Amasyalı Sekbânzâdedir. 1122 senesi cemâziyelâhirinin yirmi üçüncü günü Amasya mutasarrıfı olup Rus harbine me'mûr olduğundan kethüdâsı Hacı Alî Ağa mütesellim oldu. Receb gurresinde sâbık mutasarrıf Kaya Alî Paşa da evkâf-ı sultâniyye tevliyetiyle kayırıldı. Yeğen Alî Bey de Rumeli'de bir sancak beyi olarak harbe gitdi.
Ramazân'ın gurresinde Süleymân Efendi Amasya kadısı olup geldi. Amasya sipâhîleri ve yeniçerileri Rus harbine gittiğinden yeniçeri kudemâsından Hatîboğlu Mehmed Ağa serdâr vekîli olarak Amasya'da kaldı. A'yândan [10] birçokları da kapıları halkı ile harbe me'mûren Rûmeli'ne gitdi.
1123 senesi muharreminde Amasya mütesellimi Hacı Alî Ağa da imdâd-ı seferî akçasıyla berâber harbe gitdiğinden baş a'yân seçilen Emîr Hacı Abdullatîf Ağa mütesellim vekîli ve livânın muhâfızı olup kaldı. Ramazânın gurresinde fuzalâdan Şeyhî Mehmed Efendizâde Abdurrahmân Efendi Amasya kadısı olup zilka'denin on dördüncü günü bostancıbaşı Amasyalı Hacı Ahmed Ağa vezâretle kapudân-ı deryâ oldu.
Lâkin Kaya Alî Paşa, kendisinin azline sebeb olan Emîr Hacı Ağa'nın serbâzâne hareketlerini hoş görmedi. Emîr Hacı Ağa'nın rakîbleri olan Fazlızâde Hacı Alî Efendi ve Avkatlı İbrâhim Ağa ile birleşip Hacı Ağa'nın aleyhinde ağır şikâyetler dermiyân ve Hacı Ağa da bunların aleyhinde makâmâtı iz'âc eylemişdi.
Mütesellim Hacı Alî Ağa, harbden avdet edip bâ-fermân-ı âlî bunların aleyhinde tahkîkâta başladı. Zilhiccenin sekizinci günü Emîr Hacı Abdullatîf Ağa baş a'yânlıkdan ve şehir kethüdâlığından azl ile Amasya kalesinde kalebend olup Kaya Alî Paşa da tevliyetden azl edilerek İstanbul'a gitdi. [11]
Paşa'dan mahlûl olan evkâf-ı sultâniyye tevliyeti Hacı Kadîroğlu Hacı Ahmed Ağa'ya verildi. Fuzalâdan dersiâm ve Mehmed Paşa müderrisi Çorumlu Hâfız Seyyid Mehmed Efendi nakîb kâ'im-makâmı ve Fazlızâde Hacı Alî Efendi baş a'yân ve şehir kethüdâsı ve Ömer Ağa da sipâhî kethüdâsı oldu.
Kurbân bayramının birinci günü sabâhında Amasya müftüsü ve Büyükağa müderrisi Koca Mu'îd İsmâ'il Efendi vefât etdiğinden Sultâniyye müderrisi ve şeyhu'l-ulemâ Mütevellîzâde Hacı Ahmed Efendi Amasya müftüsü ve kibâr-ı ulemâdan Kayyımzâde İsmâ'il Efendi de Büyükağa müderrisi oldu.
Emîr Hacı rakîblerinden alaybeyi Avkatlı İbrâhim Ağa da azl edilip meşâhîr-i zu'amâdan Sarı Beyzâde Mehmed Bey alaybeyi oldu. Zilhiccenin yirmi ikisinde kapudân-ı deryâ Amasyalı vezîr Hacı Ahmed Paşa İstanbul kâ'im-makâmı olarak fevkalâde ta'ayyün eylediğinden rikâb-ı hümâyûn kâ'im-makâmı olan Dâmâd Alî Paşa'nın istirkâbını celb etdi.
