Amasyalıdır. Esbak Amasya mütesellimi el-Hâc Abdunnebî Ağa bin el-Hâc Ahmed Ağa’nın mahdûmudur. Küçük yaşında Enderun Sarayı’na girip orada ta’lîm ve terbiyye gördü. Tefeyyüz ederek kilercibaşı olup 1058’de tebeddül-i saltanat üzerine kapıcıbaşı olarak taşra çıktı.
1066 senesi zilhiccesinde Sadr-ı a’zam Köprülü Mehmed Paşa’nın sevkiyle baş-bakî kulu, 1067 senesi saferinde şıkk-ı sânî defterdârı olarak parladı. Çünkü sadr-ı müşârün-ileyhin sadâretine çalışanlardandı.
Ancak 1068 senesi evâilinde Köprülü Paşa’yı iğzâb edecek bir töhmet isnâdıyla ma’zûl olup 1072 senesi evâ’ilinde vefât etdi. Büyük birâderi Mısır mîr-livâsı [535] Mustafa Bey 1068’de ve küçük birâderi muhâsebeci Hüseyin Efendi de 1073 zilka’desinde vefât etdi. Mahdûmu Defterdâr-ı şıkk-ı sânî ve Şeyhül-Harem Ali Efendidir.
In Modern English
He was from Amasya. He was the son of el-Hâc Abdunnebî Ağa, son of el-Hâc Ahmed Ağa, former mütesellim (deputy of the governor) of Amasya. At a young age he entered the Enderun Palace and received education and training there. Rising, he became kilercibaşı (chief of the pantry); in 1058, on the change of sultan, he went out to the provinces as kapıcıbaşı.
In Zilhicce 1066, under the direction of the grand vizier Köprülü Mehmed Pasha, he came to the fore as baş-bakî kulu, and in Safer 1067 as defterdar of the şıkk-ı sânî. For he was among those who had worked for the said grand vizier's coming to the grand vizierate.
But in early 1068, because of an accusation that angered Pasha Köprülü, he was dismissed from office, and in early 1072 he died. His elder brother Mustafa Bey, sanjak bey of Egypt, died in 1068, and his younger brother, the accountant Hüseyin Efendi, died in Zilkade 1073. His son is Ali Efendi, defterdar of the şıkk-ı sânî and Şeyhülharem.
Notes and Research
Old Words in the Text
- mütesellim: deputy who runs the administration in the governor's place in a sanjak or city
- mahdûm: son
- tebeddül-i saltanat: change of reign, the sultan changing
- taşra çıkmak: to leave the center and take a post in the provinces
- şıkk-ı sânî defterdârı: defterdar of the "second branch"; one of the defterdars at the head of financial affairs
- baş-bakî kulu: title of a post connected with finance; its details could not be verified
- iğzâb etmek: to anger
- töhmet isnâdı: bringing an accusation
- ma'zûl: dismissed from office
- mîr-livâ: sanjak bey
His Relationship with Köprülü Mehmed Pasha
The dates in the entry gain meaning when read together with Köprülü Mehmed Pasha's rise. Köprülü Mehmed Pasha was brought to the grand vizierate on 26 Zilkade 1066 (15 September 1656), in place of Boynueğri Mehmed Pasha. The Zilhicce 1066 that Hüsameddin gives, that is, the month right after this appointment, is the date when Ahmed Ağa took office at the hand of the new grand vizier, and does not contradict the account.
It appears that Ahmed Ağa was from the grand vizier's close circle and later fell out of Köprülü's favor. Köprülü Mehmed Pasha is remembered in the sources as an experienced but harsh-tempered grand vizier; at the start of his grand vizierate he put the janissary corps under discipline, prevented the abuses in the distribution of ulûfe, and set up a spy organization loyal to himself. Under such an administration, losing standing in a short time is not surprising. Hüsameddin does not write what the accusation that led to the dismissal was; it was not found in another source either. For Ahmed Ağa's father and brothers too, no information other than Hüsameddin was found in this research.
Bibliography