- Melek Ahmed Pasha
-
Melek Ahmed Pasha (ca. 1604–1662) was an Ottoman official and Grand Vizier during the stagnation of the empire.
Contents
Early years
He was of Abkhaz (or Abazin) origin. According to one source his father was a sea captain named Pervane.[1] During the reign of Murad IV, he was appointed as the governor of Diyarbakır. During Ibrahim I's reign he was appointed to the governorships of Erzurum, Mosul, Aleppo and Damascus. In 1644 he married to Kaya Sultan, Murad's daughter and gained the title damat (groom). But all of the provinces (even Erzurum a part of Turkey) he was assigned, were quite far from Istanbul, the capital, and during most of his assignments his wife stayed in Istanbul. During the reign of Mehmed IV, he finally returned to Istanbul as a vizier. But in 1650, to the dismay of his wife he was appointed as the governor of Baghdad, another post far from Istanbul. Kaya Sultan tried to persuade the queen regent to revoke the decision. But she couldn't succeed, a sign of the chaos in Ottoman palace.[2] Nevertheless, before Melek Ahmed left Istanbul, the Grand Vizier Kara Dev Murad Pasha resigned, complaining of the intrigues of the palace people. The queen regent offered the post to Melek Ahmed, who accepted the offer on the condition that the palace people would not meddle with the governance of the state (5 August 1650).[3]
Grand Vizier
Melek Ahmed Pasha saw that the empire was almost bankrupt. The Cretan War (1645-1669) was very costly and tax revenues from Anatolia were much less than the expected amount because of the Jelali revolts. He did his best to balance the budget, but without a real knowledge of financial affairs, his economic measures worsened the economy instead of improving it. Among his measures was the debasing of coinage by reducing the gold content. This caused reactions among both the merchants and the soldiers whose salaries were paid by the new coins.[4] The Sultan was forced to relieve him of his post on 22 August 1651.
Later years
After 1651, he was again assigned as a provincial governor, but this time in Silistra (now in Bulgaria), much closer to capital. Soon he was able to return to Istanbul. In 1654, Mustafa İbşir Pasha had been appointed as the Grand Vizier, but delayed his arrival in Istanbul. During this period, Melek Ahmed functioned as his deputy. This aroused İbşir Pasha's suspicions, and Melek Ahmed was exiled to Van and Malkara. However, after İbşir Pasha was deposed, Melek Ahmed Pasha was able to regain his former titles. After working in some provinces in the European part of the empire, he died in Istanbul in 1662.
Aftermath
In the Ottoman Empire the minting of devalued coinage continued after 1651, and provided the major reason for a wide-scale rebellion, the so-called "Çınar Incident", in 1656.
