Merzifonludur. Vüzerâdan ve Vidin ser-askeri iken 1152’de maktûlen vefât eden Merzifonî Tuz Mehmed Paşa mahdûmudur. Pederinin i’dâmında Merzifon’a gelip hayli müddet menkûb oldu. 1171’de Gümüş madeni emini olarak temâyüz etdi.
1175’de Merzifon voyvodası olarak 1178’de sevkiyat işlerinde ibrâz-ı hizmet edib kapıcıbaşı, 1180 senesi cumâdelâhiresinde bâ-rûtbe-i mîr-i mîrâni, Van muhâfızı ve 1181 senesi saferinde Amasya mutasarrıfı olup harbe me’mûren Rumeli’ne gitdi.
1182 senesi rebîülevvelinde Ruslara esir olup nekbet gördü. 1184’de esâretden tahlis edilerek Merzifon’a geldi. 1187’de Adana, 1188 senesi evâhirinde sânîyen Van Beylerbeyi olup 1191 hudûdunda ma’zûlen vefât etdi. Secî, talihsizdi.
In Modern English
He was from Merzifon. He was the son of Tuz Mehmed Pasha of Merzifon, one of the viziers, who was killed and died in 1152 [1739-40] while serdar (commander) of Vidin. After his father's execution he came to Merzifon and lived a long life of exile. In 1171 [1757-58] he distinguished himself as superintendent of the Gümüş mine.
In 1175 [1761-62] he became voyvoda of Merzifon; in 1178 [1764-65] he became a kapıcıbaşı for services in transport and supply matters. In Cemaziyelahir 1180 he became guardian of Van with the rank of mîrimîran, in Safer 1181 governor (mutasarrıf) of Amasya, and, assigned to the war, he went to Rumeli.
In Rebiülevvel 1182 he fell captive to the Russians and suffered calamity. In 1184 [1770-71] he was freed from captivity and came to Merzifon. In 1187 [1773-74] he went to Adana, at the end of 1188 he became governor-general (beylerbeyi) of Van for the second time, and around 1191 [1777-78] he died, having been dismissed from office. He had a bad temper and bad fortune.
Notes and Research
Old Words in the Text
- ser-asker: army commander, serdar
- maktûlen vefât: to die by being killed
- i'dâm: execution, being put to death
- menkûb: one struck by calamity, left in exile and hardship
- emîn: administrator of a mine or of a revenue
- voyvoda: administrator in charge of the taxes and order of a place
- mîr-i mîrân: the rank of beylerbeyi
- nekbet: calamity, ill fortune
- tahlis: being rescued
- ma'zûlen: having been dismissed from office
- secî: disposition, temper
After the Father's Execution
What stands out in the record is that after the exile that began with his father's execution, the son returned to state service and followed a path that ran from the voyvodalık of Merzifon to posts in centers such as Van, Amasya, and Adana. Hüsameddin calls this life "unfortunate" and gives no reason; his falling into Russian hands and dying after dismissal can be taken as the basis of this judgment.
The captivity coincides with the period of the Ottoman-Russian war that began in 1768 and ended with the Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca in 1774. It was not possible to compare the dates of captivity and release with another source; since the month of Rebiülevvel 1182 given by Hüsameddin is very close to the time the war actually began, this date should be verified separately. Ahmed Pasha's governorship of Amasya is in 1181; it falls before 1772, when the sanjak of Amasya was granted to Canikli Hacı Ali Pasha as a life-tenure grant (mâlikâne).
No information on Tuz Mehmed Pasha and his son was found in other sources. No link is drawn between them and the commonly mentioned Merzifonlu Kara Mustafa Pasha.
Bibliography
- Abdîzâde Hüseyin Hüsâmeddîn Yasar, Amasya Tarihi, Amasya Belediyesi Kültür Yayınları, 2022, vol. 6, pp. 209–209. amasya.bel.tr