1124 senesi muharreminin evâsıtında vezîr Hacı Ahmed Paşa, Emîr Hacı Ağa'nın muhibbi ve hâmîsi olduğundan istihsâl eylediği fermân-ı âlî üzerine Emîr Hacı Abdullatîf Çelebi afv ve ıtlâk edilerek hânesinde ikâmetine müsâ'ade [12] buyuruldu. Ancak kalebend olduğu esnâda hasımları aleyhine şikâyetler yağdırmış, bunların da tahkîkine fermân almışdır.
Rebî'ulevvel evâ'ilinde yapılan tahkîkâtın netîcesi olarak Fazlızâde Hacı Alî Efendi ile Avkatlı İbrâhîm Ağa Amasya'dan kaldırılıp Samsun'a i'zâm ve kalebend edildi.
Cemâziyelevvelde Amasya mutasarrıfı Ahmed Paşa Rus harbinde görülen hizmetlerine mükâfâten Rûmeli beylerbeyiliği pâyesiyle Özi kalesi muhâfızı olduğundan Amasya sancağı sâbık Mar'aş beylerbeyi Alî Paşa'ya verildi.
In Modern English
He was an Amasya native of the Sekbânzâde family. On the twenty-third day of Cemâziyelâhir 1122 [August 1710] he became mutasarrıf of Amasya; since he was assigned to the Russian war, his steward Hacı Ali Ağa became mütesellim. On the first day of Receb the former mutasarrıf Kaya Ali Pasha was also favored with the stewardship of the sultan's waqfs. His nephew Ali Bey also went to the war as a sanjak bey in Rumelia.
On the first day of Ramazan Süleyman Efendi arrived as kadı of Amasya. Since the sipahis and janissaries of Amasya had gone to the Russian war, Hatîboğlu Mehmed Ağa, one of the senior janissaries, remained in Amasya as deputy of the commander-in-chief. Many of the notables also went to Rumelia on war duty with their retinues.
In Muharrem 1123 [February-March 1711] the mütesellim of Amasya, Hacı Ali Ağa, also went to the war together with the campaign-aid money, and Emîr Hacı Abdüllatif Ağa, who had been chosen chief notable, remained as deputy mütesellim and guardian of the sanjak. On the first day of Ramazan Abdurrahman Efendi, son of Şeyhî Mehmed Efendi and one of the distinguished men of learning, became kadı of Amasya; on the fourteenth day of Zilkade [December 1711] the bostancıbaşı Hacı Ahmed Ağa of Amasya became kaptan-ı derya with the rank of vizier.
However, Kaya Ali Pasha could not tolerate the willful conduct of Emîr Hacı Ağa, who had caused his dismissal. Joining Emîr Hacı Ağa's rivals Fazlızâde Hacı Ali Efendi and Avkatlı İbrahim Ağa, he brought grave complaints against Hacı Ağa; Hacı Ağa in turn had troubled the authorities against them.
The mütesellim Hacı Ali Ağa returned from the war and, by imperial decree, began an inquiry against them. On the eighth day of Zilhicce Emîr Hacı Abdüllatif Ağa was removed from the position of chief notable and from the city kethüdalık and imprisoned in the Amasya Castle; Kaya Ali Pasha was also removed from the stewardship and went to Istanbul.
The stewardship of the sultan's waqfs, vacated by the Pasha, was given to Hacı Kadîroğlu Hacı Ahmed Ağa. Among the men of learning, Hâfız Seyyid Mehmed Efendi of Çorum, a dersiâm (madrasa professor who gave lessons in mosques) and müderris of the Mehmed Pasha Madrasa, became deputy naqib, Fazlızâde Hacı Ali Efendi became chief notable and city kethüda, and Ömer Ağa became sipahi kethüda.