Evliya Çelebi and Melek Ahmed Pasha
Although not a particularly successful Grand Vizier, details about both Melek Ahmed Pasa and Kaya Sultan are well known because of Evliya Çelebi's books. Evliya Çelebi was one of the most important Turkish travel writers. His mother was milk sibling of Melek Ahmed Pasha, and Evliya Çelebi used this opportunity to travel with Melek Ahmed Pasha.[5]
References
- ^ Ayhan Buz:Osmanlı Sadrazamları, Neden Kitap, İstanbul, 2009, ISBN 978-975-254-278-5 p.107
- ^ An essay on Ahmet Pasha (Turkish)
- ^ Joseph von Hammer:Osmanlı Tarihi Vol II (condensation: Abdülkadir Karahan), Milliyet yayınları, İstanbul. p 100
- ^ Prof.Yaşar Yücel-Prof Ali Sevim:Türkiye tarihi III, AKDTYKTTK Yayınları, 1991, pp 104-106
- ^ On line history(Turkish)
Preceded by
Kara Dev Murad PashaGrand Vizier
5 August 1650 – 22 August 1651Succeeded by
Abaza Siyavuş Pasha I
Grand Viziers of the Ottoman Empire 
Grand Viziers of the Ottoman Empire – Rise (1299–1453) Hacıkemaleddinoğlu Alaeddin Pasha (1320–1331) · Mahmudoğlu Nizamüddin Ahmed Pasha (1331–1348) · Hacı Pasha (1348–1349) · Sinanüddin Fakih Yusuf Pasha (1349–1364) · Çandarlı Kara Halil Hayreddin Pasha (1364–1387) · Çandarlı Ali Pasha (1387–1406) · Osmancıklı Imamzade Halil Pasha (1406–1413) · Amasyalı Bayezid Pasha (1413–1421) · Çandarlı Ibrahim Pasha (1421–1429) · Osmancıklı Koca Mehmed Nizamüddin Pasha (1429–1439) · Çandarlı Halil Pasha (1439–1453)
Grand Viziers of the Ottoman Empire – Growth (1453–1606) Zagan Pasha (1453–1456) • Veli Mahmud Pasha (1456–1466) • Rum Mehmed Pasha (1466–1469) • Ishak Pasha (1469–1472) • Veli Mahmud Pasha (1472–1474) • Gedik Ahmed Pasha (1474–1477) • Karamani Mehmed Pasha (1477–1481) • Ishak Pasha (1481–1482) • Davud Pasha (1482–1497) • Hersekzade Ahmed Pasha (1497–1498) • Çandarlı Ibrahim Pasha (2nd) (1498–1499) • Mesih Pasha (1499–1501) • Hadim Ali Pasha (1501–1503) • Hersekzade Ahmed Pasha (1503–1506) • Hadim Ali Pasha (1509–1511) • Koca Mustafa Pasha (1511–1512) • Dukakinzade Ahmed Pasha (1512–1515) • Hersekzade Ahmed Pasha (1515–1516) • Hadim Sinan Pasha (1516–1517) • Yunus Pasha (1517) • Piri Mehmed Pasha (1517) • Pargalı Ibrahim Pasha (1523–1536) • Ayas Mehmed Pasha (1536–1539) • Lûtfi Pasha (1539–1541) • Hadim Suleiman Pasha (1541–1544) • Rüstem Pasha (1544–1553) • Kara Ahmed Pasha (1553–1555) • Rüstem Pasha (1555–1561) • Semiz Ali Pasha (1561–1565) • Sokollu Mehmed Pasha (1565–1579) • Şemsi Pasha (1579–1580) • Lala Kara Mustafa Pasha (1580) • Koca Sinan Pasha (1580–1582) • Siyavush Pasha (1582–1584) • Özdemiroğlu Osman Pasha (1584–1585) • Hadim Mesih Pasha (1585–1586) • Siyavush Pasha (1586–1589) • Koca Sinan Pasha (1589–1591) • Ferhad