Ivaz Mehmed Pasha ("Mehmed

Pasha Pasha (; ; ) was a high rank in the Ottoman Empire, Ottoman political and military system, typically granted to governors, generals, dignitary, dignitaries, and others. ''Pasha'' was also one of the highest titles in the 20th-century Kingdom of ...

the Replacement"; died 1743), also known as Hacı Ivaz Mehmed Pasha or Hacı Ivazzade Mehmed Pasha, was an 18th-century Ottoman

grand vizier Grand vizier (; ; ) was the title of the effective head of government of many sovereign states in the Islamic world. It was first held by officials in the later Abbasid Caliphate. It was then held in the Ottoman Empire, the Mughal Empire, the Soko ...

and provincial governor.İsmail Hâmi Danişmend, Osmanlı Devlet Erkânı, Türkiye Yayınevi, İstanbul, 1971 (Turkish)

Early life

Ivaz Mehmed Pasha was of

Albanian Albanian may refer to: *Pertaining to Albania in Southeast Europe; in particular: **Albanians, an ethnic group native to the Balkans **Albanian language **Albanian culture **Demographics of Albania, includes other ethnic groups within the country ...

origin. His father Nasrullah was from

Jagodina Jagodina ( sr-cyrl, Јагодина, ) is a List of cities in Serbia, city and the administrative center of the Pomoravlje District in central Serbia. It is situated on the banks of the Belica (river), Belica River, in the geographical region of � ...

(in Serbia). His family was among the group of families known as ''evlad-ı fatihan'', i.e., descendants of the early Ottoman soldiers in

Rumelia Rumelia (; ; ) was a historical region in Southeastern Europe that was administered by the Ottoman Empire, roughly corresponding to the Balkans. In its wider sense, it was used to refer to all Ottoman possessions and Vassal state, vassals in E ...

(southeastern Europe). Upon the recommendation of his father, he worked in the courts of several statesmen. During the

Great Turkish War The Great Turkish War () or The Last Crusade, also called in Ottoman sources The Disaster Years (), was a series of conflicts between the Ottoman Empire and the Holy League (1684), Holy League consisting of the Holy Roman Empire, Polish–Lith ...

(also known as the War of the Holy League), he was in the battle front near Belgrade (in modern Serbia). Before the war was over, he traveled to

Jeddah Jeddah ( ), alternatively transliterated as Jedda, Jiddah or Jidda ( ; , ), is a List of governorates of Saudi Arabia, governorate and the largest city in Mecca Province, Saudi Arabia, and the country's second largest city after Riyadh, located ...

(in modern Saudi Arabia) as the chamberlain (''

kethüda (; ; ), 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 medieval Persia ...

''). In the 1730s, he came to the capital Istanbul as the chief of the custıms. In 1735, he was promoted to be the vizier and appointed as the governor of

Vidin Vidin (, ) is a port city on the southern bank of the Danube in north-western Bulgaria. It is close to the borders with Romania and Serbia, and is also the administrative centre of Vidin Province, as well as of the Metropolitan of Vidin (since ...

(in modern Bulgaria). At the outbreak of the Austro-Russian–Turkish War (1735–39), he fought against Austrians with a relatively small provincial force. His efforts proved to be valuable to the Ottoman cause. After the main Ottoman army arrived at the front, he was one of the commanders of the army.

As a grand vizier

On 22 March 1739, he was appointed as the

Grand Vizier Grand vizier (; ; ) was the title of the effective head of government of many sovereign states in the Islamic world. It was first held by officials in the later Abbasid Caliphate. It was then held in the Ottoman Empire, the Mughal Empire, the Soko ...

, the highest post in the empire next to that of the

sultan Sultan (; ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be use ...

. On 21 July 1739, he commanded the Ottoman army in the Battle of Grocka where he defeated the Austrians, commanded by Count of Wallis. After the battle, he laid siege to and captured Belgrade, and by the consequent

Treaty of Belgrade The Treaty of Belgrade, also known as the Belgrade Peace, was a peace treaty between the Habsburg Monarchy and Ottoman Empire, that was signed on September 18, 1739 in Belgrade (modern Serbia), thus ending the Austro–Turkish War (1737–1739) ...

, he was able to capture the city. Although he returned to Istanbul as a victorious commander, he wasn't as successful in civil administration. He was inefficient during the great fires of Istanbul and a rebellion, which had to be subdued by the other statesmen of the empire. As a result, the sultan dismissed him on 23 June 1740.Ayhan Buz: ''Osmanlı Sadrazamları'', Neden Kitap,2009, İstanbul, p.222-226

Later years

In his later years, he was a provincial governor. In just three years' span, he was sequentially appointed to so many districts in rapid succession that in most cases, he had to leave for the next place of duty before he could even be inaugurated for his previous post. These posts were provincial governorship of

Habesh Eyalet Habesh Eyalet (; ) was an Ottoman eyalet. It was also known as the Eyalet of Jeddah and Habesh, as Jeddah was its chief town, and Habesh and Hejaz. It extended on the areas of coastal Hejaz and Northeast Africa of Eritrea that border the Red Se ...

(in east Africa), Sanjak of Chania (in Crete),

Sanjak of Salonica The Sanjak of Salonica, Selanik (, ), or Thessalonica (, ) was a sanjak of the Ottoman Empire. It was named for its capital Salonica, also known by its Turkish name Selanik and its latinized Greek name Thessalonica. It was also known under the ...

(modern Greece),

Bosnia Eyalet The Eyalet of Bosnia (; By Gábor Ágoston, Bruce Alan Masters ; ), was an eyalet (administrative division, also known as a ''beylerbeylik'') of the Ottoman Empire, mostly based on the territory of the present-day state of Bosnia and Herzegovina. ...

(modern Bosnia and Herzegovina), Sanjak of Eğriboz (island of Euboea, modern Greece) and Sanjak of Inebahti (based in Lepanto, modern Greece). In 1743, he died in Lepanto. His son, Ivazzade Halil Pasha, also became a Grand Vizier.İsmail Hâmi Danişmend, Osmanlı Devlet Erkânı, Türkiye Yayınevi, İstanbul, 1971 (Turkish) p.63.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mehmed Pasha, Ivaz 18th-century grand viziers of the Ottoman Empire 1743 deaths Pashas Turks from the Ottoman Empire Ottoman governors of Crete Year of birth unknown 18th-century Albanian people Albanian grand viziers of the Ottoman Empire

Early life

As a grand vizier

Later years

See also

References