Zaganos or Zagan Pasha ( ota, زاغنوس پاشا, tr, Zağanos Paşa, sq, Zognush Pasha; fl. 1446 – 1462 or 1469) was an
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 ...
Ottoman military commander
The commanding officer (CO) or sometimes, if the incumbent is a general officer, commanding general (CG), is the officer in command of a military unit. The commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitu ...
, with the titles and ranks of ''
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 ...
'' and the highest military rank,
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 ...
, during the reign 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 ...
"the Conqueror". Originally a Christian who was conscripted and converted through 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, he became a Muslim and rose through the ranks 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 ( ...
. He became one of the prominent military commanders of Mehmed II and a ''
lala
Lala may refer to:
Geography
* Lala language (disambiguation) Places
* Lala (Naples Metro), an underground metro station in Naples, Italy
* Lala, Assam, a town in Assam, India
* Lala, Ilam, a village in Ilam Province, Iran
* Lala, Lanao del ...
'' – the sultan's advisor,
mentor
Mentorship is the influence, guidance, or direction given by a mentor. A mentor is someone who teaches or gives help and advice to a less experienced and often younger person. In an organizational setting, a mentor influences the personal and p ...
,
tutor
TUTOR, also known as PLATO Author Language, is a programming language developed for use on the PLATO system at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign beginning in roughly 1965. TUTOR was initially designed by Paul Tenczar for use in co ...
,
councillor
A councillor is an elected representative for a local government council in some countries.
Canada
Due to the control that the provinces have over their municipal governments, terms that councillors serve vary from province to province. Unl ...
,
protector
Protector(s) or The Protector(s) may refer to:
Roles and titles
* Protector (title), a title or part of various historical titles of heads of state and others in authority
** Lord Protector, a title that has been used in British constitutional l ...
, all at once. He removed his rival, the previous Grand Vizier
Çandarlı Halil Pasha the Younger
Çandarlı Halil Pasha (died 10 July 1453), known as the Younger, was a highly influential Ottoman grand vizier under the sultans Murad II and, for the first few years of his reign, Mehmed II (from 1439 to 1 June 1453 precisely).İsmail Hâmi ...
, amid 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 ...
. He later served as the governor of Thessaly of Macedonia.
Life
Origin and early life
Zaganos was conscripted through 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 and rose through the ranks 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 ( ...
. He is thought to have been originally
Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
of Albanian descent. Some sources mention him as of Albanian noble descent like
Skanderbeg
, reign = 28 November 1443 – 17 January 1468
, predecessor = Gjon Kastrioti
, successor = Gjon Kastrioti II
, spouse = Donika Arianiti
, issue = Gjon Kastrioti II
, royal house = Kastrioti
, father ...
or
Hamza Kastrioti
Hamza Kastrioti ( la, Ameses Castriota) or Bernardo Kastrioti (after his conversion to Christianity), was a 15th-century Albanian nobleman and the nephew of George Kastrioti Skanderbeg. Probably born in Ottoman territory, after the death of his ...
.
[Stavrides, p. 63]
/ref> The majority of sources describe him as an 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 ...
, with a smaller number ascribing a Serb, Greek, South Slavic or unknown origin. [Nicolle 2007, p. 189][Philippides 2007, p. 95] He became a committed Muslim after conversion.[
In a ''vakfiye'' (foundation) his name appears as "Zağanos bin Abdullah", which indicates that he was of devshirme origin.
When Mehmed II was exiled in 1446, Zagan accompanied him.][
]
Second Vizier
Young 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 ...
had after his return and accession (18 February 1451) confirmed Çandarlı Halil Pasha the Younger
Çandarlı Halil Pasha (died 10 July 1453), known as the Younger, was a highly influential Ottoman grand vizier under the sultans Murad II and, for the first few years of his reign, Mehmed II (from 1439 to 1 June 1453 precisely).İsmail Hâmi ...
as his first Vizier (even though he seems to have disliked him), and raised Zaganos Pasha from third to second Vizier.[ Halil Pasha had been appointed first Vizier in 1439, after the demotion of ]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 th ...
. Zaganos, who was younger, was jealous of the position of Halil Pasha.[Jones 1973, p. 32]
Conquest of Constantinople
During the Siege of Constantinople
The following is a list of sieges of Constantinople, a historic city located in an area which is today part of Istanbul, Turkey. The city was built on the land that links Europe to Asia through Bosporus and connects the Sea of Marmara and the ...