Pasha (1591–1592) • Siyavush Pasha (1592–1593) • Koca Sinan Pasha (1593–1595) • Ferhad Pasha (1595) • Lala Mehmed Pasha (1595) • Koca Sinan Pasha (1595–1596) • Damat Ibrahim Pasha (1596) • Cigalazade Yusuf Sinan Pasha (1596) • Damat Ibrahim Pasha (1596–1597) • Hadim Hasan Pasha (1597–1598) • Cerrah Mehmed Pasha (1598–1599) • Damat Ibrahim Pasha (1599–1601) • Yemişçi Hasan Pasha (1601–1603) • Yavuz Ali Pasha (1603–1604) • Sokolluzade Lala Mehmed Pasha (1604–1606)Dervish Mehmed Pasha (1606) • Kuyucu Murad Pasha (1606–1611) • Nasuh Pasha (1611–1614) • Kara Mehmed Pasha (1614–1616) • Damat Halil Pasha (1616–1619) • Kara Mehmed Pasha (1619–1619) • Güzelce Ali Pasha (1619–1621) • Ohrili Hüseyin Pasha (1621) • Dilaver Pasha (1621–1622) • Kara Davud Pasha (1622) • Mere Hüseyin Pasha (1622) • Lefkeli Mustafa Pasha (1622) • Gürcü Hadim Mehmed Pasha (1622–1623) • Mere Hüseyin Pasha (1623) • Kemankeş Kara Ali Pasha (1623–1624) • Çerkes Mehmed Pasha (1624–1625) • Filibeli Hafız Ahmed Pasha (1625–1626) • Damat Halil Pasha (1626–1628) • Gazi Ekrem Hüsrev Pasha (1628–1631) • Hafiz Ahmed Pasha (1631–1632) • Topal Recep Pasha (1632) • Tabanıyassı Mehmed Pasha (1632–1637) • Bayram Pasha (1637–1638) • Tayyar Mehmed Pasha (1638) • Kemankeş Mustafa Pasha (1638–1644) • Civankapıcıbaşı Sultanzade Semiz Mehmed Pasha (1644–1645) • Nevesinli Salih Pasha (1645–1647) • Kara Musa Pasha (1647) • Hezarpare Ahmed Pasha (1647–1648) • Mevlevi Mehmed Pasha (1648–1649) • Kara Dev Murad Pasha (1649–1650) • Melek Ahmed Pasha (1650–1651) • Siyavush Pasha (1651) • Gürcü Mehmed Pasha (1651–1652) • Tarhoncu Ahmed Pasha (1652–1653) • Bıyıklı Koca Derviş Mehmed Pasha (1653–1654) • Ipşiri Mustafa Pasha (1654–1655) • Kara Dev Murad Pasha (1655) • Ermeni Süleyman Pasha (1655) • Gazi Hüseyin Pasha (1656) • Zurnazen Mustafa Pasha (1656) • Siyavush Pasha (1656) • Boynuyaralı Mehmed Pasha (1656) • Köprülü Mehmed Pasha (1656–1661) • Köprülü Fazıl Ahmed Pasha (1661–1676) • Merzifonlu Kara Mustafa Pasha (1676–1683) ) • Bayburtlu Kara Ibrahim Pasha (1683–1685) • Sarı Süleyman Pasha (1685–1687) • Abaza Siyavuş Pasha (1687–1688) • Ayaşlı İsmail Pasha (1688) • Tekirdağlı Bekri Mustafa Pasha (1688–1689) • Köprülü Fazıl Mustafa Pasha (1689–1691) • Bahadırzade Arabacı Ali Pasha (1691–1692) • Merzifonlu Çalık Hacı Ali Pasha (1692–1693) • Bozoklu (Bıyıklı) Mustafa Pasha (1694) • Sürmeli Ali Pasha (1694–1695) • Elmas Mehmed Pasha (1695–1697) • Köprülü Amcazade Hacı Hüseyin Pasha (1697–1702)