On the morning of the first day of the Feast of Sacrifice, since the mufti of Amasya and müderris of the Büyük Ağa Madrasa, Koca Muîd İsmail Efendi, had died, Mütevellîzâde Hacı Ahmed Efendi, müderris of the Sultaniye and the foremost of the scholars, became mufti of Amasya, and Kayyımzâde İsmail Efendi, one of the great scholars, became müderris of the Büyük Ağa Madrasa.
Avkatlı İbrahim Ağa, the alaybeyi and one of Emîr Hacı's rivals, was also dismissed, and Sarı Beyzâde Mehmed Bey, one of the well-known holders of zeamet, became alaybeyi. On the twenty-second of Zilhicce [January 1712], since the kaptan-ı derya, the Amasya-born vizier Hacı Ahmed Pasha, had risen to great prominence as Istanbul kaymakam, he drew upon himself the jealousy of Damad Ali Pasha, the rikâb-ı hümâyun kaymakamı (deputy of the grand vizier at the sultan's side).
In the middle of Muharrem 1124 [February 1712], since Vizier Hacı Ahmed Pasha was a man who loved and protected Emîr Hacı Ağa, Emîr Hacı Abdüllatif Çelebi was pardoned and released by an imperial decree he obtained, and was permitted to stay at his home. However, while in prison in the castle he had showered complaints against his opponents and had obtained a decree for their investigation as well.
As a result of the inquiry carried out in early Rebîülevvel, Fazlızâde Hacı Ali Efendi and Avkatlı İbrahim Ağa were removed from Amasya, sent to Samsun and imprisoned in the fortress there.
In Cemâziyelevvel, since the mutasarrıf of Amasya, Ahmed Pasha, became guardian of Özi Castle with the rank of beylerbeyi of Rumelia in return for his services in the Russian war, the sanjak of Amasya was given to Ali Pasha, a former beylerbeyi of Maraş.
Notes and Research
Old Words in the Text
- kayırılmak: to be favored and rewarded with an office
- kudemâ: the senior ones, the veterans
- kapıları halkı: the retinue and armed men of a notable
- imdâd-ı seferî akçası: the aid levy collected from the people for campaign expenses
- livâ: sanjak
- vezâretle kapudân-ı deryâ: commander of the fleet with the rank of vizier
- serbâzâne: willful, reckless
- dermiyân etmek: to put forward, to allege
- iz'âc: disturbing, harassment
- kalebend: imprisoned in a fortress
- mahlûl: a vacated office
- dersiâm: a madrasa professor giving public lessons in large mosques
- zu'amâ: holders of zeamet, holders of large timars
- ta'ayyün: coming to the fore, standing out
- istirkâb: envying, regarding as a rival
- muhib ve hâmî: one who loves and protects
- afv ve ıtlâk: pardoning and releasing
- i'zâm: sending, dispatching
Amasya's Military in the Prut Campaign
The "Russian war" that Hüsameddin mentions is the Prut Campaign of 1711. After the Russians attacked the Ottoman northern frontiers, Grand Vizier Baltacı Mehmed Pasha was appointed serdâr-ı ekrem (commander-in-chief) on 19 February 1711, set out from Istanbul on 9 April 1711, and his army met the Russian forces near the marshes of the Prut river on 18 July 1711. After a four-day siege, Tsar Peter I, left without recourse, asked for peace, and a treaty was signed on 22 July 1711. The information in the entry fits this calendar exactly: the mutasarrıf of Amasya is assigned to the war in the summer of 1122, the sipahis, janissaries and the notables' retinues go to Rumelia, and the mütesellim joins the army in Muharrem 1123 [February-March 1711] with the campaign-aid money. Thus during the war years Amasya became a city virtually emptied of its armed men, its administration left to deputies.
