Gazi Hüsrev Pasha
Encyclopedia
Gazi Hüsrev Pasha also called Boşnak Hüsrev Pasha or Ekrem Hüsrev Pasha, was an Ottoman
grand vizier in the 17th century (during the stagnation of the empire).
descent. He studied in the Enderun (palace school). In 1625, he was promoted to be the vizier
(minister). During the second Abaza rebellion
, Damat Halil Pasha, the grand vizier
tried to capture the fort of Erzurum
(East Turkey
), then under the control of Abaza Mehmet Pasha. But after a siege of 70 days he failed to capture the city and he was dismissed. Hüsrev Pasha was appointed as the new grand vizier on 6 April 1628.
), the Ottoman city which had recently been captured by the Safavid shah Abbas I
of Persia. In late 1629, he began invading Persian territory around Bagdat. But it was the rainy season and it was impossible to lay a siege on the city. So he chose to capture other cities around. One of his subordinates defeated a Persian army. The siege of Bagdat bagan on 22 June 1930 and continued up to 14 November 1630 without success. After this failure, he decided to continue the operation in 1631. But he wasted too much time in 1631 on the pretext that he was waiting for the reinforcements. On 25 October 1631 he was dismissed.
was killed by the rebels in the palace. The sultan accused Hüsrev for the unrest and he sent another pasha to Tokat
(Central North Turkey), the city where Hüsrev was residing to execute him. After some minor clashes, Hüsrev was executed in March 1632.
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
grand vizier in the 17th century (during the stagnation of the empire).
Early life
He was of BosnianBosnians
Bosnians are people who reside in, or come from, Bosnia and Herzegovina. By the modern state definition a Bosnian can be anyone who holds citizenship of the state. This includes, but is not limited to, members of the constituent ethnic groups of Bosnia and Herzegovina: Bosniaks, Bosnian Serbs and...
descent. He studied in the Enderun (palace school). In 1625, he was promoted to be the vizier
Vizier
A vizier or in Arabic script ; ; sometimes spelled vazir, vizir, vasir, wazir, vesir, or vezir) is a high-ranking political advisor or minister in a Muslim government....
(minister). During the second Abaza rebellion
Abaza rebellion
Abaza rebellion was a rebellion in Ottoman Empire during the reigns of Mustafa I and Murat IV. The name of the rebellion refers to Abaza Mehmet , an Ottoman pasha of Abkhazian origin. Sometimes this rebellion is considered as a part of the Jelali revolts...
, Damat Halil Pasha, the grand vizier
Grand Vizier
Grand Vizier, in Turkish Vezir-i Azam or Sadr-ı Azam , deriving from the Arabic word vizier , was the greatest minister of the Sultan, with absolute power of attorney and, in principle, dismissable only by the Sultan himself...
tried to capture the fort of Erzurum
Erzurum
Erzurum is a city in Turkey. It is the largest city, the capital of Erzurum Province. The city is situated 1757 meters above sea level. Erzurum had a population of 361,235 in the 2000 census. .Erzurum, known as "The Rock" in NATO code, served as NATO's southeastern-most air force post during the...
(East Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
), then under the control of Abaza Mehmet Pasha. But after a siege of 70 days he failed to capture the city and he was dismissed. Hüsrev Pasha was appointed as the new grand vizier on 6 April 1628.
Grand vizier
Hüsrev Pasha immediately laid a siege on Erzurum on 5 September 1628. The operation was faster than Abaza had anticipated and the city was not ready for a long siege. On 18 September Abaza Mehmet surrendered. Hüsrev's easy victory to end a long and costly rebellion gained him fame. He became the de facto ruler of the empire. According to Historian Joseph von Hammer, Hüsrev's instructions were more effective than the instructions of the 15 years old sultan Murat IV. He decreased the number of viziers in the porte and he made a habit of executing all of his opponents.Bagdat campaign
Hüsrev's next mission was to reconquer Bagdat (capital of modern IraqIraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
), the Ottoman city which had recently been captured by the Safavid shah Abbas I
Abbas I of Persia
Shāh ‘Abbās the Great was Shah of Iran, and generally considered the greatest ruler of the Safavid dynasty. He was the third son of Shah Mohammad....
of Persia. In late 1629, he began invading Persian territory around Bagdat. But it was the rainy season and it was impossible to lay a siege on the city. So he chose to capture other cities around. One of his subordinates defeated a Persian army. The siege of Bagdat bagan on 22 June 1930 and continued up to 14 November 1630 without success. After this failure, he decided to continue the operation in 1631. But he wasted too much time in 1631 on the pretext that he was waiting for the reinforcements. On 25 October 1631 he was dismissed.
Death
The news about Hüsrev's dismiss caused a general unrest in the empire. Hüsrev's successor Hafız Ahmet PashaFilibeli Hafiz Ahmed Pasha
Hafiz Ahmed Pasha was an Ottoman Grand Vizier. Born as son of a Pomak Muezzin, he went to Istanbul in the age of 15 and was an employee in the Sultan's palace for many years...
was killed by the rebels in the palace. The sultan accused Hüsrev for the unrest and he sent another pasha to Tokat
Tokat
Tokat is the capital city of Tokat Province of Turkey, at the mid Black Sea region of Anatolia. According to the 2009 census, the city of Tokat has a population of 129,879.-History:Tokat was established in the Hittite era....
(Central North Turkey), the city where Hüsrev was residing to execute him. After some minor clashes, Hüsrev was executed in March 1632.