, the bulk of the Ottoman army were encamped south of the Golden Horn. The regular European troops, stretched out along the entire length of the walls, were commanded by Karadja Pasha. The regular troops from 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 ...
under Ishak Pasha were stationed south of the Lycus down to the Sea of Marmara. Mehmed himself erected his red-and-gold tent near the ''Mesoteichion'', where the guns and the elite regiments, 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 ( ...
, were positioned. The Bashi-bazouk
A bashi-bazouk ( ota, باشی بوزوق , , , roughly "leaderless" or "disorderly") was an irregular soldier of the Ottoman army, raised in times of war. The army chiefly recruited Albanians and Circassians as bashi-bazouks, but recruits ...
s were spread out behind the front lines. Other troops under Zaganos were employed north of the Golden Horn. Communication was maintained by a road that had been constructed over the marshy head of the Horn. After the inconclusive frontal offensives, the Ottomans
The Ottoman Turks ( tr, Osmanlı Türkleri), were the Turkic founding and sociopolitically the most dominant ethnic group of the Ottoman Empire ( 1299/1302–1922).
Reliable information about the early history of Ottoman Turks remains scarce, ...
sought to break through the walls by constructing tunnels in an effort to mine
Mine, mines, miners or mining may refer to:
Extraction or digging
* Miner, a person engaged in mining or digging
*Mining, extraction of mineral resources from the ground through a mine
Grammar
*Mine, a first-person English possessive pronoun
...
them from mid-May to 25 May. Many of the sappers were miners of German origin sent from Novo Brdo
Novo Brdo ( sr-Cyrl, Ново Брдо), or Novobërda and Artana ( sq-definite, Novobërdë or ''Artanë''), is a municipality located in the Pristina district of Kosovo. According to the 2011 census, it has a population of 6,729 inhabitants. T ...
by the Serbian Despot. They were placed under the command of Zaganos Pasha. However, the Byzantines employed an engineer named Johannes Grant
Johannes Grant or Johannis Grandi was a mercenary employed by the Byzantine Empire at the fall of Constantinople in 1453.
Contemporary Greek and Latin accounts referred to him as being German, although Runciman has suggested he may actually have ...
(who was said to be German but was probably Scottish), who had counter-mine
Tunnel warfare involves war being conducted in tunnel and other underground cavities. It often includes the construction of underground facilities (mining or undermining) in order to attack or defend, and the use of existing natural caves and ...
s dug, allowing Byzantine troops to enter the mines and kill the Turkish workers. The Byzantines intercepted the first Serbian tunnel on the night of 16 May. Subsequent tunneling efforts were interrupted on 21, 23, and 25 May, destroying them with Greek fire and vigorous combat. On 23 May, the Byzantines captured and torture
Torture is the deliberate infliction of severe pain or suffering on a person for reasons such as punishment, extracting a confession, interrogation for information, or intimidating third parties. Some definitions are restricted to acts c ...
d two Turkish officers, who revealed the location of all the Turkish tunnels, which were then destroyed. On 21 May, Mehmed sent an ambassador to Constantinople and offered to lift the siege if they gave him the city. Constantine XI accepted to pay higher tributes to the sultan and recognized the status of all the conquered castles and lands in the hands of the Turks as Ottoman possession. Around this time, Mehmed had a final council with his senior officers. Here he encountered some resistance; one of his Viziers, the veteran Halil Pasha, who had always disapproved of Mehmed's plans to conquer the city, now admonished him to abandon the siege in the face of recent adversity. Halil was overruled by Zaganos, who insisted on an immediate attack. Having been accused of bribery, Halil Pasha was put to death later that year. Mehmed planned to overpower the walls by sheer force, expecting that the weakened Byzantine defense by the prolonged siege would now be worn out before he ran out of troops and started preparations for a final all-out offensive.
After the Ottoman occupation of Constantinople, the Sultan ordered Zaganos to set out with his galleys for 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 ...
, to prevent the Byzantine ships from setting sail.
The stories of Halil Pasha's collaboration with the Byzantines were most likely spread by the faction of Zaganos.[ Zaganos succeeded Halil Pasha as Grand Vizier.][ In 1456, however, Zaganos was made scapegoat after a failed expedition against Hungarian-held ]Belgrade
Belgrade ( , ;, ; Names of European cities in different languages: B, names in other languages) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers a ...