The guardianship of Özi (Özü) Castle, given as a reward to the mutasarrıf Ahmed Pasha on his return from the campaign, is also significant. This fortress, known today as Ochakiv in Ukraine, stood where the Dnieper and the Bug rivers flow into the Black Sea. The Ottomans regarded Özi as the lock of the Black Sea and Danube coasts and, since 1593, had governed it as the seat of a separate beylerbeylik. In the eighteenth century, as Russian pressure grew, the castle's military value rose still further. In this respect, the sending there of an Amasya-born pasha who had fought the Russians at the Prut is meaningful.
From Bostancıbaşı to Kaptan-ı Derya: Hacı Ahmed Pasha
The entry says that the Amasya-born bostancıbaşı Hacı Ahmed Ağa became kaptan-ı derya with vizierate on the fourteenth of Zilkade 1123 [23 December 1711]. The biography of the statesman who appears as Kirli Ahmed Pasha in records based on the Sicill-i Osmanî matches this information almost to the day. According to these records, Ahmed Pasha, who rose from the bostancı corps and became bostancıbaşı in 1707, was made kaptan-ı derya with the vizierate on 21 December 1711, and in January 1712 also took on the Istanbul kaymakamlık. The Istanbul kaymakamlık that Hüsameddin places on the twenty-second of Zilhicce 1123 also coincides with this date. The end of this first term as kaptan is given in the sources with differing dates between April 1712 and January 1713. That the person Hüsameddin calls "Hacı Ahmed Pasha" and the "Kirli Ahmed Pasha" of the sources are the same man is a strong inference based on this agreement of dates; however, the nickname "Kirli" does not occur in Hüsameddin.
The rival Damad Ali Pasha whom Hüsameddin mentions is Silahdar Ali Pasha (Şehid Ali Pasha), the son-in-law of Ahmed III, who would later become grand vizier and be known as the conqueror of the Morea. Ali Ağa, who became the sultan's companion in 1708, was married to the sultan's daughter Fatma Sultan in May 1709, was raised to second vizier and then to rikâb-ı hümâyun kaymakamı, and had become influential even in the appointments of grand viziers. He played a part in the dismissal of Çorlulu Ali Pasha, had Grand Vizier Hoca İbrahim Pasha, who he learned was plotting an assassination against him, put to death, and assumed the grand vizierate on 27 April 1713. It is not surprising that such a man should see the rise of another Amasya-born vizier close to the sultan as a threat. This story of jealousy in Hüsameddin will extend, in later entries of the bakiyye, to the tragic end of two Amasya viziers.
A Notable's Rival in the Castle
The imprisonment of Emîr Hacı Abdüllatif Ağa first in the Amasya Castle, then his pardon thanks to his patron in Istanbul and the exile of his opponents to Samsun, show how much provincial notable rivalries depended on patronage ties at the center. Each of the opponents wrested a decree from the official on his own side, and inquiries were opened with mutual complaints. It is known that in this period the âyan grew stronger through their functions of collecting taxes, meeting campaign needs and lending to the state in years of war and fiscal crisis; in Amasya too, those who collected the campaign-aid money and carried it to the army were the same notables and mütesellims.
Bibliography
Primary sources
- Abdîzâde Hüseyin Hüsâmeddîn Yasar, Amasya Tarihi, Amasya Belediyesi Kültür Yayınları, 2022, Supplement to Volume 4, p. 630–630. amasya.bel.tr
- "Kirli Ahmed Paşa", entry based on Mehmed Süreyya, Sicill-i Osmanî (ed. Nuri Akbayar, 1996), I, 238, https://tr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirli_Ahmed_Paşa
Academic studies
- M. Münir Aktepe, "Baltacı Mehmed Paşa", TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi, https://islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/baltaci-mehmed-pasa
- Abdülkadir Özcan, "Şehid Ali Paşa", TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi, https://islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/sehid-ali-pasa
- Temel Öztürk, "Özü", TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi, https://islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/ozu
- Özcan Mert, "Âyan", TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi, https://islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/ayan
Other sources