 1808. He then established the Sekban-i Djedid Army in his region, sending troops to the front in the ongoing war with Russia, in which conflict his son Mehmed, Governor of Sivas, was captured. Süleyman Bey became voivode of Şarkîkarahisar sanjak in 1808, Kayseri sanjak in 1810, and got the trusteeship of Kırşehir sanjak in 1811. He died two years later, in 1813. Mahmud II wouldn't give the Bozok sanjak to a member of Çapanoğlu, because of his policy of centralization. Thus, the Çapanoğlu were generally employed outside Yozgat. Abbas Hilmi Pasha, Suleyman Bey's son, died in 1859. Mahmud, another son, became governor of Tripoli (1847). Ömer Hulusi Efendi Çapanoğlu's son Âgâh, a journalist, went on to become a historical figure of Turkish postal and press. He served as Minister of Post Office (1861), and among other things was governor in

Rhodes Rhodes (; ) is the largest of the Dodecanese islands of Greece and is their historical capital; it is the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, ninth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Administratively, the island forms a separ ...

and

Lesbos Lesbos or Lesvos ( ) 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 and the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, eighth largest ...

(1884-1885). Another descendant, Müşir Şakir, was governor of Ruse, Baghdad, and Herzegovina, and deputy governor of Crete, among other posts.

Çapanoğlu Uprising

The Çapanoğlu's influence decreased with the War of Independence. On June 7, 1920, Chief of the General Staff Miralay İsmet Bey ordered the arrest the Çapanoğlu brothers in Sivas, charging Miralay Selâhaddin Bey with the task. Edip Bey was once a supporter of the

Committee of Union and Progress The Ottoman Committee of Union and Progress (CUP, also translated as the Society of Union and Progress; , French language, French: ''Union et Progrès'') was a revolutionary group, secret society, and political party, active between 1889 and 1926 ...

and the MP. He eventually became an opponent, to the point that he was expelled from the CUP. He wasn't even allowed to go back to his position as governor, and was sent back to his hometown. He then joined the Liberal Entente. Edip Bey, like the people of his region, did not oppose the nationalists on religious or ideological grounds, but because he was against the CUP, and because of the lack of authority in the region and

War-weariness War-weariness is the public or political disapproval for the continuation of a prolonged conflict or war. The causes normally involve the intensity of casualties—financial, civilian, and military. It also occurs when a belligerent has the abili ...

of the people. There were initially some incidents in the region, but the Çapanoğlu refrained from participating. Eventually, however, Celal and Salih Çapanoğlu decided to oppose the nationalists. Among the issues there were disagreements on money collection for the nationalists. Ankara was informed by the Yozgat ''

mufti A mufti (; , ) is an Islamic jurist qualified to issue a nonbinding opinion ('' fatwa'') on a point of Islamic law (''sharia''). The act of issuing fatwas is called ''iftāʾ''. Muftis and their ''fatāwa'' have played an important role thro ...

'', and sent Ali Kılıç to seize control of the region, check fundraising and surveil the family, which disturbed its members. On 8 June 1920 they left the city and started organizing the anti-nationalists. On 14 June they returned to the city. They started the uprising by releasing the prisoners from the jail. Meanwhile, Çapanoğlu Mehmet Aga was set to fight Ankara by the sultan with a 1500-men force. The family managed to take control of Yozgat. The Circassian Çerkez Ethem Bey was then sent to suppress the uprising. On 20 June he moved from Ankara and on 23 June he was in Yozgat. He took the city the same day. Some of the leaders managed to leave. They went to territories settled by

Circassians The Circassians or Circassian people, also called Cherkess or Adyghe (Adyghe language, Adyghe and ), are a Northwest Caucasian languages, Northwest Caucasian ethnic group and nation who originated in Circassia, a region and former country in t ...

, and were sheltered by them. The Çapanoğlu and their forces were defeated by the government of the Grand National Assembly. Çerkez Ethem Bey executed twelve rebels. Among them were Çapanoğlu Mahmud Bey and Vâsıf Bey. Halid Bey, who was captured later, was sentenced to death and hanged. Yusuf Ziya Bey managed to flee to Syria. Edib and Celâl were pardoned and exiled to Istanbul. Salih Bey, another brother, did not participate in the rebellion and was not persecuted. Çapanoğlu Mansion in Yozgat was looted and destroyed during the rebellion. Ethem demolished the family's buildings, and set fire to the Çapanoğlu family houses and farms. Etham then carried out a raid on a village of Circassians, executing 23 Circassians after the uprising was suppressed. Their influence over the area had now ceased. Münir Süleyman Çapanoğlu (1894-1973), a prominent Turkish writer and journalist, was from this family. Çapanoğlu Ahmed Ağa built a mosque in Saray near Yozgat in 1749, and a madrasah in Yozgat four years later, also allocating foundations. Hacı Mustafa Bey, his son, built a domed mosque in Yozgat in 1779, known as ''Câmi-i Kebir'' or Çapanoğlu Mosque. Haci Mustafa Bey built a fountain and a tomb in the mosque, built in baroque style and similar to Istanbul's Nuruosmaniye and

Ayazma Mosque The Ayazma Mosque () is a mosque in the neighbourhood of Üsküdar in Istanbul, Turkey. It stands on a hillside overlooking the Bosphorus. It was commissioned by Ottoman Sultan Mustafa III and built between 1757 and 1761. It is an example of the ...

. Yozgat grew into an administrative and commercial center thanks to the eighty shops that Çapanoğlu Ahmed Ağa allocated there.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Çapanoğlu Family Families from the Ottoman Empire Turks from the Ottoman Empire 17th-century people from the Ottoman Empire