.[ Zaganos' daughter was expelled from the Sultan's harem, and the two were expelled to ]Balıkesir
Balıkesir () is a city in Turkey and is the capital city of Balıkesir Province. Balıkesir is located in the Marmara region of Turkey and has a population of 338,936. Between 1341–1922, it was the capital of Karasi.
History
Close to mo ...
, where he probably had property.[ In 1459, Zaganos returned and became ]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 fast-growing Ottoman navy, and the next year he was the governor of Thessaly and Macedonia.[
]
Personality and appearance
Zaganos was said to be a tall and intelligent man. He has been called the most cruel Ottoman captain of his time, and was said to be an enemy of Christians. He was in absolute loyalty to Mehmed II, even when he was just a prince, knowing that his prospects depended on his master's success.[ Zaganos was a soldier who believed that the Ottoman Empire must always expand in order to keep the enemies off-balance.][ He was known for his warlike beliefs and played an important role in the 1453 ]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 ...
.
He was one of the prominent Ottoman military commander
The commanding officer (CO) or sometimes, if the incumbent is a general officer, commanding general (CG), is the officer in command of a military unit. The commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitu ...
s 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 ...
(Mehmed the Conqueror) and a ''lala
Lala may refer to:
Geography
* Lala language (disambiguation) Places
* Lala (Naples Metro), an underground metro station in Naples, Italy
* Lala, Assam, a town in Assam, India
* Lala, Ilam, a village in Ilam Province, Iran
* Lala, Lanao del ...
'', at once an advisor, mentor, tutor, councilor, and protector
Protector(s) or The Protector(s) may refer to:
Roles and titles
* Protector (title), a title or part of various historical titles of heads of state and others in authority
** Lord Protector, a title that has been used in British constitutional l ...
, for the sultan
Sultan (; ar, سلطان ', ) 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 ...
.
Military achievements
During the final siege of Constantinople, Zagan Pasha's troops were the first to reach the towers. Ulubatlı Hasan was the first soldier who reached the tower. During the siege many of the sappers were placed under the command of Zagan Pasha. Mehmed took Zaganos' advice almost exclusively.
Mehmed II honored him for his loyalty and honesty, along with the Sultan's two other Viziers, Halil Pasha and Sarica Pasha, by naming the three great towers of Rumeli Hisari
Rumelia ( ota, روم ايلى, Rum İli; tr, Rumeli; el, Ρωμυλία), etymologically "Land of the Romans", at the time meaning Eastern Orthodox Christians and more specifically Christians from the Byzantine rite, was the name of a hist ...
after them. The tower to the south is named after Zaganos Pasha.
Family
Wifes
He married three times:
* Sitti Nefise Hatun, daughter of Timurtaşoğlu Oruç Pasha, governor-general of Anatolia under Murad II. By her he had two sons and two daughters.
* Fatma Hatun (m. 1444, died before 1461). Daughter of Sultan Murad II
Murad II ( ota, مراد ثانى, Murād-ı sānī, tr, II. Murad, 16 June 1404 – 3 February 1451) was the sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1421 to 1444 and again from 1446 to 1451.
Murad II's reign was a period of important economic deve ...
and half-sister 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 ...
. By her he had two sons.
* Anna Hatun
Anna Mega Komnene (Modern Greek: Άννα Μεγάλη Κομνηνή, transliterated: Anna Megalē Komnēnē, know also as Anna Hatun, ota, آنا فاتنة; 1447 - after 1463), was a Byzantine princess, daughter of the last emperor of Trebizond ...
(m. 1461). daughter of Emperor David of Trebizond
David Megas Komnenos ( gr, Δαυίδ Μέγας Κομνηνός, David Megas Komnēnos; – 1 November 1463) was the last Emperor of Trebizond from 1460 to 1461. He was the third son of Emperor Alexios IV of Trebizond and Theodora Kantakouzen ...
and Helena Kantakouzene
Helena Kantakouzene ( el, Ἑλένη Καντακουζηνή; 1333 – 10 December 1396) was the Empress consort of John V Palaiologos in the Byzantine Empire.
Life
She was a daughter of John VI Kantakouzenos and Irene Asanina; Donald Nico ...