Daltaban Mustafa Pasha (1702–1703) • Rami Mehmed Pasha (1703) • Sührablı Kavanoz Nişancı Ahmed Pasha (1703) • Moralı Damat Hasan Pasha (1703–1704) • Kalaylıkoz Hacı Ahmed Pasha (1704) • Baltaci Mehmed Pasha (1704–1706) • Çorlulu Ali Pasha (1706–1710) • Köprülü Numan Pasha (1710) • Baltaci Mehmed Pasha (1710–1711) • Gürcü Ağa Yusuf Pasha (1711–1712) • Silahdar Süleyman Pasha (1712–1713) • Kel Hoca Ibrahim Pasha (1713) • Silahdar Damat Ali Pasha (1713–1716) • Hacı Halil Pasha (1716–1717) • Tevkii Nişancı Mehmed Pasha (1717–1718) • Nevşehirli Damat Ibrahim Pasha (1718–1730) • Silahdar Damat Mehmed Pasha (1730–1731) • Kabakulak Ibrahim Pasha (1731) • Topal Osman Pasha (1731–1732) • Hekimoğlu Ali Pasha (1732–1735) • Gürcü Ismail Pasha (1735–1736) • Silahdar Seyyid Mehmed Pasha (1736–1737) • Muhsinzade Abdullah Pasha (1737) • Yeğen Mehmed Pasha (1737–1739) • Hacı İvazzade Mehmed Pasha (1739–1740) • Nişancı Ahmed Pasha (1740–1742) • Hekimoğlu Ali Pasha (1742–1743) • Seyyid Hasan Pasha (1743–1746) • Tiryaki Hacı Mehmed Pasha (1746–1747) • Boynueğri Seyyid Abdullah Pasha (1747–1750) • Divitdar Mehmed Emin Pasha (1750–1752) • Çorlulu Köse Bahir Mustafa Pasha (1752–1755) • Hekimoğlu Ali Pasha (1755) • Naili Abdullah Pasha (1755) • Silahdar Bıyıklı Ali Pasha (1755) • Yirmisekizzade Mehmed Said Pasha (1755–1756) • Çorlulu Köse Bahir Mustafa Pasha (1756–1757) • Koca Ragıp Pasha (1757–1763) • Tevkii Hamza Hamid Pasha (1763) • Çorlulu Köse Bahir Mustafa Pasha (1763–1765) • Muhsinzade Mehmed Pasha (1765–1768) • Silahdar Hamza Mahir Pasha (1768) • Yağlıkçızade Nişancı Hacı Mehmed Emin Pasha (1768–1769) • Moldovancı Ali Pasha (1769) • Ivazzade Halil Pasha (1769–1770) • Silahdar Mehmed Pasha (1770–1771) • Muhsinzade Mehmed Pasha (1771–1774) • Safranbolulu Izzet Mehmed Pasha (1774–1775) • Moralı Derviş Mehmed Pasha (1775–1777) • Darendeli Cebecizade Mehmed Pasha (1777–1778) • Kalafat Mehmed Pasha (1778–1779) • Silahdar Karavezir Seyyid Mehmed Pasha (1779–1781) • Safranbolulu Izzet Mehmed Pasha (1781–1782) • Yeğen Hacı Mehmed Pasha (1782) • Halil Hamid Pasha (1782–1785) • Hazinedar Şahin Ali Pasha (1785–1786) • Koca Yusuf Pasha (1786–1789) • Kethüda Meyyit Hasan Pasha (1789) • Cezayirli Gazi Hasan Pasha (1789–1790) • Çelebizade Şerif Hasan Pasha (1790–1791) • Koca Yusuf Pasha (1791–1792)
Damad Melek Mehmed Pasha (1792–1794) • Izzet Mehmed Pasha (1794–1798) • Kör Yusuf Ziyaüddin Pasha (1798–1805) • Hafiz Ismail Pasha (1805–1806) • Ibrahim Hilmi Pasha (1806–1807) • Çelebi Mustafa Pasha (1807–1808) • Alemdar Mustafa Pasha (1808) • Çavuşbaşı Memiş Pasha (1808–1809) • Kör Yusuf Ziyaüddin Pasha (1809–1811) • Laz Aziz Ahmed Pasha (1811–1812) • Hursid Pasha (1812–1815) • Mehmed Emin Rauf Pasha (1815–1818) • Dervish Mehmed Pasha (1818–1820) • Seyyid Ali Pasha (1820–1821) • Benderli Ali Pasha (1821) • Hacı Salih Pasha (1821–1822) • Deli Abdullah Pasha (1822–1823) • Silahdar Ali Pasha (1823) • Mehmed Said Galip Pasha (1823–1824) • Mehmed Selim Pasha (1824–1828) • Darendeli Mehmed Pasha (1828–1829) • Reşid Mehmed Pasha (1829–1833) • Mehmed Emin Rauf Pasha (1833–1839) • Husrev Pasha (1839–1840) • Mehmed Emin Rauf Pasha (1840–1841) • Darendeli Mehmed Pasha (1841–1842) • Mehmed Emin Rauf Pasha (1842–1846) • Mustafa Reshid Pasha (1846–1848) • Ibrahim Sarim Pasha (1848) • Mustafa Reshid Pasha (1848–1852) • Mehmed Emin Rauf Pasha (1852) • Mustafa Reshid Pasha (1852) • Mehmed Emin Aali Pasha (1852) • Damad Mehmed Ali Pasha (1852–1853) • Mustafa Naili Pasha (1853–1854) • Kıbrıslı Mehmed Emin Pasha (1854) • Mustafa Reshid Pasha (1854–1855) • Mehmed Emin Aali Pasha (1855–1856) • Mustafa Reshid Pasha (1856–1857) • Mustafa Naili Pasha (1857) • Mustafa Reshid Pasha (1857–1858) • Mehmed Emin Aali Pasha (1858–1859) • Kıbrıslı Mehmed Emin Pasha (1859) • Mehmed Rushdi Pasha (1859–1860) • Kıbrıslı Mehmed Emin Pasha (1860–1861) • Mehmed Emin Aali Pasha (1861) • Mehmed Fuad Pasha (1861–1866) • Yusuf Kamil Pasha (1863) • Mehmed Fuad Pasha (1863–1866) • Mehmed Rushdi Pasha (1866–1867) • Mehmed Emin Aali Pasha (1866–1871) • Mahmud Nedim Pasha (1871–1872) • Midhat Pasha (1872) • Mehmed Rushdi Pasha (1872–1873) • Ahmed Esad Pasha (1873) • Şirvanlızade Mehmed Rüşdi Pasha (1873–1874) • Hüseyin Avni Pasha (1874–1875) • Ahmed Esad Pasha (1875) • Mahmud Nedim Pasha (1875–1876) • Mehmed Rushdi Pasha (1876–1876) • Midhat Pasha (1876–1877) • Ibrahim Edhem Pasha (1877–1878) • Ahmed Hamdi Pasha (1878) • Ahmed Vefik Pasha (1878) • Mehmed Sadık Pasha (1878) • Mehmed Rushdi Pasha (1878) • Saffet Pasha (1878) • Hayreddin Pasha (1878–1879) • Ahmed Arifi Pasha (1879) • Mehmed Said Pasha (1879–1880) • Kadri Pasha (1880) • Mehmed Said Pasha (1880–1882) • Abdurrahman Nureddin Pasha (1882) • Mehmed Said Pasha (1882) • Ahmed Vefik Pasha (1882) • Mehmed Said Pasha (1882–1885) • Kâmil Pasha (1885–1891) • Ahmed Cevat Pasha(1891–1895) • Mehmed Said Pasha (1895) • Kâmil Pasha (1895) • Halil Rifat Pasha (1895–1901) • Mehmed Said Pasha (1901–1903) • Mehmed Ferid Pasha (1903–1908) • Mehmed Said Pasha (1908) • Kâmil Pasha (1908–1909) • • Hüseyin Hilmi Pasha (1909) • Ahmed Tevfik Pasha (1909) • Hüseyin Hilmi Pasha (1909–1910) • Ibrahim Hakki Pasha (1910–1911) • Mehmed Said Pasha (1911–1912) • Gazi Ahmed Muhtar Pasha (1912) • Kâmil Pasha (1912–1913) • Mahmud Shevket Pasha (1913) • Said Halim Pasha (1913–1917) • Mehmed Talat Pasha (1917–1918) • Ahmed Izzet Pasha (1918) • Ahmed Tevfik Pasha (1918–1919) • Damad Ferid Pasha (1919) • Ali Riza Pasha (1919–1920) • Salih Hulusi Pasha (1920) • Damad Ferid Pasha (1920) • Ahmed Tevfik Pasha (1920–1922)Categories:- 17th-century Ottoman grand viziers
- Abazins
- 1662 deaths
- Pashas
- Year of birth uncertain
- Ottoman people of Abkhazian descent
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