Zeytünlüdür. Avlağu nâhiyesinden Mustafa oğludur. Evâil-i hâlinde İstanbul’a gelip Şeyhülislâm Salihzâde Mehmed Emîn Efendi dâiresine gidip müşârün-ileyhin sadâret ve meşîhatında dâiresi vekîl-i harcı olarak iştihâr etdi.
1191’de efendisinin irtihâlinde Silâhdâr Mehmed Paşa’ya intisâb ederek müşârün-ileyhin sadâretinde dergâh-ı âlî [318] kapıcıbaşılarından olup 1199’da baş-bâki kulu 1200 cumâdelâhiresinde tütün gümrükcüsü ve şevvâlinde arpa emîni oldu.
1201 rebiülâhirinde kasap-başı olup Ordu-yı Hümâyûn’la beraber bulundu. 1203 senesi şevvâlinde tersâne emîni oldu. 1204’de infisâl edib bir müddet menkûb kaldı. 1212 senesi şevvâlinde sâniyen tersâne emîni olup devr-i hidemât ile 1212 senesi muharreminde kasapbaşı olmuşdu.
1222 senesi rebiülevvelinde Sultân Selîm-i Sâlisin hal’i vak’âsında birçok ricâl-i devletle beraber ifnâ edildi. Vefa’da medfûndur. Mukdim, harîs-i ikbâl, müsin idi. Mahdûmu Arif Mustafa Ağa ricâldendir. Bunun mahdûmları Mehmed Emîn, Ahmed Beylerdir.
In Modern English
He was from Zeytün. He was the son of Mustafa, from the nahiye of Avlağu. In his early years he came to Istanbul and went to the household of Şeyhülislam Salihzâde Mehmed Emin Efendi; during that person's period in office and as şeyhülislam he became known as the vekilharç (steward of expenses) of the household.
In 1191 [1777-78], on the death of his master, he attached himself to Silahdar Mehmed Pasha and during that person's grand vizierate became one of the kapıcıbaşıs of the exalted court [dergâh-ı âlî]; in 1199 [1784-85] he became baş-bâki kulu, and in Cemaziyelahir 1200 [1786] customs officer for tobacco and in Şevval steward of barley.
In Rebiülahir 1201 [1787] he became kasapbaşı (master butcher) and accompanied the imperial army. In Şevval 1203 [1789] he became steward of the shipyard. In 1204 [1789-90] he was dismissed and remained in exile for a time. In Şevval 1212 [1798] he became steward of the shipyard for the second time, and through the rotation of posts he had become kasapbaşı in Muharrem 1212 [1797].
In Rebiülevvel 1222 [May 1807], at the deposition of Sultan Selim III, he was put to death together with many statesmen. He is buried in Vefa. He was bold, eager for advancement and advanced in age. His son Arif Mustafa Ağa is among the statesmen. His sons are Mehmed Emin and Ahmed Beys.
Notes and Research
Old Words in the Text
- mahdûm: son
- evâil-i hâl: youth, the early years of one's life
- müşârün-ileyh: the person mentioned, the aforesaid
- dâire: the service and household section of a large mansion
- vekîl-i harç: official in charge of the expenses of a household
- intisâb: attachment
- dergâh-ı âlî kapıcıbaşısı: head of the palace gatekeepers; the title was later also granted as a rank
- baş-bâki kulu: the nature of this post could not be found in the sources read
- emîn: official at the head of a state office, customs house or storehouse
- kasapbaşı: head of the officials who supplied the meat needs of the city and the army
- infisâl: leaving or losing a post
- menkûb: exiled, fallen from favour
- devr-i hidemât: posts passing from hand to hand in turn
- ifnâ: destroying, putting to death
- mukdim: bold, daring
- harîs-i ikbâl: eager for advancement and good fortune
- müsin: old (a reading "muhsin", "doer of good", is also possible; "old" is taken here, inference)
His Master, Salihzâde Mehmed Emin Efendi
The şeyhülislam in the text is Sâlihefendizâde Mehmed Emin Efendi, born in Edirne in 1117 [1705] and known as Camgöz ("Glass-eye") because he wore glasses. He passed through the grades of müderris, judge and kazasker, and became şeyhülislam on 29 Cemâziyelevvel 1189 (28 July 1775). After one year and four months, on 19 Şevval 1190 (1 December 1776), he was dismissed for laxity in administration and for being unable to control even those around him, and was sent to Bursa. He died on 4 Muharrem 1191 (12 February 1777). Hüsameddin's "the death of his master in 1191" agrees with this date.
The sources remember him for his generosity and for his help to friends and the poor; it is noted that under him it became customary for state officials to break their fast in his mansion during Ramadan, and that he had meals prepared and sent to the sultan as well. The place of a "steward of the household" in such a wide table and household can be inferred from this information (inference); no other record was found that Mehmed Emin, son of Mustafa, served as steward.
The Events of 1807
What Hüsameddin calls "the deposition of Selim III" is the uprising begun by the Bosphorus yamaks on 17-21 Rebîülevvel 1222 (25-29 May 1807); within four days, without much bloodshed, it ended with the deposition of Selim III. The rebels were content with the execution of the Nizâm-ı Cedîd leaders on a list of eleven names drawn up by the grand vizier and the şeyhülislam; those on the list who fled were caught and killed in public squares. Whether the kasapbaşı and shipyard steward of the text was killed on this list or at another stage of the uprising could not be established from the sources read.
Could Not Be Verified
The places called Zeytün and Avlağu, which grand vizier Silahdar Mehmed Pasha was, the nature of the post of baş-bâki kulu, and the order of posts in 1212 (Muharrem comes before Şevval; the text is given in its own order) could not be verified from the sources read. No information on Mehmed Emin Ağa, son of Mustafa, was found in other sources.
Bibliography
Primary sources
- Abdîzâde Hüseyin Hüsâmeddîn Yasar, Amasya Tarihi, Amasya Belediyesi Kültür Yayınları, 2022, vol. 7, p. 360–360. amasya.bel.tr
Academic studies