, daughter of Demetrios I Kantakouzenos Demetrios I Kantakouzenos ( el, Δημήτριος Καντακουζηνός; 1343 – 1384) was a governor of the Morea and the grandson of Emperor John VI Kantakouzenos. Demetrios was the son of Matthew Kantakouzenos, governor of Morea, and I ...
. Mehmed II ospited her in his harem after defeating her father and offered her in wife to him in exchange for permission to marry Zaganos' daughter, Hatice Hatun.
Sons
He had at least four sons:
* Mehmed Bey - son of Sitti Nefise Hatun
* Alì Çelebi - son of Sitti Nefise Hatun
* Sultanzade Hamza Bey - son of Fatma Hatun
* Sultanzade Ahmed Çelebi - son of Fatma Hatun. He became an important adviser to his cousin, Sultan 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, ...
.
Daughters
He had at least two daughters:
* Hatice Hatun - daughter of Sitti Nefise Hatun. She became a consort of Sultan Mehmed II.
* Selçuk Hatun - daughter of Sitti Nefise Hatun. She married Mahmud Pasha Angelovic
Mahmud is a transliteration of the male Arabic given name (), common in most parts of the Islamic world. It comes from the Arabic triconsonantal root Ḥ-M-D, meaning ''praise'', along with ''Muhammad''.
Siam Mahmud
*Mahmood (singer) (born 199 ...
and later became the lover of Şehzade Mustafa
Şehzade Mustafa (Ottoman Turkish: شهزاده مصطفى; 6 August 1515 – 6 October 1553) was an Ottoman prince and the son of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent and his consort Mahidevran Sultan. He was the prince-governor of Manisa from 1532 ...
, son of Mehmed II. By her husband she had a son, Ali Bey, and a daughter, Hatice Hatun.
Legacy
His, as well as his family's, mausoleum is located in his endowment (1454), Zagan Pasha Mosque
Zagan Pasha Mosque ( tr, Zağnospaşa Camii) is a historic mosque in Balıkesir, northwest Turkey. It is known as the place, where Mustafa Kemal Atatürk delivered his famous "Balıkesir Khutbah" in 1923.
The mosque was built in 1461 by Zagan ...
, in Balıkesir
Balıkesir () is a city in Turkey and is the capital city of Balıkesir Province. Balıkesir is located in the Marmara region of Turkey and has a population of 338,936. Between 1341–1922, it was the capital of Karasi.
History
Close to mo ...
.[
]
Portrayals
* Neşet Berküren plays Zaganos Pasha in Turkish film ''İstanbul'un Fethi
''The Conquest of Constantinople'' ( tr, İstanbul'un Fethi) is a 1951 Turkish adventure film directed by . It was the first film of the "Ottomans v. Byzantines" genre which became very popular in Turkey. The film depicts the Fall of Constantinopl ...
'' (1951).
* Zaganos Pasha is portrayed by Sedat Mert in Turkish film ''Fetih 1453
''Sultana Muhammad Fetih 1453'' ( ''The Conquest 1453'') is a 2012 Turkish epic action film directed by Faruk Aksoy and produced by Faruk Aksoy, Servet Aksoy and Ayşe Germen. Starring Devrim Evin, İbrahim Çelikkol and Dilek Serbest, the film is ...
'' (2012).
* Ushan Çakır plays Zaganos Pasha in the Turkish TV Series Documentary Rise of Empires: Ottoman.
References
Sources
*
*J. R. Melville Jones, ''The Siege of Constantinople 1453: Seven Contemporary Accounts'', Hakkert, 1973
p. 7
"Zagan Pasha"
*Ellis Goldberg, Reşat Kasaba, Joel S. Migdal, "Rules and rights in the Middle East" (1993)
p. 153
*
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zaganos Pasha
15th-century Grand Viziers of the Ottoman Empire
Grand Viziers of Mehmed the Conqueror
Kapudan Pashas
Pashas
Devshirme
Ottoman people of the Byzantine–Ottoman wars
Converts to Islam from Eastern Orthodoxy
Former Greek Orthodox Christians
People from the Ottoman Empire of Greek descent
People from the Ottoman Empire of Serbian descent
People from the Ottoman Empire of Albanian descent
Albanian Grand Viziers of the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman former Christians
Janissaries
Burials in Turkey
Fall of Constantinople