Amasyalıdır. Merzifonî Kara Mustafa Paşa’nın müsakkafât defterinde görüldüğü üzere Amasyalı Memi Dedezâde Memi Çelebi mahdûmudur. İbtidâ Köprülüzâde Fâzıl Ahmed Paşa’nın dâ’iresine girip ağalarından oldu. Bir müddet kapıcılar kethüdâsı olup nüfuz ve servet kazandı.
Fâzıl Ahmed Paşa’nın teveccühâtını da kazanıp 1078’de kethüdâ-yı sadr-i âlî oldu. Ancak ba’zı harekâtı paşayı şüphelendirdiğinden iki yıl sonra ma’zûl ve kapıcıbaşılıkla [38] devr-i hizmet ederek 1087 şa’bânında Kara Mustafa Paşa sadr-ı a’zam oldukta sipâhiler ağası ve 1088 evâilinde sânîyen kethüdâ-yı sadr-ı âlî oldu.
1090 evâilinde ikinci defa dûçâr-i azl olup menkûbane kaldı.1095 muharreminde Bayburtluzâde Kara İbrâhim Paşa Sadr-ı a’zam oldukta efendilikle tersâne emîni, ba’dehû defterdâr-ı şıkk-ı sânî olduysa da 1099’da mütekâ’id olup 1102’de “kudvetü’l-a’yân Mehmed Efendi bin Memi Çelebi” diye mütekâ’idîn defterinde görüldü. Ba’dehû vefât etdi.
Müdebbir, sâhib-i ilm ü irfân ricâlden olup gâliben biraz mütekebbir olduğundan efendilerini gücendirmiş ve bu yüzden terakkî edememişdir. Mahdûmları Mustafa, İbrâhim, Hasan Ağalardır. Mustafa Ağa, mu’ahharan divân-ı hümâyûn küttâbı zümresine iltihâk ederek hâcegân-ı divân-ı hümâyûndan re’isül küttâb Mustafa Efendi diye meşhûr oldu.
In Modern English
He was a native of Amasya. As seen in the müsakkafât register of Merzifonlu Kara Mustafa Pasha, he was the son of Memi Çelebi, son of Memi Dede, of Amasya. He first entered the circle of Köprülüzâde Fâzıl Ahmed Pasha and became one of his ağas. For a time, as kethüda of the gatekeepers, he gained influence and wealth.
Winning Fâzıl Ahmed Pasha's favor as well, in 1078 [1667-68] he became kethüda of the grand vizier. However, because some of his actions aroused suspicion in the pasha, he was dismissed two years later. After serving as kapıcıbaşı, when Kara Mustafa Pasha became grand vizier in Şaban 1087 [1676] he became ağa of the sipahis, and in early 1088 [1677] kethüda of the grand vizier for the second time.
In early 1090 [1679] he was dismissed a second time and remained in a state like exile. When Bayburtluzâde Kara İbrâhim Pasha became grand vizier in Muharrem 1095 [1683-84], with the title of efendi he became steward of the arsenal, and then second-rank defterdar. In 1099 [1687-88] he retired, and in 1102 [1690-91] he was seen recorded in the register of retirees as "the leader of the notables, Mehmed Efendi son of Memi Çelebi". Then he died.
He was a prudent man among the notables, possessed of learning and refinement; because he was often somewhat proud, he offended his masters, and for this reason did not rise further. His sons were Mustafa, İbrâhim and Hasan Ağas. Mustafa Ağa later joined the scribes of the imperial council (divan-ı hümâyun) and became famous as reisülküttâb Mustafa Efendi, one of the masters of the imperial council.
Notes and Research
Old Words in the Text
- müsakkafât defteri: the register recording roofed buildings (houses, shops and the like)
- kethüdâ-yı sadr-ı âlî: the steward of the grand vizier, that is, his closest aide
- kapıcılar kethüdası, kapıcıbaşı: senior officials of the palace gatekeepers
- sipâhiler ağası: commander of the kapıkulu sipahi divisions
- tersâne emîni: administrator of the naval arsenal
- defterdâr-ı şıkk-ı sânî: second-rank defterdar (one of the finance administrators)
- ma'zûl, azl: dismissed from office, dismissal
- menkûb: fallen into exile or out of favor
- mütekâ'id: retired
- reîsülküttâb: the chief scribe who ran the secretarial affairs of the council
- mütekebbir: proud
The Köprülüs and Amasya
The circle in which Memi Çelebi's son Mehmed Efendi rose is the Köprülü family. Fâzıl Ahmed Pasha was born in Vezirköprü, attached to Amasya, in 1635, was the son of Köprülü Mehmed Pasha, and was grand vizier for fifteen years, from 30 October 1661 to 3 November 1676. Kara Mustafa Pasha, for his part, was orphaned at a young age and studied at the madrasa together with the children of Köprülü Mehmed Bey, then sanjak governor of Amasya, under his protection. He became kaptan-ı derya under Fâzıl Ahmed Pasha's grand vizierate and grand vizier on 5 November 1676. The date Şaban 1087 that Hüsameddin gives agrees with this event.
A Point to Note
The Mehmed Efendi in the entry should not be confused, because of the similar name, with the şeyhülislam Memekzâde (Memikzâde) Mustafa Efendi, who died in 1656; he too is the son of an Amasya scholar, but he is a scholar and müderris. The person in this entry is a bureaucrat who rose by the path of the pen and of finance. Which reisülküttâb Mustafa Efendi mentioned in the sources corresponds to the son Mustafa Efendi that Hüsameddin names could not be verified in the sources examined. No direct information about Mehmed Efendi son of Memi Çelebi was found in other sources either.
Bibliography
Primary sources
- Abdîzâde Hüseyin Hüsâmeddîn Yasar, Amasya Tarihi, Amasya Belediyesi Kültür Yayınları, 2022, vol. 6, p. 22–22. amasya.bel.tr
Academic studies